Vodafone Fijiana XV head coach Mosese Rauluni expressed his disappointment following a 17-45 defeat to Manusina Samoa. This loss has dropped the Fijiana team to third place in their standings with five points, while Samoa has moved up to second with seven points. The match was significant for Samoa as they aim to qualify for next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, after being defeated by Fiji in the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship in June.
In the post-match interview, Rauluni stated that his team was outclassed by Samoa. He reflected on their training efforts, indicating that they did not translate their preparation into performance on the field. He noted that the team failed to seize opportunities and made several costly mistakes.
Despite attempts to turn the game around in the second half, Fiji could not close the gap, as Samoa extended their lead, aided by Cassie Siataga’s kicking. Rauluni mentioned the need to analyze their mistakes and emphasized the importance of improving their game management, an issue that has been persistent in prior matches against Scotland and the Netherlands.
The Fijiana squad now has a week to prepare for their upcoming match against group leaders Spain. Rauluni acknowledged the challenge posed by Spain and expressed the team’s commitment to regrouping and aiming for victory in their next encounter. In the match against Samoa, Fijiana fullback Luisa Tisolo scored two tries, with captain Karalaini Naisewa also contributing a try, while Tisolo managed to convert Naisewa’s attempt. Samoa scored six tries, three of which were converted, along with three penalties.
Looking ahead, Vodafone Fijiana XV is preparing for two Test matches against Scotland in England scheduled for November, following their initial match in the tournament where they defeated Hong Kong China 38-3 and Samoa’s previous draw against the Netherlands.