With their glory years a fading memory, coach decides to get back to basics
Once upon a time, there was a country called Fiji which ruled sevens rugby. That is a fact which has faded into the mists of time and is fast becoming a fable to Fijians and the legions of fans once mesmerised by these giants of the abbreviated game.
Anyone who saw the Rolls-Royce smooth acceleration of Senivalati Laulau or the power-packed running of Mesake Rasari will remember the heyday of Fijian rugby. Those were also the days when an impish Waisale Serevi used to dazzle with his sleight-of-hand and body swerves which left opponents clutching at thin air.
Those were the days when they played the game as it must be played in heaven. Today Fiji are mere mortals, struggling like the rest of us. Their record speaks for itself. The last time Fiji won a sevens tournament of note was in December 2002, when they defeated New Zealand to win the IRB Sevens in George, South Africa.
Two years later Fiji are out of fashion. The faithful wait patiently for the return of the kings. They can only hope that new coach Wayne Pivac, the latest in a string of coaches, can lead the country back to glory this weekend.
What an occasion it will be if Fiji are able to resummon their muse. For it was here, at the 1997 World Cup, that they won their greatest victory. Serevi and his team, running on empty but drawing on spiritual power - they had a biblical verse on their shirts for the final - defeated South Africa 24-21 in a classic.
It was fitting that it happened at their favourite hunting ground. This time the task is harder as they attempt to claw their way back to the top.
