All Blacks – Far From Their Best

Did the All Blacks get out of third gear in Bledisloe 1?

I think they couldn’t shift momentum and just like the Flying Fijians made it hard for them to strut their stuff on the walkway last month, the Wallabies popped some questions and suffocated them just enough bubbling unforced errors and coughing penalties out of the best rugby side in the world.

Dave Rennie’s Wallabies missed the experience of James O’Connor, Nic White and Marika Koroibete.

Did you know that All Black center Anton Lienert-Brown had more Test appearances than the entire Wallaby backline.

Bledisloe footy back at Eden Park 👊#NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/HGGi8T2bzA

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 7, 2021

And what if talented Noah Lolesio made those five kicks count – he kicked two out of seven on a windy Auckland evening and missed 12 points – heavily costly.

The Wallabies looked confident and held their own in set pieces despite the first half lineout mess but they managed to fix that area and shocked the All Blacks with a superb variation in the throw which produced a brilliant opening try of Test 1.

Content 🔥🔥#NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/Q99P0PGYRG

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 7, 2021

And while many said the French brought a B team to Australia, Test rugby is Test rugby and those three battles surely shaped the Wallabies enough and prepared them for a respectable fight.

I am sure you have heard, defence wins games, didn’t happen for the Wallabies but their defence held strong under some heavy pressure for large periods of the game.

The Wallabies defence frustrated the All Blacks.

🙌 @Te_Nug #NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/UcwnCagKGL

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 7, 2021

I think the All Blacks had their top side for Bledisloe 1 after going through Test matches against Tonga and Fiji in the preview.

Ian Forster will be wanting to iron out the fluidity in attack that his side lacked, in fact the All Blacks struggled to get going which they’re known for.

There was one superb play with a no try call with the length of the field typical All Blacks play, what a pity that won’t make the highlights reel.

But the All Blacks perhaps need more time to gel together and if they can fix that and put on a more clinical show, that’ll be dangerous for any side to beat them this season.

First half vibes 🤙#NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/n1GEynELf1

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 7, 2021

The All Blacks remain a long way from their best.

What mates are for ❤️ pic.twitter.com/913ZrwtPUz

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 8, 2021

If they can’t shift the gear this week, it’ll be a Test and a half for them against a resurgent Wallabies.

If anything, the Wallabies should take heart and build on from where they left off – can they back it up this week?

Thank you @wallabies 🤝 See you next week. pic.twitter.com/rBJooCvdRV

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 7, 2021

Michael Hooper and his men will have to believe in that and work harder as they scored 17 unanswered points in the final 15 minutes to finish All Blacks 33-25.

The All Blacks are one up and they’ll be eager to settle the deal with a win on Saturday and keep the Bledisloe in their Wellington HQ cabinet for the 19th successive year.

Can the Wallabies overcome bogey?

Many ardent rugby fans and the thousands in Fiji who support the mighty New Zealand All Blacks will be oozing with confidence and licking their lips for another smashing win over Trans-Tasman arch rivals Australia in Bledisloe 1 tonight.

Most of my friends are pro-All Blacks and feels great to get in that mix and oppose them.

The All Blacks have a little bit of history of starting slow in a year and it happened last year when they were held in the first game in Wellington.

🔥 One. More. Sleep.#BledisloeCup #NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/jauE6ytatr

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 6, 2021

But tonight, if there’s any chance of a repeat of that memorable opening Test of 2020, the Wallabies will need to front up and get aggressive and ruthless in every moment of the game.

Michael Hooper’s men will need to start well and take the early opportunities and that starts before the ball is kicked, from when the ‘haka’ is performed by the Men in Black.

[Source: Wallabies]

After watching three Tests vs France, and what a third one it was, the 14-man Wallabies played out of their wits to beat the tricolours and wrap the series 2-1, I am anticipating the OZs will bring a fast-paced approach and will be a different threat in the collision area of the game with a highly physical and confrontational approach – or forget about being in the Test.

If the Wallabies hold possession and also try and put together counter-attacks and get involved in exploiting spaces and employ a fast ruck-and-run game, that might cause some worry for the home side.

🛠️ Building…

🗓 Saturday 7 August 5:05pm AEST
📺 @9Gem & @StanSportAU #NZLvAUS #Wallabies #BledisloeCup @eToroAU @CadburyAU pic.twitter.com/w7EB7eppBD

— Wallabies (@wallabies) August 5, 2021

If anything, hard-running Marika Koroibete will be sorely missed but his missed opportunity gives someone else the opportunity to shine and that’s what sport is all about.

I hope the Fijian boys learn from their mistake and respect the team culture going forward as there’s still a lot of rugby remaining this season.

Now for this – are we heading to another grandstand finish?

The All Blacks are gunning to win the prestigious Bledisloe Cup for a 19th consecutive year.

Only 1️⃣ more sleep to go ‘til Bledisloe! #BledisloeCup #NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/709KZCSxF7

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 6, 2021

The Wallabies crop know that but is that motivation enough for them – Noah Lolesio and Jordan Petaia were nearly three years old when the Wallabies last lifted the Bledisloe.

These players are eager to make their own history and that’s going to be special heading into this series.

The occasion can’t get any bigger tonight to be staged at the cauldron of Eden Park where the Wallabies have a winless bogey of 35 years.

None of the Wallabies playing tonight were born in 1986.

I would love to see the Wallabies upset the All Blacks but it won’t be an easy track, nothing offered on a silver platter by the three-time world champs.

New Zealand have named perhaps the best 23 for Test 1 with my favourite halfback Aaron Smith to play his special 100th Test in Auckland.

The one and only @Te_Nug 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZlBqRGKrRk

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 5, 2021

They have a power-packed side with tonnes of experience.

Australia, however, has a Test-inexperienced side, only fullback Tom Banks, with 14 caps, is the most experienced in the backline.

And Hoops upfront wins his 56th cap.

It’s the form and character they carry into the Bledisloe from that French series win that excites me.

Always remember, for the All Blacks, as once said by former great Richie McCaw, “Outside of a World Cup, we kind of see the Bledisloe Cup as being our most important silverware.”

[Source: All Blacks]

In another Test tomorrow morning, South Africa faces the British Lions in the decider.

The Springboks looked back to their best in the second Test last week and silenced the Lions roar to level the series.

🗣️ “This match counts the most – what happened before, doesn’t” – Siya Kolisi
🔗 More here: https://t.co/7kfFksQeb7#CastleLionsSeries #StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #BoksvLions pic.twitter.com/HYO6zbCZKc

— Springboks (@Springboks) August 6, 2021

Now inspirational Boks captain Siya Kolisi and his men are looking to add a piece of history by beating the Lions tomorrow to take out the series which, he says, is like another World Cup for them.

Final preparations. ✅#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #CastleLionsSeries pic.twitter.com/59FpBf9OTg

— Springboks (@Springboks) August 6, 2021

A couple of great Tests to watch – there will be less sleep time for ardent rugby fans tonight.

Go the Wallabies and the mighty Boks.

Fijiana 7s – you beauty!

It has been a rollercoaster ride for the Fiji women’s rugby sevens side (Fijiana) since the early days in 2012 when World Rugby introduced the world series grand-prix style tournament for female rugby players.

Bronze medal-winning Fijiana captain Rusila Nagasau was involved in the infant stages of the world events and was the skipper to the 2013 World Cup 7s in Moscow where Fiji had won the bowl title or ninth place.

Women’s rugby was first introduced in 1989. One of the stalwarts of the game is Laijipa Naulivou. If you knew Laijipa, well, she was a tough nut in hockey, netball and made her name as a good rugby player. In fact, former national halfback and Marist mentor, Paulo Nawalu’s wife, Tupou, put together the Marist team for the 1989 tournament.

Those women in 1989 and the early years of women’s rugby actually laid the foundation for the sport and they took the challenge on the chin and the rest is history – some three decades later, we have an Olympic Games medal to show.

[Source: Fiji Rugby]

Challenges

A lot has been said about how the Fijiana are always living off the scraps and that until today, the men get priority. Someone quipped, the Fijiana have to wait for the men’s team to finish their weight training at the gym before they can get in.

Challenges in sport drives an individual or a group and if the coaching staff can identify and knuckle down the prime motivators – bingo!

Fijiana 7s coach Saiasi Fuli is a strong coach and he didn’t just get this team whipped in a few weeks to finish in the top three in Tokyo.

He set goals along the way, got a good back room staff with the likes of assistant coaches Apenisa Nasilasila and Timoci Volavola and strength and conditioning specialist Tikiko Namaua to help in shaping the teams fitness and game plan.

Colossal Shock in Tokyo

A few years ago, in 2018, it would have been dumb to place money on the Fijiana as they were finishing 10th or 11th in World Series tournaments.

Read carefully from hereon. From February to June 2019, the Fijiana finished ninth in four successive tournaments.

In December 2019 in Dubai and Cape Town, on successive weekends, they lost in the cup quarterfinals to New Zealand and Australia with humiliating results.

Fast forward to 2020 and Fuli’s team finished in eighth place in Hamilton in January and a week later, guess what? Fijiana were fifth in Sydney before all tournaments got cancelled because of the coronavirus.

The Fijiana had to resort to local events and training to buildup to Tokyo.

They made huge sacrifices which meant staying away from family for nearly five months.

Fuli’s team shocked Australia in Townsville and returned the favour on the gold medal champions from Rio 2016 in the biggest shock of the women’s rugby game, 14-12 in the quarterfinal.

They came out at the top of their game and New Zealand felt the after-tremors of that flamboyant quarterfinal triumph the next day.

Fijiana put the Black Ferns to the sword and nearly caused another boil. There were some rued opportunities from our girls and the luck of the bounce of the ball favoured New Zealand at touch and go times.

Rusila Nagasau and her side put a marker in the women’s world rugby scene with back-to-back incredible performances – going top four in the showpiece event of women’s world rugby was a bonus.

It was a fairytale finish as the Fijiana picked themselves up from that 22-17 heartbreaking loss and returned to finish off Great Britain 21-12 and pick up the bronze – that meant more than gold for a side that have been almost always installed as underdogs or one to make up numbers in the world series.

Take a bow, Fijiana – you are the first women from Fiji to win an Olympic medal.

The world has noticed you, seen what potential you have and you will never be treated as a pushover on the world scene again.

And as Nagasau summed it up after the Tokyo competition, “It’s all about the nation. The nation sent us here to come and do a job, not just for us and our families, but for the country.”

Tokyo Triumph

Fiji in Sevens Heaven!

Fiji 7s were unstoppable and created history in the rugby world and secured their second successive Gold medal success, in a pulsating 27-12 final win over perennial rivals New Zealand, at the biggest sporting event on the planet, the Olympic Games.

After nearly 17 months of no international competition plus battling with COVID-19 restrictions which saw our players separated from family and loved ones for up to four months, the Fijian warriors stood the tallest in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Coach Gareth Baber and Captain Jerry Tuwai led the team through the campaign which got only one warm up event in Townsville at the Oceania tournament.

But that’s what the world knows, credit goes to the Fiji Rugby Union for organising the local sevens series where our side had the much needed hit-out, including the other club-organised tournaments namely Uluinakau and Uprising events.

When the going got tough, you could notice that most teams looked rusty and quite rightly so because most of them trained together but didn’t get solid international opposition to test their wits for nearly a year and a half.

Fiji’s golden show wasn’t the cutest of them all but they proved strong, fit and outmuscled the opposition with ease from the third game onwards.

My word, there were worries all round especially after a sloppy start on Day 1 against Japan and Canada. But when the team switched on, that was it.

[Source: Fiji Rugby]

Beating class opposition starting with GB, followed by Australia, Argentina and World Cup champs New Zealand.

Their tactics and execution worked just enough.

Fiji are unbeaten in Olympics history and the only team to bag Gold medals. Jerry Tuwai becomes the only rugby player in the world to have two Olympic gold medals and is now hailed King Jerry Tuwai.

Back Tu Back

Jerry Tuwai is the King of @Olympics sevens 👑 #HowWeSevens | #Rugby | #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/5pcLWxP5YW

— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) July 28, 2021

In his own words about a year ago, JT said, “Rugby can change anyone”, it has certainly done that to the Buca, Cakaudrove man, whose return is eagerly awaited by his family, loved ones and his dear friends in Newtown – where the kava hasn’t stopped flowing and won’t stop until they welcome their hero home soon – perhaps a rather longer wait than usual as he has to go through 14 days of quarantine before heading home.

The young man who hated to train but can’t stop now is the darling of all Fijians after leading Fiji to a historic Gold medal win in Tokyo.

He and Coach Gareth got the monkey off their backs after the disappointment of 2018 on the Gold Coast (Commonwealth Games) and at San Francisco (World Cup 7s) to combine yet again to rise to glory 7,200 kilometres away from home soil.

Celebrate Fiji! You deserve it.

It’s Coming Home!

It’s a known fact that every time the Fiji 7s team sets foot on the world stage, fans across the world expect nothing less than a victory and mount Fiji as clear favourites and unstoppable. We are viewed as the kings of the shortened form of rugby with natural flair, spellbinding skill and sheer speed, world-class and top drawer.

All the verbal sparring amongst the heavyweights including Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa, Great Britain, USA, and Australia, which started nearly 18-months ago plus following a year of postponement, we are set to enter the ring and battle it out for Gold at the biggest sporting event on the planet, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. And all eyes will be on darlings Fiji when pool games start on Monday, 26th for three successive days.

Rio Gold followed by 2018 Heartbreaks

The Gold medal victory in 2016 Rio, 43-7 in the final vs Great Britain, was the greatest thing to happen for Fiji Rugby, it is simply branded as the best accomplishment for the game in the country.

[Source: World Rugby]

But we must recognise that the successes in 1997 and 2005 World Cup 7s stack high too because in that era, rugby wasn’t an Olympic sport.

Fiji’s most famed rugby son, Waisale Serevi was the king and brain in both RWC 7s wins plus many victories around the world. His uncanny skills, capability to master and galvanise the David Campese-introduced goose-step is till now, incomparable on the world stage.

[Source: Hong Kong Rugby 7s the Rugby Guide]

In the last decade, Jerry Tuwai has ascended as the 7s super-star, in fact he was crowned the 7s Player of the Decade in a social media voting award organized by World Rugby.

Jerry Tuwai [Source: World Rugby]

Buca, Cakaudrove man, Tuwai will be hoping to lead the Team to victory in Tokyo and carve his name in the World Rugby history book with double Gold, at back-to-back Olympic Games.

Travelling reserve, Kitione Taliga, if called up during the tournament, is the second man who can boast the same feat.

The 2016 victory saw a top-shelf display of leadership in the team.

[Source: Loop Tonga]

Coach Ben Ryan was clinical in groundwork and his mercurial skipper, Osea Kolinisau, led by example.

The ability of Oscar to interpret in the local language of Ben’s game plan before kick-off and half-time instructions stuck out as one of the key masts in our Gold success.

Ben Ryan with Osea Kolinisau [Source: Fiji Rugby]

Oscar was supported by a band of well-known hardknocks in the game, an experienced stock – who knew their job description like a crystal-glazer.

[Source: SCMP]

The power, attitude and mana displayed in Rio by Leone Nakarawa, Jasa Veremalua, Josua Tuisova, Semi Kunatani, Viliame Mata along with the skills of Tuwai, Vatemo Ravouvou and Samisoni Viriviri haven’t been repeated by any side to date at a major event, e.g. the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup.

[Source: The Telegraph]

Gareth took the heavy artillery to Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games but our side, after a struggle in the final pool game against Wales, managed to beat South Africa in extra-time in the semi-final and lost out in the final 14-0 to New Zealand.

Three players from that silver medal win, Tuwai, Nasoko and Vakurinabili, are in Tokyo. I think our best chance to break the gold duck in Commonwealth was in 2006 Melbourne, especially after the 2005 World Cup 7s win, that year I watched the side settle for Bronze under the leadership of Serevi.

Rewind to 2018 World Cup 7s, and after the sore loss in Gold Coast, all eyes turned to San Francisco, USA.

The Tuwai led team included tested stars of the game including blockbusting Semi Radradra – in fact in my books, this was perhaps the best team gathered to represent the nation in the modern era of rugby 7s.

I made sure that I made the trip to be in the stands at AT&T Park and it turned out to be a disappointing end as our side finished outside of a medal placing – fourth. On a great San Francisco Sunday afternoon, the arena filled by thousands of Fijians and there were probably more blue flags than people in the stands, under the brilliant sun and blistering heat, Fiji were smoked in the semi-final to New Zealand 22-17 and then humbled by South Africa 24-19 in the Bronze match. New Zealand took the Melrose Cup defeating England 33-12 in the final.

Tuwai who led that campaign, along with Nasoko, and Radradra from the San Francisco World Cup team are in Tokyo this week.

Gareth, as coach and Tuwai as captain, in both those tournaments in 2018, proved an unsuccessful combination and something which is surely likely to fire them up to get it right in a big tournament for a third time.

A Tokyo Gold might see the FRU come out with the cheque book and offer Gareth the job for another four years to allow him to get the second shot at the Commonwealth and World Cup and back to the Olympic Games 2024, a loss might mean he’d have to pack his bags.

The Fiji 7s team in Tokyo [Source: Fiji Rugby]

Fiji won the Oceania tournament last month in Townsville with a clean-sweep of wins, a morale booster as it’s always great to get back to winning ways, especially after nearly a 17-month break from international competition.

[Fiji team after winning the Oceania 7s title [Source: Fiji Rugby]

What we must realise is that our side has only one tournament win to show in the last World Sevens Series that had six tournaments from December 2019 to March 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the series.

Fiji won in Sydney in February 2020, while New Zealand chalked three wins (Cape Town, Hamilton, Vancouver) and South Africa got two (Dubai, Los Angeles).

That’s history now for our boys who have been selected to carry our hopes in Tokyo, they have the opportunity to write their own history this week.

Expectations and Challenges

No doubt, the weight of a nation is on the shoulders of the selected 13 and coach Gareth Baber.
This is a massive challenge.

This is one tournament that Fijian fans want our side to win. The pressure that comes with expectations is unmeasurable. In fact, with social media now playing a big part not only adds to the pressure but cuts both ways as many fans take to social platforms to tear down the players and the team which can be detrimental and affect individuals mentally.

[Source: Fiji Rugby]

Although at the elite level, mostly the management have a plan to control these things and they have learned over the last five – six years, with the rapidly growing social media space, techniques on how to motivate and weed out negatives in the lead-up to crucial games and tournaments.

This tournament preparation has also been different, our team had to get in a bubble and continue training after the second wave of COVID-19 gripped the country in April before heading off to Townsville and being in quarantine ahead of the Oceania 7s, and finally to Oita with more quarantine and restrictions – the players must be itching to get on with the job.

A lot has been said in relation to gameplan and what we need to do. I guess Gareth has worked that out and has selected the players who will fit into his plan.

We need to do the basics right and not get into the structured game that most of the opposition teams might employ. Let’s play with our natural flair, the dangerous off-loads that’ll keep the opposition chasing us.

And as the world knows – you can’t coach Fijians because they know how to produce magic in 7s like no other side.

Leadership and Dream Final

Leading the Fiji 7s team is no easy task.

Jerry Tuwai is in the hot seat, I mostly liken this job to that of the captain of an aircraft – his leadership is vital. The skipper must be at the top of his game – key decision-maker, quick thinking skills, clear communication with his team, situation awareness, ability to remain calm and collected under pressure, mental toughness – confidence, attitude and self-discipline – and, above all, to fire the troop up when the going is good and add more fuel to the fire when the chips are down.

Coach Gareth will have to manage Tuwai’s game in Tokyo, how he uses the skipper in the earlier pool games and the expected top of the pool decider with Great Britain including the knock-out games. I would like to see Tuwai, 32, play no more than 8 minutes against Japan and half a game against Canada on Day 1, depending on how we go in both matches.

Jerry Tuwai [Source: Oceania 7s]

On Day 2, we need him to be at his best against Great Britain and depending on how we are going in that game in the final 4 minutes, he can be rested. Welcome to medal knockout rugby and I expect Fiji to finish at the summit of Pool B and face Best third-placed side in the quarter-final, in current form likely to be Australia, Argentina, Ireland, or Kenya. And Tuwai will again need to front up as the leader in what could be a tough Day 2 with hard games back-to-back.

Day 3, barring an upset on Tuesday evening in the quarter-final, Fiji could possibly line up against South Africa or USA in the semi-final on Wednesday afternoon. And on paper in the top half of the draw, New Zealand, if they guarantee top place in Pool A, they should make the Gold medal final.

I also install USA as one side to watch. The Eagles have had a sound preparation and pack tonnes of experience coupled with power and speed. The likes of steam-rollers upfront, Danny Barrett, Matai Leuta, Martin Iosefo, and Stephen Tomasin, with captain Madison Hughes to marshall the backs, including playmaker Folau Niua and speed merchants Perry Baker and Carlin Isles – that’s a side that will have Mike Friday’s side punching for Gold.

Perry Baker [Source: Team USA]

South Africa should be there or thereabouts with the biggest question on how they’d fare with inspirational coach, Neil Powell in isolation after testing COVID-positive and won’t be on the sidelines and in half-time huddles. Seasoned stars Chris Dry, Justin Geduld, Branco du Preez, with the dazzling Selvyn Davids, Stedman Gans and the speed of captain Siviwe Soyizwapi will need to lift after setbacks. And they’ll be looking to give something back to their fans after they watched how Siya Kolisi and the Springboks went down in an incredible first Test against the British & Irish Lions 22-17 on Sunday.

Great Britain have packed stars – none bigger than the world’s top try scorer, Dan Norton – and while they’re expected to battle against Fiji in the Pool B decider, if they finish in second spot, the GBs could set up a quarter-final against either South Africa or USA. That’s game-on big time for them on Day 2.

Hosts Japan, who have a good stock of Fijian players including Namatakula lad Lote Tuqiri and repecharge winners Ireland with try-scoring sensation Jordon Conroy are my outside shots to electrify the rugby world in Tokyo.
A Tokyo Olympic Games final, New Zealand (number one seeds) vs Fiji (number two seeds) will overwhelm rugby gods and form books and have world 7s fans on the edge of their seats.

This final, again minus the apple cart tumbling, will be the greatest spectacle in Rugby 7s, in my books this can be talked about alongside the great 1990-1992 battles between the nations in Hong Kong and also that famous 2005 World Cup 7s final – mind you, all were won by Fiji.

Tuwai will be ably supported by former captains in the squad and, I am certain, players who will deserve a first-seven spot – Kalione Nasoko, Meli Derenalagi alongside Radradra. I think the mana and leadership qualities of Radradra, on and off the field, will be a vital component of Fiji’s quest for Gold in Tokyo this week. He is a professional and Fiji’s most respected player on the world stage and recently has been in hot form for Bristol and showed his commitment by turning up to train and play in a 7s tournament in the UK before flying to Tokyo.

It’ll be a dream come true and the first major world event of this magnitude, easily the biggest tournament of their lives for Iosefo Masi, Napolioni Bolaca, Waisea Nacuqu, Vilimoni Botitu, Aminiasi Tuimaba, Jiuta Wainiqolo, Vakurinabili and Asaeli Tuivuaka, and if provided the opportunity, the 13th man Sireli Maqala.

The opportunity is on the menu for these players to write their names in history and hopefully the home-based players get noticed by overseas scouts and earn a professional contract, that’ll be the icing on the cake for their personal careers.

Why We Need To Win?

We’ve seen many wins in Hong Kong dedicated to our children as the 7s falls around Palm Sunday, Waisale Serevi did that during 2005 World Cup 7s. In fact, his morning devotion speech focused on how the children of the country are their biggest and loyal fans and the Team couldn’t let them down and must get out there and win for them as he fired up the troop on the third and final day.

I was part of that morning session at the Marco Polo in Hong Kong and could feel we had something special in the air for the day.

The morning look on players faces, in a snap, changed to that of a man possessed and when you’re near players like ‘man mountain’ Semisi Naevo, Iferemi Rawaqa, Apolosi and Viliame Satala, Vilimoni Delasau, Marika Vunibaka and Sireli Bobo, that’s spine-tingling stuff and priceless moments. We need that kind of talk from Tuwai, Nasoko and Radradra in Tokyo.

In 2016 Rio Gold, the nation was recovering from the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Tokyo 2020 will be the most special for us.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in Fiji with an exponential rise in positive cases, deaths, job losses, our economy has taken a hit with tourism earnings wiped out, etc. A win in Tokyo will put a smile back on all Fijians faces.

Rugby 7s gets everyone united in emotion, for three days the nation is expected to stop as everyone will be in front of their TV sets or on their smartphones to cheer on the boys. Rugby is the most beautiful game which knows no culture, colour or barriers, and Fiji needs something like that in these times.

Everywhere I have been to in the past two to three weeks, 7s talk has been top of the agenda. Sevens is Fiji’s source of national pride, national identity, our culture, the rich history and tradition of 7s, young and old alike are excited to witness something special this week and I’m sure they’ll be celebrating on Wednesday night.

I expect fireworks on Wednesday evening as the rugby 7s arena is the only place Olympic organisers must have got our national anthem stored on their PA system. What a proud moment that will be for every Fijian on this planet.
Mai Viti, Toso Viti

I want to end with a verse of this one song that ignites that rugby spirit, national pride and passion for the game, I listen to this song before any big Fiji rugby game. Composed and sung in 2007 for the Rugby World Cup where Fiji made the quarter-final in France, some star musicians headed by my classmate, former headboy of Suva Grammar and later co-presenter of the Fiji TV 6 pm Major News & Sports Bulletin, the late Rusiate Nayacakalou:

O Fiji, Ever Fiji
Land of the Fijian Braves
I Love These Isles, I Do Forever More
My Paradise, My Homeland
For I Can Do All Things Through Christ, Who Gives Me The Strength
O Fiji, Ever Fiji
Land of the Fijian Braves

Believe in yourself and back it up with a 100% show – it’s up to our boys now in their delivery in Tokyo.

All the best, Fiji 7s, show the world the Magic in the Game and Bring the Gold Home.