Vodafone Fijiana XV head coach Mosese Rauluni expressed his disappointment following the team’s 17-45 defeat to Manusina Samoa. The loss has dropped Fijiana to fourth place in the standings with five points, while Samoa rises to second with seven points.
This match was pivotal for Samoa, as they aim to qualify for the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup after previously losing to Fiji 27-13 in the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship in June.
In a post-match interview, Rauluni acknowledged that his team was outperformed throughout the game. He stated, “We trained so well this week, but we didn’t take it on the field.” Despite a strong win against Hong Kong China last month, Fijiana struggled to make the most of their opportunities and committed key errors that proved costly.
Samoa extended their lead in the second half, aided by the kicking of Cassie Siataga. Rauluni emphasized the need to review their mistakes and improve their game management ahead of their next match against table leaders Spain.
He pointed out that similar issues had arisen during recent Test matches against Scotland and the Netherlands. “We cannot keep repeating it again and again because it’s costly in a high-tempo game like this,” Rauluni remarked.
The Fijiana will have a week to regroup and prepare for their next challenge on Sunday. In the previous match, Fijiana fullback Luisa Tisolo scored two tries, and captain Karalaini Naisewa added another, with Tisolo successfully converting Naisewa’s try. Samoa, on the other hand, secured six tries, converting three and adding three penalties to their tally.
Following this tournament, Vodafone Fijiana XV will also engage in two Test matches against Scotland in England in November.