Fiji Flair Dazzles Rivals

Rugby

Tonga and Samoa fall to sheer speed and deft handling.

By Gabriel Singh.

FIJI RECORDED the most em phatic ever outright victory in the South Pacific Three Nations rugby tournament last month with 23 point win ning margins over Tonga and Western Sa moa. On both occasions Fiji sent the 15,000-plus fans at Suva’s national stad ium home high on an overdose of dazzling and near perfect running rugby.

Fiji’s international experience this sea son paid dividends as naval officer Kili Rakoroi led his team to 37-14 and 32-9 wins over Western Samoa and Tonga re spectively. Defending champions Tonga’s woes continued after a poor World Cup ef fort when the team returned home empty handed and winless. Western Samoa edged out Tonga 7-4 in a gruelling mid-week clash: The benefits of the AGC South Pacific championships and the World Cup expe rience where Fiji reached the quarter-fi nals gave coaches Ilaitia Tuisese and George Simpkins a solid platform on which to build this championship team.

Super-boot fullback Severe Korod uadua was switched to flyhalf and fin ished the tournament top scorer with 33 points 17 against Samoa and 16 points posted against Tonga.

The Fijian front eight rucked ex tremely well and had a decidedly better scrum but were given torrid times in the line-outs by both teams. However fitness and discipline were two other factors which gave Fiji the edge.

Western Samoa had a poor start against Fiji but showed its true colours by down ing Tonga in an explosive encounter. An all-in brawl between the teams was only just averted and a similar incident marred the Friendly Islanders’ final game against Fiji three days later.

The Tongans failed to attend the after match function after the Samoa game.

Team officials later claimed players had forgotten to bring their proper change of clothes and that their camp at the Nasinu Residential College, 10 kilometres and 10 minutes out of Suva, was too far away.

Fiji’s five tries to three victory over Sa moa allowed the team to equal its second highest winning margin over the Sa moans. Fiji’s biggest victory was a 42-3 trouncing in Suva in 1963.

Koroduadua kicked a field goal, two penalties and four conversions with wing Ilatia Ravouvou (2), Tom Mitchell, Peceli Gale and no. eight Ifireimi Tawake scor ing tries. Samoa’s points came from two tries by Lolani Koko who plays for Wel

lington, and one by Joh Ah Kuoi. Only one try was converted by skipper Taufusi Salesa.

Against Tonga, Koroduadua and naval petty officer Mitchell were the heroes of the afternoon. Mitchell notched a hat trick of tries, one of which came from an exhil arating 80 metre dash after snapping an intercept from within his 22 metre area.

This enabled him to finish the tourna ment’s top try-scorer with four.

Flanker Peceli Gale scored Fiji’s other try against Tonga and Koroduadua kicked a field goal, three penalties and two con versions for the extras.

eflfectual in the face of superior opposition.

The 1988 tournament will be hosted by Western Samoa at Apia Park. The Cook Islands and Hawaii will be invited to play in the major curtain raiser games. This follows Hawaii’s application to join the competition lodged at a joint rugby meet ing in Suva.

Hawaiian rugby union president Ati So’o feels the team now has the ability to provide serious opposition.

Any increase in the number of teams will only help speed development of the code in the presently not-so-strong island nations. □

Koko finished Samoa’s top trygetter after bagging his third against Tonga with Salesa kicking the points.

Fiji finished the tournament with nine tries, Western Samoa four and Tonga two, one each against Fiji and Samoa.

Fiji’s strong points lay in a very cohe sive forward pack, a superb tactical and place-kicker and the sheer speed and deft handling of the agile backline. Only West ern Samoa came close to playing a similar pattern.

Tonga’s play was based on the less ex citing “ 10-man rugby” which proved in-

Above: Fiji's Nakauta (left) challenges the western Samoa ball carrier. Right: Lineout action as Fiji thrashes Tonga.