FIJI Airways Fiji men’s 7s debutant Nacani Boginisoko produced a memorable performance to cap off day one of the Singapore 7s on Saturday night.
The elusive speedster was handed his first career start against South Africa in the feature match of the opening day and did not disappoint under the spotlight.
With the scores locked at 19–all at the end of regulation time, the contest went into golden-point extra time, heightening the tension inside the stadium.
Fiji kicked off to start the extra period, with South Africa gaining first possession and the initial opportunity to launch an attack.
However, a cross-field kick that had been effective earlier in the match failed to come off, allowing Fiji to regain possession from the resulting lineout.
Boginisoko then received the ball on the right flank and showcased his strength and agility, breaking through the first line of defence before sprinting clear to score under the posts and seal the dramatic victory.
Coach Osea Kolinisau said the decision to rotate the squad was aimed at giving younger players valuable experience after securing a place in the semi-finals.
“South Africa was not going to be easy. I made some changes so that the young players can get a taste of what to expect tomorrow (second day),” Kolinisau said.
Despite the win, Kolinisau said the team still had areas to improve on.
“There were some soft missed tackles, a few unnecessary knock-ons but these are things which can be sorted out before the semis.”
Fiji were scheduled to face New Zealand in the semi-finals last night.
