Fiji men’s 7s coach Osea Kolinisau is slowly losing the luxury of being able to choose from the crop of top 15s players following the announcement by Mick Byrne of his FIJI Water Flying Fijians Test squad for the matches against Georgia and New Zealand next month. Fiji Police 7s coach Sale Tubuna believes the national 7s side is running against time in the lead up to the defence of the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris, France next month. Kolinisau, he says, needs “our support” and the Paris event should be a priority.
He said with six weeks left for the team to prepare, the ball was in Kolinisau’s court to decide what was best for his preparation. “If I was the coach, I would want all the best players to be part of my team,” he said. “All we have to do now is rally behind the coach.
“From fans all over the world including FRU (Fiji Rugby Union), we should support Osea as he battles for the players he wants in his squad and the timeframe to put together a winning combination,” Tubuna said. Players who would have fit the bill for Paris included the likes of Fijian Drua centre Iosefo Masi, backrower Elia Canakaivata and winger Selestino Ravutaumada. The return of double Olympic gold medallist Jerry Tuwai provides some semblance of order in the team’s preparations though.
On March 28 this year at Votualevu College, in Nadi, Masi, who was awarded the Fijian Drua Player of the Year award last night, hinted he was still undecided about whether to don the .
