THE Vodafone Fiji under-20 side defeated Hong Kong 26-7 in its opening game of the 2017 World Rugby U20 Trophy Championship in Uruguay yesterday.
The Temo Mayanavanua-captained side scored their first try in the 7th minute which was converted by halfback Jamie Kotz to lead 7-0.
Hong Kong replied with a converted try to level scores 7-7.
The Fijians showcased their skills with their second converted try to Apisalome Bogidrau in the 55th minute to extend their lead to 14-7 at the end of the first half.
Fiji opened the second half with a try from Lekima Nasamila in the 71th minute which was converted as the Fijians continued their dominance 21-7.
Another beautiful try from number 8, Bogidrau increased Fiji’s lead to 26-7 at the final whistle.
Coach Koli Sewabu was impressed with his team’s performance but believed there was still room for improvement.
“It’s great to get off on a winning start but there’s a lot of areas we need to improve on prior to our next game against Uruguay on Saturday.
“The forwards played extremely well and were dominant in the set pieces. Our scrums and line-outs worked well, and we also contested well against Hong Kong.
“Our defence and discipline was also outstanding today so we will keep working on that.
“We created a lot of opportunities in the first half and should have put them away earlier, but some poor decision making and finishing didn’t work to our advantage.
“Our exit plays need to improve as well so we do not get caught up on the wrong side of the field and allow the opposition easy gains.
“This is something that we need to sort especially against Uruguay. We know they will come back like a wounded tiger this Saturday especially after their loss to Portugal today (yesterday). There were some interesting results, but we will focus on one game at a time and treat every game as the final.
“I’m proud of how the boys came back in the second half and controlled the game a lot better. The conditions just didn’t suit how we normally play but we will have to adjust to this. There has been continuous rain in Montevideo for the past week and with all the games played in the same stadium, the grounds were pretty heavy and the boys had to adjust quickly.
“Fortunately there’s no injuries apart from a few niggles. What’s important now is to ensure the boys recover well and we focus on our performance for the next game.”
The boys will have the day off and focus on recovery before they get back on their feet today to prepare against Uruguay.
