Fiji 7s coach Ben Gollings said they lost to a better team following their 7-31 defeat by South Africa in the Commonwealth Games men’s final at the Coventry Stadium this morning.
He said that there were injuries to the side, but none serious that they could not recover from or use it as an excuse for their performance.
“We came up against a well-groomed and confident South African team, and they did a really good job of not allowing us to play, and they took their opportunities,” Gollings said.
South Africa went on the rampage from the get-go to establish a 24-0 lead before Waisea Nacuqu responded with a try for Fiji sparking hopes for a comeback like they did against New Zealand in the semi-finals. However, the South Africans beefeed up their defence to keep Fiji at bay. They had the last say via Mfundo Ndhlovu who ran in their fifth try to seal their win.
“We just didn’t get into our game rhythm and get those breaks we usually get so credit to SA. They were quick on the ball and stopped us from playing. We couldn’t get any momentum. It is tough when you are running out of time to catch-up with the score. It is a little bit frustrating for us, but we are proud of the way the players played and went about this tournament. It has been a tough three days, and they have done well. They may not have picked up the Gold, but they have picked up the Silver.”
The Fiji 7s team is expected to return to the country this week, and then fly off to the USA for the Los Angeles leg and what is also the final tournament in the 2021/2022 World Rugby 7s Series scheduled for 27-28 August.
