The Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s team is gearing up to face their pool competitors at the Vancouver 7s, motivated by a strong sense of unity and determination to excel. In their pool, they will compete against the United States, Canada, and Australia, a challenge that coach Richie Walker believes will highlight the team’s resilience and strength in numbers.
In a virtual press conference from Canada, Coach Walker emphasized that their current pool reflects past experiences, allowing the team to prepare effectively for the upcoming competitions. He stated, “We’re constantly reminding them that there’s only a couple of key areas and key moments that will make us not be in those positions to be in better positions.” Walker encourages the players to focus on their strengths as they strive for improvement.
Reflecting on previous encounters, he noted the close match against the United States during the Singapore 7s, where the team pushed the competition to overtime. “Like USA, we pushed them to overtime in Singapore. France, we lost them in the end,” he explained. Walker pointed out that these tight matches indicate their potential for better results if minor adjustments are made. “Those games could have went our way… if we had just done one or two things differently,” he said, alluding to the valuable lessons learned from past experiences.
Despite acknowledging past mistakes, the atmosphere within the Fijiana camp remains optimistic, with Walker reminding the team of their combined efforts and progress. “But I also remind them that we put a lot of effort in too and it’s a combined effort,” he noted.
The Fijiana 7s team will face Australia at 9:31 AM, the USA at 12:57 PM, and Canada at 4:46 PM. With a positive mindset and a focus on growth, the team is eager to demonstrate their capabilities on the field. This resilient approach promises to make for an exciting series of matches in Vancouver.
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