Vodafone Fijiana XV head coach Mosese Rauluni expressed disappointment following the team’s 17-45 defeat to Manusina Samoa. This result has dropped the Fijiana to third place in the standings with five points, while Samoa has moved up to second with seven points.
The victory was important for Samoa as they aim to qualify for next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup. They had previously been defeated by Fiji in the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship, which occurred in June, with a score of 27-13.
In his post-match remarks, Rauluni acknowledged that his team was outperformed throughout the match. This marks Fijiana’s first loss in the tournament after they had secured a convincing 38-3 victory over Hong Kong China the previous month.
Rauluni noted that despite a solid training week leading up to the match, the team failed to translate that preparation onto the field. He highlighted missed opportunities and critical errors that turned out to be detrimental.
Although Fiji attempted to stage a comeback in the second half, Samoa maintained and extended their lead, aided by the kicking of Cassie Siataga.
“We will have to go back and review our mistakes. There are a lot of things we need to work on,” Rauluni stated. He acknowledged their poor game management, which had been an issue in previous matches against Scotland and the Netherlands.
“We made numerous errors today. We cannot keep repeating them in high-tempo games,” he added.
The team now has a week to prepare for their next challenge against table leaders Spain in their upcoming WXV 3 match on Sunday. Rauluni recognized Spain as a strong opponent and noted the significant task ahead.
Fijiana fullback Luisa Tisolo scored two tries, with captain Karalaini Naisewa contributing the third try, which Tisolo converted. Samoa managed to score six tries, converting three and adding three penalties.
In earlier matches, Vodafone Fijiana XV triumphed over Hong Kong China, while Samoa had a draw against the Netherlands. The Fijiana squad is set to face Scotland in two Test matches in England in November.