The Fiji men’s 7s team has restored and spurred the hopes of Team Fiji athletes in the Olympic Games after qualifying for the quarter-finals of the rugby competition in Japan yesterday.
The Gareth Baber-coached Team Fiji men’s 7s beat our toughest pool opponent Great Britain 33-7 to remain unbeaten after two days of play.
Fiji beat Japan 24-19, 28-14 over Canada and the 26-point victory against GB which had four survivors of the 2016 gold medal final in Rio which Fiji won 43-7.
Team Fiji press officer Ritesh Ratiram said the 7s team’s win had boosted the hopes of Team Fiji members as our swimmers Taichi Vakasama and Cheyenne Rova, judoka Tevita Takayawa, sailor Sophia Morgan, Sally Yee of table tennis, sprinter Banuve Tabakaucoro and the Fiji women’s 7s team await for their events in the coming days.
The women’s 7s team starts its competition tomorrow.
Vakasama was to swim at 10.30pm yesterday.
“Yes everyone is happy,” Ratiram briefly said after Fiji’s shellshock win against GB.
The win qualified Fiji to the quarter-finals last night after winning its pool and GB finished second. Japan failed to secure a win and joined Canada in the lower draws of the games.
Jerry Tuwai, who was part of 2016, skippered Fiji yesterday and had the backing of star names such as Semi Radradra, Meli Derenalgi, Waisea Nacuqu, Aminiasi Tuimaba and overnight stars Jiuta Wainiqolo and Sireli Maqala.
Despite rain yesterday in Tokyo Fiji showed improvements since the past two games and showed a glimpse of what’s instore in Baber’s think tank.
Fiji started with Derenalagi, Asaeli Tuivuaka, and Josua Vakurinabili in the forwards.
Halfback was Napolioni Bolaca, who had the kicking duties, Tuwai at playmaker and sweeper, Maqala outwide.
Baber kept everyone guessing in his combinations with interchanges and Radradra in the forwards with Waisea Nacuqu and Tuimaba all coming off the bench for impacts in the second half.
Namosi hitman Tuivuaka, who the commentators had a mouthful describing him in the past two days as the Mike Tyson look-alike, scored the first try from an overlap in the first two minutes from a pass from Derenalagi.
Maqala, one of the find of the season, sneaked in Fiji’s second for 12-0 after a break from loose play from Tuwai.
Then it was another overnight superstar’s turn Jiuta Wainiqolo, who bumped off one of the hitman of the code, Dan Norton to run a solo 50 metre for Fiji’s third try.
After leading 19-0 at the break, Fiji continued to stun GB when Tuivuaka snapped a loose ball for his second try.
Ben Harris of GB ran in their lone score, but Tuimaba capped off a break from Maqala for Fiji’s final try for 33-7 to win our pool. Fiji was to play in the last quarter-final at 10pm last night.
