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‘Dug ourselves into a hole’: Fiji beat Ireland but miss Singapore quarters

Fiji group together before a match at SVNS Singapore. Picture: World Rugby.

Fiji may have won the battle against Ireland at Singapore’s National Stadium on Saturday afternoon but the two-time defending Olympic gold medallists have still missed out on the Cup quarter-finals.

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For the first time on the SVNS Series in 2023/24, Fiji will challenge for a best-possible finish of ninth with a frustrating opening day at the Singaporean venue ultimately defining their campaign.

With relatively new coach Osea Kolinisau at the helm, and a pocket of especially passionate vibrant supporters in the stands, Fiji went winless on day one after falling to the USA and Great Britain.

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    But a new day presents new opportunities. The SVNS Series offers the two best third-ranked sides in pool play to progress through to the quarter-finals but Fiji needed to beat Ireland to be a chance.

    Fiji were good enough to defeat the fighting Irish 26-19 on a rainy afternoon, but a ninth-minute conversion from Mark Roche proved significant as the men in green secured a losing bonus point.

    Ireland, who were second on the overall Series standings before the event in Singapore, progressed to the next round as the third-ranked side in Pool C, while Fiji finished one point behind in last.

    “Mostly disappointed. I think we dug ourselves into a hole today,” coach Osea Kolinisau told RugbyPass. “Ireland is a good side.

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    “We got the win but yesterday, the ball didn’t go our way. Most of the things we talked about to do in those two games we didn’t execute and that’s the SVNS Series for you.

    “When you don’t execute you get punished for it.

    “It was a big ask for the boys because we come and play against a good Irish side who showed up to play but the points were not enough today.

    “More frustration about yesterday. If we had a difficult outcome yesterday it would be a different story beating Ireland today,” he added.

    “I think that just overshadows a performance that we wanted. We didn’t play to our standards yesterday and we’ll go back and talk about what we can do better, especially for the Madrid leg.”

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    Coach Kolinisau, who replaced Ben Gollings in the role a couple of months ago, was visibly disappointed after walking off the field. This is a team that expects excellence from themselves.

    But sometimes, as Kolinisau had mentioned, “The ball didn’t go our way.” The SVNS Series is ruthless but the Fijians can take some positives from their heartache into the Grand Final in Madrid.

    Fiji, who have already qualified as one of the eight teams to compete for the Series’ overall title at Metropolitano Stadium later this month, will have a chance to make amends very soon.

    “There’s a lot to learn. When you lose you learn a lot of things about yourselves,” Kolinisau, who won an Olympic gold medal with Fiji at the 2016 Rio Games, explained.

    “We were caught out yesterday and that’s something we’ve got to go back and address and try and improve in three-and-a-half weeks’ time before Madrid comes around.

    “That’s the beauty of sports and the beauty of this game. You get back to rectify your mistake that you’ve learned from the last tournament.

    “There’s a lot of learning and especially on our mental aspect side of things that we’ve got to get right.”

    Catch up on all the latest SVNS Series action from the 2023/24 season on RugbyPass TV. SVNS Singapore is live and free to watch, all you need to do is sign up HERE.

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    Comments on RugbyPass

    J
    JW 1 hour ago
    Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

    Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR.

    That’s just a difference in standards. You’re confusing SR for being their local domestic comps, where it’s more accurately comparable to Champions Cup, apart from that teams are happy to throw games as it’s in a bit of a limbo in terms of importance atm.


    All these kids have been playing for a comparable NPC team for years now. Sam is no where near ready for tests but he has a great temperament, much like Sextons, that makes it a good choice to speed up his development. He wasn’t even a comparable Super Rugby starter before playing for Ireland, so not a great comparison.


    Fin would be much better example, but then England don’t have 3 world class Test tens in front of him (not that I’d put Beauden their but obviously in terms of young NZ players chances, he is). Would he otherwise have debuted at the same age as Fergus Burke (injury and leaving withstanding), around 24, a couple of years later? England also aren’t as pedantic to who they give jerseys to, in NZ a test jersey is very hard earned for the most part.


    In general I think the effects are as you say, but the only difference is the money involved, as you yourself said, their paths are just as all over the show being loaned out playing for clubs etc. My solution to that, and what you perceive as the problem, would be to introduce university football that utilitizes the large investment they have into high performance sport.

    88 Go to comments
    J
    Jennifer Ross 4 hours ago
    One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

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    Regards.

    28 Go to comments
    J
    Jennifer Ross 4 hours ago
    One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

    The topic of recovery services and the efficacy of Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech warrants a closer examination. Recovery services are a critical component of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, as they provide the means to restore systems, data, and operations in the event of a breach or other disruptive incident. Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech is a leading provider in this space, offering a suite of advanced recovery solutions designed to ensure business continuity and mitigate the potentially devastating impacts of cyber attacks. At the core of their offerings is a robust, AI-driven platform that continuously monitors systems, detects anomalies, and triggers rapid, automated recovery procedures. This allows organizations to bounce back quickly, often with minimal downtime or data loss. Wizard Hilton’s approach also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive testing and simulation, putting recovery protocols through their paces to validate effectiveness and uncover potential weaknesses. Additionally, their team of seasoned cybersecurity experts provides hands-on guidance, tailoring solutions to the unique needs of each client. By combining cutting-edge technology with deep industry expertise, Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech has established itself as a trusted partner in the realm of recovery services, empowering organizations to safeguard their most valuable digital assets and ensure business resilience in the face of ever-evolving cyber threats. Contact: for assistance,

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    28 Go to comments
    J
    JW 4 hours ago
    Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

    JJ and DMac shows how little attention you actually pay to the substance of the articles.

    What do you mean by that? For lack of an answer from you I’d suggest yuo need to look at the game again and then read your article. Because although I’m not going to again but I did quickly review the videos and they all match correctly with my perception.

    JTPL is shifting towards overseas players being JQP in future

    No they’re not, thats a flatout lie Nick. You can find an article on here with their CEO where they want more out of their deals but it’s standard professional sports fair, nothing underhand like the NH does. I find that quite foul that you would share such a view.


    I suppose the new World Club League thats starting would die for the best ABs even for just a year, and probably set them up even better. Mo’unga hadn’t done enough to earn a sabbatical though. This is where NZR needs to start questioning itself. You can’t blame the player if the NZR are not even interesting in offering you a contract. In situations where say NZR aren’t able to reach 70% of the offer I think a great starting point would be for them to be treated differently than someone who just left for money. NZR could say make that player immediately eligible if NZR decide to make a fair offer and they sign to return, with players putting in their overseas contracts a right to leave early if they resign back with NZR.


    Even with Japans fading desire for sabbaticals I still think NZ can make it a good destination and have many reciprocal agreements with JRFU and the JRLO teams. The situation still very much favours NZ and Australia but it’s upto them to make the most of it or the JRFU won’t see any reason to be the ones always giving the favours.

    88 Go to comments
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