FIJI’s unorthodox way of playing 7s rugby is the edge it has over other teams in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, but coming up with game plans is getting tougher, coach Gareth Baber says.
“Obviously, it is tough to come up with game plans, every team has their own individual game plans and teams will analyse us exactly the same way,” Baber said.
“The way that we play the game is very different and teams know that if we have possession, it’ll be very difficult to stop us.”
No team has won back to back tournaments this season, however, New Zealand and Fiji have won two tournaments each.
“We do have game plans and we look more at tactics within the game plan to capitalise on the pitch of the game that we are particularly good at or should be good at.
“Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we are not so good and the best performance is picking from that pitch …..stop the opposition from getting what they need and out of the game and that’s where you create pressure and the ability to score more.”
Former national 7s coach Ben Ryan said there had not been changes on how the game was being played, but some teams tend to be a little over structured at times.
“Some sides have three or more phases pre-set which I think makes them predictable if the opposition have worked that out,” Ryan said. Having unknown players or rookies in the team could help a team a little, he added.
“Some teams put a big onus on analysis while others a little less. The rookies have all done well for Fiji this year which is great for building up the depth.”
The Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas where the USA 7s will be held next Saturday has the narrowest pitch in the series, but the artificial turf is not one of the best to play on.
The lesser space on the field and the fact that there are only two games a day for players would mean more rest for teams and closer matches.
Located in a desert 15 minutes from the world famous Las Vegas Strip, the stadium has in the past experienced strong winds of up to 35 miles an hour and temperature dropping to five degrees Celsius during tournaments.
On Thursday, Las Vegas had a rare winter storm which had snow falling for the first time in 10 years.
