Former Fiji 7s team manager Epeli Lagiloa, known as a local sports scientist and fitness guru, has called on rugby critics to reserve their outcry in the lead up to the second leg of the ongoing International Rugby Board World 7s Series.

The Fiji team, under the leadership of 7s genius and coach Waisale Serevi, is in South Africa for the George 7s this weekend.

The Nadi-based rugby mentor who taught Serevi at Lelean Memorial School in the early 1980s, said our 7s players were undergoing a transition period after the closure of the Fiji rugby season.

“We have a good team. They are the cream of the best players in Fiji and the best rugby 7s players in the world as coach. Give them time because they are shifting themselves from 15s style rugby to 7s,” he added.

“We lost in Dubai because the players had not fully adopted the transition from the full code where their bodies were used to committing play, power, strength and full contact as a team. Sevens rugby is for specialists who are armed with speed, flexibility and agility. We do not have any speedsters in the team nor any Jope Tuikabe as a ball hunter-tall, aggressive, fast and flexible. We do not have a Noa Nadruku who can side step at top speed, or a Waisale Serevi who can create something out of nothing and still manage to score a try when the world is gone. These are the type of players needed for 7s rugby but someone is not telling the truth by not providing the coach with his right weapon. Please let us reserve our critics and let the team build on to become a champion.”

“The selectors were all former 15s reps and there is limited 7s think tank available to help Serevi. The team should be allowed some 7s concept as inputs because I don’t blame the players. Gone are the speedsters like Rupeni Caucau, Marika Vunibaka and Filimoni Delasau who used to bring wins to Fiji, instead, our wingers are now chasing oppositions to stop them from scoring. The tables had been turned against us, so instead of running the team down, let them develop their combination because they will become the series champion,” he added.

Lagiloa said the team needs a good motivator who can prepare players mentally instead of leaving everything on the coach.

Serevi is alone in George after trainer Nacanieli Cawanibuka returned to Fiji after last week's loss.

Fiji plays Scotland at 9.37pm tomorrow in the first match of the George 7s.

Fijilive.

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