Fiji pushes Australia all the way
By JONE KALOUNIVITI
THE Fiji Men's Open team might have lost their second match in so many days but left the competition arena with heads held high as they went down fighting to Australia 49-38.
Though the final results looked one sided, Australia struggled throughout against the ever improving Ralulu Robanakadavu led team.
Australia came out o win and that they did, but Fiji came out to prove they shouldn't be taken lightly - the shooters were brilliant but their mid-court let them down.
At one point in the second quarter Australia led by only two points.
Australia led at half-time 25-18.
The National Indoor Stadium came alive and the small 200 odd-crowd filled the whole complex with their cheers.
Tactical changes in the third quarter saw Jason Woolley rip Fiji defenders apart with his sheer speed and accuracy.
Wolley replaced Dan Ryan at Goal Shooter and nailed eight shots and assisted with four as they scored 12 points against Fiji's seven in the 3rd.
Fiji came back to outscore Australia for the second time during the game in the final quarter 13-12.
The hosts also scored 12-11 in the second.
Again mistakes in mid-court and accuracy at goal shoot cost Fiji at the end but overall, the run of play indicated a positive future for the sport and according to assistant coach Venina Galuinadi the possibilities.
While team discipline also needs to be addressed, Galuinadi said they were more than satisfied with the game because it was a major improvement considering most were playing for the first time.
"It's a big morale booster for the boys, they have the ability and all they needed was to play with confidence which they showed tonight.''
Man of the match Robanakadavu intercepted more than 10 attempts at the net by Australia and also made his presence felt in mid-court with a handful of blocks.
The other evening match was between the New Zealand Mixed team and Cook Islands with the latter being able to stand their ground until the final quarter when the Kiwis extended their to lead to finish with 65-38.
Perhaps the other exciting encounter of the evening was the Men's U23 featuring the Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand.
Already pitted as a preview to the Under 23 Men's final, Australia beat New Zealand 35-31 in what was a reversal of last weekends Tri-Nations rugby match.
For the small Fiji crowd of around 200 that gathered, the speed, athleticism, skill and elegance displayed by both showed why both teams are considered the top dogs in the competition.
Both teams finished on tie in the each quarter with the Australians showing more composure to slot in the extras in the final run.
THE Fiji Men's Open team might have lost their second match in so many days but left the competition arena with heads held high as they went down fighting to Australia 49-38.
Though the final results looked one sided, Australia struggled throughout against the ever improving Ralulu Robanakadavu led team.
Australia came out o win and that they did, but Fiji came out to prove they shouldn't be taken lightly - the shooters were brilliant but their mid-court let them down.
At one point in the second quarter Australia led by only two points.
Australia led at half-time 25-18.
The National Indoor Stadium came alive and the small 200 odd-crowd filled the whole complex with their cheers.
Tactical changes in the third quarter saw Jason Woolley rip Fiji defenders apart with his sheer speed and accuracy.
Wolley replaced Dan Ryan at Goal Shooter and nailed eight shots and assisted with four as they scored 12 points against Fiji's seven in the 3rd.
Fiji came back to outscore Australia for the second time during the game in the final quarter 13-12.
The hosts also scored 12-11 in the second.
Again mistakes in mid-court and accuracy at goal shoot cost Fiji at the end but overall, the run of play indicated a positive future for the sport and according to assistant coach Venina Galuinadi the possibilities.
While team discipline also needs to be addressed, Galuinadi said they were more than satisfied with the game because it was a major improvement considering most were playing for the first time.
"It's a big morale booster for the boys, they have the ability and all they needed was to play with confidence which they showed tonight.''
Man of the match Robanakadavu intercepted more than 10 attempts at the net by Australia and also made his presence felt in mid-court with a handful of blocks.
The other evening match was between the New Zealand Mixed team and Cook Islands with the latter being able to stand their ground until the final quarter when the Kiwis extended their to lead to finish with 65-38.
Perhaps the other exciting encounter of the evening was the Men's U23 featuring the Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand.
Already pitted as a preview to the Under 23 Men's final, Australia beat New Zealand 35-31 in what was a reversal of last weekends Tri-Nations rugby match.
For the small Fiji crowd of around 200 that gathered, the speed, athleticism, skill and elegance displayed by both showed why both teams are considered the top dogs in the competition.
Both teams finished on tie in the each quarter with the Australians showing more composure to slot in the extras in the final run.
Last Modified on 09/08/2004 21:23
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