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 TEAM FIJI
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Saturday, 12 June, 2004
Fiji lift level and destroy Samoans
By Jeremy Duxbury
Fiji produced a superlative performance on Saturday to crush the life out of Manu Samoa 29-3 at the National Stadium in Suva, outscoring the visitors in atrocious conditions four tries to nil.
After two weeks of continual rain, the field at Laucala was extremely soggy underfoot, and when the heavens opened in the second half the match became a mudbath. Yet, Wayne Pivac’s players stuck to the territorial game plan, showed fine handling, and a resolute defence.
Even with such a large lead in the closing minutes, the determination of the boys to keep Samoa try-less won the praise of so many observers who are used to seeing Fiji slack off in defence when not absolutely needed.
Samoa began the match with confidence and controlled possession for the opening four minutes. But Fiji’s solid tackling set the tone for the encounter as Sisa Koyamaibole and Alifereti Doviverata took turns to flatten Samoan hardman Brian Lima.
Tanner Vili missed the first shot at goal, then centre Seru Rabeni almost decapitated the fly-half with a high tackle on three minutes and was fortunate that South African referee Tappe Henning didn’t produce a yellow card. As Vili took a few moments to recover, Mussolini Schuster stepped up but missed the kick at goal.
Fiji’s first try came against the run of play. As Vili made a useful diagonal break into the Fiji half, the wet conditions meant the players and tacklers slid away from the ball after it was placed, leaving it lying in the open for new cap Maikeli Nadridri to scoop it up and sprint 60 metres home.
Nadridri, the Colonial Cup Player of the Series, had only been named in the line-up a few hours earlier when regular right wing Aisea Tuilevu failed a fitness test.
Seremaia Bai, who had an outstanding game at second five-eighth, slotted home the conversion from a difficult angle considering the conditions to give Fiji a 7-0 lead.
The 10,000-strong crowd that braved the pouring rain to support their team, got thoroughly stuck in as well, enjoying what is their only home Test of the year.
The crowd seemed to get particular pleasure from seeing young fullback Schuster struggle under the high bombs from Secom team-mates Bai and fullback Norman Ligairi, who also played together at Southland in New Zealand.
Had there been an official man of the match, the award could easily have gone to Ligairi or Bai, though Koyamaibole and lock Ifereimi Rawaqa also had outstanding games.
Ligairi’s focus and speed of thought time and again took pressure off the Fiji defence and took the play back into Samoa’s half.
After 15 minutes, Fiji faced a line-out inside their own 22 with the Samoans getting ready to turn the screw; but Ligairi spotted a lull in the Samoan concentration, threw a quick and straight lineout ball 25 metres to Jack Prasad, who passed it down the line for Rabeni to chip over the top and into touch midway in the Samoan half.
This pattern of play kept the Fijians relatively fresh throughout as it meant they only had to defend for short periods at a time.
In the 24th minute, Vili had another chance to get some points on the board for the Manu when Leawere infringed at the ruck, but he missed again.
One minute later, Ligairi put through a telling grubber kick into the Samoan 22 and followed up quickly to recycle the ball. Koyamaibole, standing at first receiver, decided to have a crack at the line, sidestepped his marker and pushed away two tackle attempts for a great try. Bai converted again from an acute angle and Fiji led 14-0.
Rawaqa combined well with big Bill Cavubati to gather all the restarts cleanly; and Cavubati himself flattened Samoa skipper Semo Sititi with one booming tackle then later bounced wing Lome Fa’atau some five metres when running forward with the ball.
On the half-hour, Vili finally got his kick right and gave Samoa three points after Fiji were adjudged to be offside.
Just before the break, Fiji’s best passage of play almost produced their third try. Bai, whose domination in the backline later earned him a call-up to the combined Pacific Islanders team, gave a reverse pass to Nadridri, who darted through on the angle. Hooker Joeli Lotawa took it over the Samoa 22, threw a dummy and then found Rawaqa. The big lock passed wide to Joe Bale only three metres out and with the try-line at his mercy, but the prop forward lost his composure and spilled the ball forward.
Islanders coach John Boe later praised the Fiji handling in the torrid conditions and singled out this play as the best of the day.
So at the break, Fiji led 14-3, but would have the wind and rain on their backs in the second half.
Needing to score quickly to assert their authority on the game, Fiji did just that. Earning a penalty from the first passage of play, Fiji went for the line-out, Rawaqa secured possession well, and Leawere showed some cunning skills to twist and turn his way to the Samoan line from 10 metres out. Bai converted again: Fiji 21 Samoa 3.
As the rain sheeted down, Fiji’s tactics remained as efficient as ever with more high balls forcing errors from fullback Schuster.
On 48 minutes, Ligairi hoofed the ball high once more, Schuster let it slip through his grasp, Nadridri toed ahead and Ligairi won the foot race to score his 12th try in 25 Tests.
With the game in the bag, Pivac used up his replacement players, with new caps Marika Vakacegu taking the right wing berth, halfback Saiasi Fuli getting 10 minutes for skipper Moses Rauluni, and hooker Apisai Turukawa coming on for Rawaqa as the mobile Lotawa move to the back row.
Fiji could well have score a couple more tries near the end. Ligairi failed to spot Vakacegu with an overlap on his outside, and Bale was unlucky to be ruled offside when his perfectly timed interception saw him have a clear run to the line. Referee Henning said he came from an offside position, but the replay showed he was hard done by.
Bai completed the proceedings with a 38-metre penalty goal, showing just how composed and mature he is now playing. His two games in the past eight days underline how much he was missed last year when former coach Mac McCallion chose to ignore him for the entire season.
Coach Pivac, meanwhile, has managed to extract the best qualities from several players that are now playing key roles – Rawaqa just gets better with each game; Doviverata’s work in the loose has been top rate; and Koyamaibole has had some great charges from the back of the scrum, getting over the advantage line and putting immediate pressure on Fiji’s opponents.
Lock Kele Leawere, who played solidly last year, has moved up a notch and taken a more senior role in the side, setting a good example to the younger forwards.
In the backs, Prasad moves the ball swiftly and cleanly while Bai creates all sorts of opportunities at inside centre, and Ligairi now looks so at ease and dangerous at fullback that the opposition have to stop and check their position every time he gets his hands on the ball.
Unfortunately, Fiji’s season now takes a lengthy break and will resume in November when Mr Pivac hopes the Australian Barbarians and the New Zealand Divsional XV will each make a three-match tour.
Fiji 29 Samoa 3
National Stadium, Suva
Pacific Tri-Nations
Half-time: 14-3
Referee: Tappe Henning (S Africa)
Touch judges: Steve Walsh (NZ), Kelvin Deaker (NZ)
Fourth official: Marika Inia (Fiji)
Crowd: 10,000
FIJI 15 Norman Ligairi, 14 Maikeli Nadridri (Marika Vakacegu 63), 13 Seru Rabeni (Julian Vulakoro 56), 12 Seremaia Bai, 11 Sireli Bobo, 10 Jack Prasad, 9 Mosese Raulini (capt) (Saiasi Fuli 71), 8 Sisa Koyamaibole (Seva Rokobaro 66), 7 Kalivati Baleisawani (Netava Tagi 60), 6 Alifereti Doviverata, 5 Ifereimi Rawaqa (Apisai Turukawa 76), 4 Kele Leawere, 3 Bill Cavubati (Apisai Nagi 68), 2 Joeli Lotawa, 1 Josese Bale
Coach: Wayne Pivac
Tries: Nadridri, Koyamaibole, Leawere, Ligairi; Conversions: Bai (3), Penalty goal: Bai
SAMOA: 15 Mussolini Schuster, 14 Lome Fa’atau, 13 Brian Lima (Lolo Lui 64), 12 Dale Rasmussen, 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau (David Lemi 60), 10 Tanner Vili, 9 Steven So’oialo (John Senio72), 8 Siaosi Vaili, 7 Ray Tuivaiti, 6 Semo Sititi (capt) (Ulia Ulia 60), 5 Leo Lafaiali’i, 4 Nathan George Simaika Mikaele 68), 3 Tamato Leupolu, 2 Jonathan Meredith (Loleni Tafunai 70), 1 Kas Lealamanua (Simon Lemalu 60)
Coach: Michael Jones
Penalty goal: Vili
Scoring sequence (Fiji first)
4min – TRY FIJI, Nadridri; conversion Bai; 7-0
25min – TRY FIJI, Koyamiabole; conversion Bai; 14-0
30min – PENALTY GOAL SAMOA, Vili; 14-3
Half-time
42min – TRY FIJI, Leawere; conversion Bai; 21-3
49min – TRY FIJI, Ligairi; 26-3
78min – PENALTY GOAL FIJI, Bai; 29-3
Full-time
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