THERE was something in the air when the Flying Fijians played the World Cup in 2007, and the people of Fiji felt it so much that supporters in far-flung communities took their television sets and antennas to the top of mountains to watch the action unfold from there.
It’s what kept the Flying Fijians going, as relayed by captain Mosese Rauluni, when the squad remained focused on achieving their goal of slaying the Welsh dragons on French soil.
The Flying Fijians triumphed 38-34 over Wales at the 2007 Rugby World Cup at the Stade de la Beaujoire in France on September 29 that year.
Head coach and former Flying Fijian Ilivasi Tabua said it kept them going when they were down by four points.
“I told them we’ve got to hang in there and gain control of the game, and they did it, the backs and forwards alike,” Tabua recalled.
For him, the end result indicated the potential the team had and what lay in store for the future of the Flying Fijians.
“We’ve never been there (the quarter-finals). It’s not only for us, but for our country. It brings rugby to another level.”
Then deposed prime minister, the late Laisenia Qarase, remarked the win reflected “one brief moment of happiness in a very difficult environment.”
The nation had been grappled with the effects of the political upheaval the year before and the victory came at an opportune time as a source of joy for those who needed it the most.
But in that “brief moment of happiness,” the nation was held firm by the belief of ensuring their goal to reach the top eight was achieved, and the Welsh defeat opened the door to it, as Rauluni explained.
“We came here and set a goal, and that was to get into the top eight. But just in the dressing room, we said to the boys ‘Your job’s not over!’.”
The Flying Fijians went on to meet South Africa in the quarter-final, where their 20-37 defeat did not dampen the spirits of a team that dared to dream and achieved it.
