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Fiji Time: 1:35 AM on Saturday 25 May

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Bonding vital

Rashneel Kumar
Wednesday, January 23, 2013

DIGICEL Fiji Sevens assistant coach Timoci Wainiqolo is using the bonding sessions during the camp to overcome discipline problems.

Indiscipline during crucial moments of the game had cost the national team important battles in the past HSBC Sevens World Series tournaments.

With Fiji trailing the 2012/13 series to New Zealand and France, Wainiqolo is working on taking a fully prepared team to return with maximum points from the upcoming leg in Wellington and Las Vegas.

The former national rep is hopeful the team will be physically, mentally and spiritually ready to battle it out in the two tournaments next month.

Wainiqolo said team bonding would greatly help them to achieve their goals as it enabled players to better understand each other while on the field.

"We are working on the bonding session in the camp whenever we get time from training," Wainiqolo said.

"Bonding of players is important for us and we are using these sessions to work on the discipline of the players and other key areas."

The 16-member national side had a light training session yesterday as part of their recovery process following the hard-hitting rugby at the Uprising Fiji International 7s tournament last weekend.

The team had a gym session in the morning before a light run in the afternoon under the watchful eyes of team trainer Max Hughes and Wainiqolo.

Wainiqolo said they would intensify their preparation later this week for the Wellington 7s which would be played next weekend at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand.

"We had tough training sessions last week and we are slowly gaining momentum after the players marched into camp yesterday (Monday)," he added.

Fiji will take on Scotland in its opening pool match on Friday at 1.50pm before facing Australia at 4.46pm and Portugal in the final pool match at 8.34pm.

The national side lost to New Zealand 7-24 in the final of last year's Wellington 7s.