WE were mesmerised and doused with overflowing champagne rugby by the Fiji Airways national men’s sevens rugby team at the HSBC London 7s but coach Gareth Baber said what we saw on the field was just the tip of the iceberg.
“There are always things that we are looking to improve,” Baber said. “In developing players technically, tactically, mentally and physically as well as the culture of the group, there will always be elements that we focus on.
“What you see on the field is the tip of this iceberg and we constantly look at how we address the foundation of this.” Fiji finished the tournament with a thrilling 21-17 victory over arch rivals South Africa, which gave the side a seven point lead in the World Sevens Series. Fiji now has 167 points while South Africa has 160 points.
Fiji needs to win 17 points or a bronze medal finish to gain 184 points and win the world title.
Meanwhile, Baber said the side will have a few days off when they return from Paris 7s.
“However our turnaround is relatively tight and we will look at assembling the players into a Rugby World Cup training squad before we narrow it down for the squad to travel to USA.
“We will travel to Utah for two weeks of prep at altitude prior to moving to San Francisco.” The RWC 7s will be held at San Francisco from July 20-22.
