Fiji ready to take Vegas by storm February 09, 2010
Are Fiji once again the team to beat in World Sevens? Iliesa Tanivula's men saw off all the big guns in Wellington at the weekend, except New Zealand.
In pool play they breezed past eventual Plate winners Australia. In the Cup quarters they again got the better of World Series champions South Africa, in the semis they ended England's Westpac title defence and in the final they had too much in the can for island rivals, Samoa.
Tanivula and his Fiji side will certainly have arrived in Las Vegas brimming with confidence, and are now just four points adrift of leaders New Zealand in the IRB Sevens World Series.
Among those watching the tapes of the Fijians intently this week will be US Eagles coach Al Caravelli. Caravelli is a student of the game and would watch them anyway, but he also faces the challenge of preparing his young side for the daunting task of taking on the islanders on as early as day one at the USA Sevens.
Prior to the Wellington event at the weekend, the Eagles played in the Suva Rugby Festival and staged a camp in Fiji where they played several practice matches against them, but now all that practice will be put to the test.
"Fiji was phenomenal, we worked very hard there in very hot weather and high humidity and we believe that it can be a foundation for the rest of the Series," said Caravelli.
So how to beat Fiji? A cursory glance at the statistics from Wellington suggest that they are strong in both attack and defence.
The numbers behind Fiji's success
Attack:
Fiji scored the most tries in the competition, crossing the whitewash 29 times in their six games, six more than closest challengers and runners-up Samoa.
Defence:
It's in the 'tries conceded' column, though, that Tanivula's men really proved their title credentials.
The Fijians let their opponents score just eight times over the two days, almost half the number that the runners-up Samoa conceded (14).
In fact, only Gordon Tietjens' NZ side was close with nine tries against, and they played one less match.
As Tietjens has always said, it is defence that wins you games in Sevens and Fiji's players left nothing out on the Westpac pitch. They gave their all.
Another interesting quirk of the draw in Vegas is that three of the Wellington Cup quarter finals will be replayed on day one at the Sam Boyd Stadium.
New Zealand face Australia again, Kenya have an immediate chance to exact revenge against Samoa, who beat them by just two points to reach the semi finals, and the Fijians will play the South Africans - for the fourth time in four events this season.
In terms of outstanding individuals, Fiji's new sprinter Osea Kolinisau joint top scored with Samoan Mikaele Pesamino on seven tries apiece, but in truth the Fijians possessed danger all over the park.
Forward Seremaia Burotu scored six times, William Ryder five and unknown flyer Waisale Beci four in his very first outing.
Timeless warrior returns
The Fijians also dealt best with the timeless Uale Mai.
Samoa coach Stephen Betham kept his word and started with Mai on the bench, but as the tournament progressed the little scrum half's influence and game time increased - and with it Samoa's quality.
In a three-minute spell in the Cup semi final against the hosts, Mai was irresistible. In tricky windy conditions he took hold of the game, scoring two tries and creating another for his captain Lolo Lui, and putting the match and the title beyond Tietjens' side. Even he, though, had no answer to Fiji in the final.
Other stars to watch in Vegas will be Australian greyhound Clinton Sills, Kenya's danger man Collins Injera - back near his best - South Africa's latest find Cecil Afrika and any number of young English flyers outside the enduring Ben Gollings.
Vegas the entertainment capital beware: You're in for quite a party this weekend and one that poses some mighty questions of your own US Eagles as early as day one.
South Africa are finding their feet again, your arch rivals Canada were Wellington's surprise package. And then there's Fiji.
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