Sevens mind needed to Coach Fiji Sevens

Fiji Rugby Union has this after afternoon  shortlisted four applicants who would Coach the Digicel Sevens side to the 2011- 2012 IRB Sevnes Series. The four are Acura Niuqila, Alifereti Dere, Etuate Waqa and Sailosi Naiteqe. Josateki Savou, who took the team to the Pacific Games in August and the recent Oceania 7s, was tipped to be a front runner for the position is not be named. Meanwhile, Red Rock coach Lote Rasiga has confirmed he has not been informed by FRU to attend an interview. All four Coach shotlisted by Fiji Rugby Union do not have what take to coach the team at the international level. Coaching at international levels requires experience.

How much experience do the four listed have? Acura Niuqila lives in Australia and has played a lot of 15’s game and he is a former Wallabias but let me say playing sevens is different form playing 15’s. I wonder how much coaching experiences does he have or have he ever coach a 7s side at a international level. Second on the list is Alifereti Dere, he does not show much promising CV. He is too old to coach a 7s side at international level. 50 years old and want to coach 7s, I think that is not a good idea. Third on the paper is Etuate Waqa who has no prove record about coaching at any level. He is a local who club is Nadera. Not a right person for sevens. Last on the list is Sailosi Naiteqe who is also local based and has only six caps for Fiji in 15’s. Many have come and gone but form my view only two people had the heart for Fiji sevens. Sevens legend Waisale Serevi and 2005 sevens world cup winning coach Wayne Picva showed that if you have the heart for the game than you can do anything in the game of sevens. They chosen the players they knew can do the job on the field. They did not need selectors the players that won the 2006-2007 world sevens series. They had the final say in which player they wanted and not the selectors. The way it looks right now Fiji rugby is heading to its worst time in the sevens game. The question is way to bail the singing boat. Well the answers lay right in FRU. Change the player selection category and get a coach who has experience in the sevens game for a long while.

The Fiji Rugby Union sub-committee, which is headed by chairman Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga, will interview the four shortlisted applicants, which includes Acura Niuqila, Alifereti Dere, Etuate Waqa and Sailosi Naiteqe.

 My thinking is former New Zealand sevens player and current New Zealand assistant coach Eric Rush is the best person to bail sevens out. He has played a lot of sevens and he is always seen second to Severi. He has being working with world greatest coach Gordon Tietjens for a number of years and he might our answer to the questions everybody in Fiji is asking and that why hasn’t is New Zealand changed a coach since the seven series started. We only can say so much but the final say lays on the shoulders on FRU, so all the best in the 2011-2012 sevens series and we only can hope that Fiji can win a sevens after a drought of 20 months. The last one was in Wellington 2010.

SIX players to face FRU.

Rugby World Cup 2011 is now history and Fiji Rugby Union has today revealed that there were Six players who had breached their contracts during the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand last month. Fiji Rugby Union chairman Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga told Fiji media that the bad performances of the players at the world was due players having discipline problems. According to the chairman the six players went to the night club while on the world cup tour and as a result they will be taken to task by FRU. The question I want to put forward here is what is wrong with Fiji Rugby players? Did they go to New Zealand to have party hook up with family and friends or they went there for a mission.The 30 member squad were carrying the hope for the nation on their shoulder but little didn’t we Fijian know this players were carrying something else to NZ. I wonder why Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga didn’t reveal the names of the players who breached the contracts. We want to know who the six players are. We have the right to know because we know the 3 Million was tax payer’s money. Give us the name FRU. I won’t be shocked if the six are overseas based. The overseas players think that because of the fact that they play in France or anywhere in overseas they are very good players and they can overrule FRU. Well the thing one should remember  that this players went to Fijian schools when they were little where rule are always broke and they are used to it. They just know one thing JUST DO IT and see what happens later. This was the attitude of the six players

It seems to me all the preparation for the world cup went in the drain. The Fiji Government spent $F3. MILLION on the side for this year’s world cup but I didn’t see any good thing that our boys did in New Zealand. What a waste for money given the hard times people are facing now.

The players knew before they left for NZ that they will receive $F 30.000 if they win any games or no. According to what i have seen on Television the players had no commitment during the games they played.
Iam happy now that FRU will deduct some money from the $F15, 000 that is remaining to be paid out to the players. The six players who spoiled our world cup should be given nothing because of what they done. To be honest i think that this six players should be paying the fine of $F12.000 to IRB for crossing the 10 meter line against Wales while doing the Cibi.

I believe now FRU has learned some good lesions form the 2011 world up in regards to player selection for the 2015 world cup. It is not where you play that matters but judging from the 2011 world cup it is where your heart is that matters. I know experience matters i big games like world cup but when FRU opt for experience players do not have discipline, so the question who to pick and who not to pick.

He should live

Fiji 15;s coach  Samu Domoni should by now undertstand that he does not have what is required of him to coach a team like Fiji who deserve to be in the top 10 in the world ranking and not at 16th.

IT'S amazing to read the headline (F/T 26/9/11) on an article in which Fiji rugby coach Samu Domoni believes he still can coach the national team, even after Samoa beat us in all phases of the game and relegated Fiji to 16th on the world ranking.

He was given enough time to build a good side to the RWC but he failed in a number of area. So SAMU it will good for Rugby in the country if you live your position and let someone coach our boys to the 2015 world cup in England.

We need change which is long over due.The change is aspected to come quick.

No Faith in the players and Coach confused

When the 15S''s boys performed below bar at the Rugby World Cup (RWC) I said to my self that it was the players who didnt play well, but I didnt know that it was the Coaching staff to the 2011 RWC were confused. Yes, this is the true and we all know it, we all have seen it on Television. This was what happened to some players to the 2011 RWC.

Sisa was a reserve against South Africa but started the match against Samoa and with NetaniTalei was one of Fiji's most hardworking players on the field. Sources allege Sisa was told by coach Samu Domoni and the two technical advisors after the Samoa game that he was not good enough for the match against Wales and the coaches did not have faith in him.Sisa then told team- mates he did not did not understand how the coaches could select a team they did not have faith in.

"I really cant understand why Coach Samu Domoni and staff selected a team which they didnt believe in to perform well at the RWC," said Sisa.

How will a player feel if a coach tells me that he is not good for a game. Its just a psychological blow to the players tournament.

My suggestion is that to FRU is that find a Coach who has the heart for Fiji and Rugby in Fiji, a person who has vision for Fiji Rugby and please (kerere) dont bring in any Tom, Dick and Harry to do the job.Many have come and gone but only Ilivasi Tabua showed a promising sign for Fiji Rugby but that was soon changed when FRU fired him from  job in 2009.

Get a person who can Coach the boys well and at the same time don't take away the flamboyancy game that Fijians  are know to be playing.
The Scrums has to be fixed as soon as possible. The Scrum Coach Michael Foley  did not do a good  job, Fiji gave away alot penlties at Scrum time.  Our tight head prob and all the first three in the Scrum were unstable in nearly the games. What is the problem, Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) hired former Wallabie Michael Foley  to fix our Scrum at the RWC but it since nothing was done to improve a area in which Fiji Rugby has always be struggling in for many years. It was very eye worsing when we couldnt win our own Srums.
Fiji kicking was very bad and that simply means that we need someone who can teach our first 5 eight or playermaker how to kick under pressure, kick for territory, even when to kick for drop goals, when to kick the big up and under ( boom). Its seems like our no: 15 (fullback) kicks when ever he wants to kick and he just kicks with looking where he is kicking.