Fiji Airways Men’s 7s coach Osea Kolinisau says his side have spent the past week dissecting their performance after claiming bronze at the Vancouver Sevens, and have arrived in New York determined to go one better at the upcoming New York Sevens. Fiji closed out the Vancouver tournament with a 29–10 victory over Australia to finish third but missed out on a place in the final, prompting an intensive review of the team’s play.
Kolinisau singled out a cluster of errors that cost momentum in Vancouver: missed tackles, poor timing on restarts and defensive lapses. “We sat down and analysed our game and where we think we could have done better,” he said, outlining the focus for the week. The coaching staff have prioritised correcting those areas in training to sharpen the side ahead of New York.
The squad arrived in New York on Monday and immediately set about preparation, Kolinisau said. That afternoon the team completed a flush session and stretching work, followed by two double training sessions on Tuesday. The heavier training load reflects a short turnaround and the need to convert analysis into on-field improvements before the tournament gets underway.
There were some injury concerns coming out of Vancouver but Kolinisau reported the issues are being managed. Utility back Talacolo has been nursing a foot complaint but is back in training, and the team captain, who suffered a head knock in the bronze-final against Australia, has also returned to training after recovery protocols. Kolinisau stressed the importance of managing niggles while maintaining intensity in practice.
Beyond the physical work, the team has been methodical in its review process, using footage and meetings to ensure players understand the specific moments that swung games away from them. Kolinisau said the players are fully aware of where things went wrong and are motivated to “make amends” at the New York stop, with a clear target of reaching the final.
Fiji’s focus on tightening defence and improving restart timing comes amid a tightly contested sevens circuit where small margins determine who progresses deep into tournaments. As a traditional powerhouse in sevens rugby, the Fiji side will be looking to translate lessons from Vancouver into better execution in New York, where they hope to convert bronze into a finals appearance.
With preparations ongoing and key players training again after minor injuries, Kolinisau sounded optimistic: “We’re looking forward to this week. We had a lot of time sitting down analysing our game and where we think we could have done better.” The New York Sevens will be the immediate test of whether those adjustments are enough to lift Fiji into the title match.
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