Champions Fiji ready to defend crown
By Rob Phillips-Knight
From Dubai
Reigning champions Fiji are in confident mood going into Thursday’s opening round of matches in the men's competition as they try to become the first nation to win back-to-back Rugby World Cup Sevens titles.
Coach Iliesa Tanivula has opted to include five faces from that team for this year’s tournament in a repeat of the policy used by former player/coach Waisale Serevi during the triumphant RWC Sevens 2005 campaign.
One of these faces is wing Vilimoni Delasau, who last represented Fiji in Sevens at that World Cup in Hong Kong and is excited about his return to the fold ahead of the 2009 tournament at The Sevens in Dubai.
“It has been a while since 2005. I am 31 now and to come back and play for Fiji in the Sevens World Cup is a real bonus for me,” he admitted.
“It is something that I have missed because it was a dream for me playing for Fiji in the Sevens. I never thought I would go as far as I have in 15s and to get back to the Sevens after playing in the winter in France is good.”
Stars return inevitable
Tanivula’s decision to bring back the likes of Delasau for this World Cup has whetted the appetite of Fiji’s loyal supporters and he believes that the reintroduction of some of the 2005 squad was inevitable based on Fiji’s IRB Sevens World Series form this season.
“It was inevitable really. I think we needed it because the young boys who have been playing in the World Series need some old hands, so I think a mixture of the young players and us with experience of Sevens is a good mixture for Fiji.
“We want to make our people back home happy and we come here at full strength."
However, despite the renewed sense of hope within Fijian ranks, Delasau refuses to compare the current crop of Fijians with the triumphant team of 2005, but he insists they are capable of lifting the Melrose Cup for the third time.
“I believe it’s a good team and I believe we are capable of defending the World Cup. It’s not going to be easy but defending the World Cup is every team's aim and we have been playing well here."
Tough pool
The two-time RWC Sevens winners face France, Georgia and USA in Pool B and Delasau is under no illusions that progress to the Cup quarter finals will be difficult.
“We are in a tough pool. The USA have beaten Fiji in this Series (in Wellington last month), so to play Georgia and then the USA and France is hard.
“They (France) have some top players whom I have played against in France, like Julien Malzieu and Rida Jahouer. I believe that a real test for us is the second and third game before we qualify for the main draw.
Fellow World Cup winner Jone Daunivucu has also been recalled to the Fijian squad and he believes the squad's limited time together will not affect their title defence.
“Some of the players only arrived two days ago and this is the first time we have come and played together,” he said.
“I think it is not a problem for us because all the Fijian players know how we all play so it is not very difficult to do, especially for the experienced players like myself.”
Like Delasau, Daunivucu also believes the addition of experience to the team is important and believes the younger squad members will learn much from the seasoned players to the benefit of Fijian rugby in the future.
“In 2005 the team had a lot of experienced players and this year we have only a few experienced players. I think this will be a good learning curve for the younger players, which is good for the future.”
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