[Source: Fiji Rugby]
Fiji Water Flying Fijians captain Tevita Ikanivere was left frustrated after Fiji’s strong first-half display failed to translate into a victory against Scotland in their final Nations Championship match.
Fiji led 17-7 at halftime and appeared on course for a positive finish to the tournament before Scotland stormed back to claim a 33-17 victory.
Ikanivere acknowledged the effort shown by his teammates but admitted the side was unable to maintain control when it mattered most.
“We came out here today trying to get the win. I think a lot of people did so much work to be able to host games here in the North. I thank the boys for coming out here today with a fighting spirit.”
The skipper said Fiji spent too much time defending in the second half and struggled to manage territory as the match slipped away.
“We can’t defend the whole game, the whole 40 minutes. We didn’t control the territory better in the last 30 minutes, 15 minutes. It just slipped away from us.”
Despite the disappointing result, Ikanivere praised the commitment of the players as Fiji brought its Nations Championship campaign to an endfor the July window.

Mataiasi Stark