Discipline cost Fiji dearly as their men’s sevens side were eliminated from the cup competition at the Hong Kong 7s after a 24-17 quarter-final defeat to Argentina at Kai Tak Stadium in the early hours of yesterday (Fiji time). Captain Osea Kolinisau did not disguise his disappointment, saying lapses in discipline — a yellow card to Filipe Sauturaga and a red to Akuila Dranivotua — swung momentum in Argentina’s favour.
Fiji began the match strongly and Kolinisau told his players afterwards that they had squandered early chances. “We kicked off, we won the kick-off. First two opportunities we should have scored from that,” he said. The Los Pumas pounced on the openings presented when Sauturaga was sent to the bench with a yellow, turning those moments into point-scoring opportunities that altered the flow of the game.
The match turned decisively in the second half when Dranivotua was shown a red card following a Television Match Official (TMO) review. The review found his contest for a high ball involved contact with a Pumas player who was being lifted, leaving the referee with no option but to send him off. Reduced to six players, Fiji were forced into a defensive scramble as Argentina stretched the play and used the full width of the field to punish the numerical disadvantage.
Kolinisau acknowledged the effort of his side despite the send-off. “You cannot play a six-man game but I’m proud of the effort the boys put in when we were down to six,” he said, praising their fighting spirit while reiterating that the outcome was avoidable. “It’s just discipline that cost us that red card and yellow card.” The Fiji players gathered in the tunnel beneath the South Stand after the match to hear further words from their captain and coaching staff.
Argentina’s victory eliminated Fiji from contention for the men’s cup and left the Fijians to contest placement matches. When this edition went to press, Fiji were due to face Australia in the fifth place play-off at 7.18pm Fiji time. The result and the disciplinary issues will be fresh talking points for the team ahead of that fixture and for selectors and coaches considering squad adjustments in coming tournaments.
The loss is a disappointing latest development for a team that has high sevens pedigree, with Kolinisau’s blunt assessment underscoring the fine margins at major sevens tournaments: opportunities must be converted, and discipline under pressure is non-negotiable. The Fiji camp now needs to refocus quickly if it is to salvage pride with a strong finish in Hong Kong.
Leave a comment