The Fiji Pearls suffered a 54-45 defeat to Samoa in their PacificAus Sports Series opener in Australia on Monday, with the lower-ranked Samoan side proving too strong in key moments.
Despite entering the tournament ranked 14th in the world, four places above Samoa, Fiji struggled to gain control early on.
Samoa took advantage of their height and sharp ball movement, racing to a 15-8 lead in the first quarter before stretching it to 30-16 at halftime.
The Pearls fought back in the final quarter, closing the gap with a late surge but Samoa maintained their composure to seal the win at the final whistle.
Fiji Pearls interim coach and Fiji men’s netball head coach Jioweli Vakamoce said this tournament is crucial for Fiji, as they aim to improve their world ranking.
The Pearls entered the competition as the 14th-ranked team with two higher-ranked opponents Tonga at 8th and Scotland at 10th awaiting them.
Meanwhile Fiji will take on Tonga Tala at 9pm tonight.
With strong competition ahead, Fiji will need to regroup quickly and lift their performance to keep their ranking ambitions alive.
