Fiji were flat at the USA Sevens but was it as simple as just having an off day?
I think it takes more than that to fall from New Zealand Sevens champions one week to Plate final losers the next.
I think they failed to employ the right tactics for the conditions and have 2 points to consider.
1. Width of the field
In my opinion, Fiji were the team most affected by the width of the playing field at Sam Boyd Stadium.
[The field at Sam Boyd was widened from the American Football width to 58metres. The other Sevens venues play at the standard international width of 70metres]
New Zealand coach Gordon Teitjens said the impact was ‘huge’ from his perspective.
While they have the appearance of a physically imposing team, Fiji are more of a ‘classical’ Sevens side than a physical one – classical in that they prefer to avoid contact if they can and find opportunities from smart ball movement, individual skill, trickery, speed and backing up.
Fiji aren’t making excuses and there is no mention of field-width issues in reports from the Fiji Times (or anywhere else I could find) but they are a team that move the ball beautifully, rapidly shifting the point of attack from one side of the field to the other.
But on a narrower field, defenses can shut down the attack much easier than they can on a wider one. Defensive players can stand much closer to each other and can focus more concentration on certain individuals and get away with it.
Australia employed a smothering defense – something that is way more effective when you are defending a smaller width than normal.
Australia beat Fiji 28-7 in the quarter finals in Las Vegas
On day one, Fiji only just made it past the USA who may have been a little hard done by with a refereeing call disallowing a try
I watched Fiji move from side to side several times in their quarter-final against Australia but they often resulted in direct confrontational attacks rather than producing that moment of magic that they so often conjure.
And Australia made their tackles.
Yet just 7 days earlier, Fiji ran rampant against Australia in Wellington, beating them 38-7.
[It was the Australians who had no answers to the Fijian attack that day]
2. Where was William Ryder?
It is entirely possibly that the flying winger could have made a difference with more game time in Las Vegas.
The narrower field resulted in more physical confrontation as teams needed to make breaks through tackles rather than avoiding them with space and pace. Fijian coaching staff may have concluded that Ryder with his slight frame and defensive vulnerabilities was best used sparingly.
“How can they leave out a player like William Ryder?” an American rugby volunteer for the Sevens asked me last weekend from the side of the field when Fiji were beaten by Australia.
I explained what I saw were the facts
- Ryder is a little weak on defense and this can be exposed in Sevens very badly
[After the victory in New Zealand, Fiji Times headline read: 'Step up, Ryder told']
- There is an immense pool of talent in Fijian Sevens Rugby and hence many options
For example, Osea Kolinisau was the best player in Wellington the week before
Prior to Wellington however, Ryder started every game in the Dubai and South African legs of the series
- In Dubai he scored 4 tries and 40 points
- In South Africa, he scored the most tries (7, equal with England’s Christian Wade) and the most points (67)
Ryder could have been given more help on defense that would normally be available. In rugby league, weaker defenders are strategically placed in the defensive line to provide cover. On the narrower field in Las Vegas, more cover could have been made available.
Ryder is a very quick, evasive player with the pace to run 100 metres to score from anywhere. If a more direct ‘tackle-break and off-load’ strategy were used, Ryder could have been devastating in a backing up capacity.
New Zealand employed this tactic to great effect until Save Tokula was suspended.
Conclusion
Fiji were certainly a little off their game but I think some of that was down to their strategy and management of the narrow field.
Fiji have the $40,000 Marist (club) Tournament in 2 weeks time where the team for the Adelaide and Hong Kong events will be named. Expect Fiji to be back to their best in Adelaide.
