FORMER Fiji 7s trainer and Lautoka rugby coach Isireli Bulicokocoko believes the Digicel 7s coaches would need to work on the basic fundamental skills of the players to build a winning combination ahead of the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia.
Bulicokocoko says while the performance at the Las Vegas tournament may have given the fans the reassurance that the team was on the right track, the worrying signs were the inconsistencies.
"What struck me most during the last two legs of the HSBC Sevens World Series is that the fundamental basics skills were not performed right," Bulicokocoko said.
"In 7s the space on the field is much greater than in the 15s code but then the duration of the game is short. This creates a pressure on its own in addition with the lack of recovery time.
"The combination of these two factors heightens the value of doing the basic skills right and making accurate decisions. In order to solve this, the coaches need to spend time on the skills of the players to make sure they perform successfully.
"Some of our major problems included kick-offs, lack of depth in attack, slow ruck ball, tackling to regain possession and acute defence lines.
"We failed to maximise the flair we have in the team to effectiveness. Flair is the quality of personnel performance that goes beyond coaching. It is a very precious resource and it has to be effectively used.
"The players need to be taught their role in defence whether as a lead tackler or supporting tackler. It is a matter of organisation and attitude. An isolated defender makes a poor defender and it must be ensured that no defender is isolated.
"But being defensive-minded is a death knell of defence. We must always attack. When we have the ball we attack their space and when they have the ball we attack them. It should not be a defensive defence but an attacking defence. The best form of defence is attack."
Bulicokocoko said national coach Alifereti Dere's decision to keep the 21 initial squad members was the right one.
He said there was time to build a good team.
"We should not panic but be patience," Bulicokocoko said.
"Calls have been made to get the overseas-based players. We did it in the last World Cup Sevens but lost to Kenya one of the minnows of that time in the quarter-final. They were dropped the following week and we won the Hong Kong 7s."