FIJI sevens rugby coach Iliesa Tanivula is disappointed with the lack of basics and absence of Fijian flair at the start of the inaugural Suva Sevens Series yesterday.
Tanivula and his selectors yesterday had a look at the 56 different clubs competing in the two-day event at the National Stadium.
The mentor hopes to see improvement today when the games enter the elimination stages. "Things like passing and ball retention are some of the weak areas in most players," Tanivula said.
"The players also want to play a physical game, which is not our strength.
"There is a lack of Fijian flair, which is to spread the ball and try to run the opposition off their feet and create scoring chances." The no-nonsense coach will only pick players who have the ability to bring success to the national side.
"The door is still open and we will bring in players who put their hands up," he said.
"However, we need the players to do the basics right and that is what lays the foundation for good performances."
Tanivula has welcomed the International Rugby Board's decision to change to the system governing the number of points available to teams at each leg of the IRB Sevens World Series.
The number of series points on offer at the seven, 16-team events (Dubai, South Africa, New Zealand, USA, Australia, England, and Scotland) has been raised to offer a better balance in relation to the one 24-team tournament in Hong Kong.
The cup winners at the 16-team season-opener in Dubai, for example, will now take 24 points towards their series tally, as opposed to 20, while the Hong Kong Cup winners will still earn 30 points.
The points available to teams in Hong Kong have, however, also been recalculated to better reward teams outside the cup competition. From the 2009/10 season, the second-tier plate will offer the losers of the cup quarter- finals the chance to earn 16 points towards their series tally, rather than a maximum of eight in the past.
To bring consistency across the series, the Hong Kong tournament will now also feature a shield competition in addition to the bowl, plate and cup.
"This will make the competition more exciting as teams try to make the dash for the maximum points on offer," Tanivula said.
