Fiji Bati coach Wise Kativerata said it for all Fijian fans yesterday at the end of that great effort against the New Zealand Kiwis. We succumbed 18-24 to a side we rattled over 80 minutes.
“I’m really proud of the boys. They hung in there until the last minute,” Kativerata said.
“Playing against an experienced side you’ve got to do the basics right. We ended on a high. We can’t change much. What happened is gone and full credit to the boys. We don’t have much but we’re going to move on from here.”
That’s how most fans will look at this effort. When winger Maika Sivo crashed through for that first try in the opening minutes of the torrid encounter, die-hard fans would have been moved by tough forward Korbin Sim’s reaction.
As Sivo fisted the air in a show of confidence and euphoria, Sims raced in, and tapped his left chest. It was a special moment. In those few seconds, he drove through the message that the Bati weren’t there to make up the numbers.
We did not have all our first grade players. We went in without the services of a number of key forwards and backs. It did not deter the youngsters who did make the trip. Sims epitomised the feeling of confidence in the side.
He drove that through in those seconds early in the game. It was a message from our enforcer! It was almost like an unspoken message about belief! Belief in our processes and systems, our gameplan and our skills.
Belief in the men who were prepared to give this big game their best shot, for the team, our country, and for every Fijian around the world! And that came from the heart. We may have missed some key players, but there was confidence in those with the jersey on to deliver what the Bati stood for!
We led for most of the game, and may have succumbed under controversial circumstances. But it was a game we dominated and which we could have won. We may have been conservative for most of the game, but it was because we played one of the top sides in the competition.
We were doing everything we needed to do, and we did it right. Our linebreakers ran their lines, and took those tackles well. They stayed safe in the play-the-ball zone. And when it mattered, our backs were running good strong lines.
We defended well, and kept the fans on the edges of their seats. So in essence we played well because our stars who were available guided our young guns and we stuck to a set game that obviously focused on retention of possession, and a defensive shape that was willing to test the big Kiwi enforcers, and there was a lot of heart in our game!
In defeat, we still had a number of impressive players who showed the style of game that is now associated with the Bati – aggressive, with tonnes of flair, speed and excitement.
Youngsters like hooker Tagituimua, fullback Sunia Turuva and big secondrower Joshua Wong give us hope of a formidable Bati team in the future. As senior players Kevin Naiqama and Sims farewell the game, they will leave with heads held high, having played their part in the development of our game.
The challenge now is on the governing body to embrace the calibre of players we have, nurture them well and plan for more internationals. We want to see them play more, and be exposed to this great game. It was good to see the likes of linebreakers Tui Kamikamica and Viliame Kikau take the lead upfront.
It was also good to see the likes of Taniela Sadrugu at lockforward, King Vuniyayawa, Nakubuwai and Lamar Manuel-Liolevave when they came on as interchange players play their hearts out upfront.
And we have to acknowledge the big games the likes of Api Koroisau and Brandon Wakeham had as our halves. We say great effort guys! Thank you giving us hope and raising spirits yesterday morning.
