The Fiji Airways Fijiana team faced a challenging start at the Singapore 7s tournament, suffering a 7-35 defeat to Australia in their opening match. Reapi Ulunisau managed to score Fiji’s only try in the first half, leaving the team trailing 7-21 at halftime.
Head coach Richard Walker pointed to errors as a critical factor in the loss. “We made a couple of mistakes and that cost us. We can’t afford mistakes like that against a fast team like Australia,” Walker stated. He emphasized the importance of the upcoming matches, noting the need to secure victories in their remaining games to have a chance at reaching the semi-finals.
Walker highlighted the competitiveness of their group, referencing Japan’s significant lead against the USA, who ultimately made a comeback to win the match. “We have to win our remaining two matches so we have a chance to make the semi-finals and we will go match by match from here,” he added.
In a positive note, the match was memorable for Fijiana XV captain Alfreda Fisher, who made her debut in the 7s format against Australia, coming on in the final moments of the game. The Fijiana side will look to regroup as they face both the USA and Japan in their remaining pool matches later on. The team’s resilience and determination will be tested, but there remains hope for a turnaround in their performance.
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