MANY may have not remembered the last time the Flying Fijians beat Scotland here in Fiji.
Some Fijians may have not been born then, but The Fiji Times recorded and remembers it just as if it happened yesterday.
It was on a Tuesday afternoon, May 26, 1998 at the then National Stadium (ANZ Stadium).
As odd as it may seem the mid-week game turned out to be a real success for organisers.
Thousands of rugby crazy fans with their Sky Blue flocked to Laucala Bay to witness one of Fiji’s finest victories on home soil.
Schoolchildren in their uniforms together with their parents reared up to witness what could now be described as a “miracle victory” for Fiji, but a disaster for the touring Scots.
1998 Scotland’s captain Rob Wainwright referring to their loss as a “humiliating defeat”.
Imagine a little boy sitting on the tracks in uniform, looking on with his brother, watching Fiji being dominated in the first half.
The faith, the expectation and the fool’s hope that he had, as unbelievable it may seem, it was his no others.
Praying and hoping, to witness a miracle and to see his national team win against an international world rugby powerhouse for the very first time.
Fiji on the back foot, back paddling trying time and time again to penetrate a very determined Scottish defence.
His miracle and that of thousands of Fijians at the ANZ Stadium that day came in the second half.
In the form of a 5’7″ Qarani, Gau man whose reputation precedes him, the man, the wizard of 7s, the maestro, the man that is Waisale Serevi. He epitomised the saying, “Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man”.
The Sale Sorovaki-captained side lit up, like flood waters breaking its banks whose currents flowed with such force that it blew any form of defences wide open.
The game saw tries to winger Aisea Tuilevu, (flanker) Apisai Naevo, (fullback) Jonetani Waqa, and (prop) Joeli Veitayaki.
But the Fero Lasagavibau took the cream off the cake when he ran in three tries, one in the first half and two in the second half.
In the words of skipper Sorovaki, “What should I say, I am really happy. We’re sick of people telling us we played well then we lost. We wanted to win and we did and I am very happy.”
Former Fijian coach Brad Johnstone told his players after the game, “It was a great victory for you. I believe you realised that we could play better than that.
“That’s the main thing in rugby. If you play with confidence you can make things happen but if you play with doubt, you make mistakes and you put yourselves back under pressure,” Johnstone said.
This rings true a bible verse found in Mathew 21:21 which states, “And Jesus said unto them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree. But even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown in to the sea,” it will happen.”
It did happen, not only for the brave souls that represented Fiji that day, but it happened for all hopeful Fijians especially to the little boy and his brother.
Now with only hours away until kick-off, jubilant fans Fiji wide gearing up for another epic battle between the World Rugby’s fifth ranked Scotland against the 10th ranked team Fiji. With battle lines drawn, there will be no love lost between the two sides.
Current Flying Fijians coach John McKee had earlier made his team’s intentions crystal clear, “This is our home territory and it will be game on.” A challenge that will be well received by the Scots who are here with a mission to finish their tour with a win.
