Rugby nightmare

By Shailendra Singh

FIJI’S rugby union nightmare con tinued into the new season with the national team’s Japan/New Zealand tour in May/June. Tne side won six out of 11 matches but lost those that mattered most.

The most upsetting result would have to be the two tests lost to Japan - 22-29 and 8-20. Only a few years ago, this would have been unimaginable. In 1990, Fiji was invited to Japan to help the country develop its game. The visitors swept through unbeaten on a three-match tour, thrashing Japan 32-6 in a one-off Test.

The defeats in Japan were a further blow to Fiji’s rugby image, which has taken a battering over the last decade.

It was more pain pill for the rugby-crazy nation after Fiji’s failure to qualify for the 1995 World Cup, this year’s Super 10 series and the Honk Flong Sevens loss. Reacting to the Japan loss a day later, Suva lawyer and former FRFU chairman, Barrie Sweetman, said “To be realistic about today’s situation, a lot of Fiji people won’t be surprised.

I think the result just indicates the amount of work Japan has put into its game and the extent to which we have neglected ours.” Officials tried to quieten the furor created by Fiji’s first loss by saying Japan was lucky to win with Fiji having dominated the game and missed a number of easy tries. There were no excuses forthcoming after the second loss.

Wins over Japan Universities (22-21), Japan A (24-18 and 20-9) were mostly unimpressive and overshadowed by the test losses. Former test player and national coach Ilaitia Tuisese best summed up the mood of the nation when he said “I’m quite sad that we have lost to Japan. I really don’t know

where we are going from here.” In was an indication of Fiji’s low rating that no Division One side had been pitted against it in New Zealand. Fiji won three and lost three games in New Zealand. The side beat Division Three outfits Thames Valley and East Coast 35-16 and 62-6; lost 26-36 to Division Two side, Bay of Plenty and 5-11 to NZ Universities. The Fijians regained some respectability by thrashing Horowhenua 42-25 before a spirited display against the New Zealand Maoris despite losing 34-13. The sport’s demise is being largely blamed on Fiji Rugby Football Union (FRFU) chairman Tom Vuetilovoni and his administration.

Critics say they have failed to intro duce new policies and development plans to keep pace with changes taking place worldwide. Another respected Fijian rugby figure, Inoke Tabualevu, praised Fiji effort against the Maoris but did not spare the FRFU.

“If I was in and I wasn’t producing the goods, I would not like to hold on.

I’d give somebody else a chance,” said Tabualevu, who coached Fiji to its last major victory over the British Lions (25-21) in 1977. □

Heading downhill?: Fiji players during national trials this year