Lessons to learn from Hong Kong

Samoa beat Fiji, the most successful team in Hong Kong history with 11 successes. Samoa won to take its first title in fourteen years of Hong Kong Sevens. They survived a second half rally by Fiji to win by 27 points to 22 after leading 27 to 0 at half time. Before this year Samoa hadn't won a sevens tournament since 1993, but with victories in two of the last three legs of the world series it has climbed into a tie for second place with New Zealand on 78 points, six behind leader Fiji. South Africa was fourth with 74 points. Samoa came into the final beating South Africa 10-0 while Fiji downed New Zealand 21-12 in a semi-final thriller. New Zealand ended England's four-year reign in the quarter-finals by thumping the defending champions at 26-0.

Wales won the second-tier plate, and Russia the bowl for its first series win. The IRB Sevens series moves on to Adelaide Australia from here.

The tournament more popularly known as the Cathay Pacific Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens has come a long way with 24 representative sides participating. The birth of Hong Kong Sevens was the result of the Rugby Football Union refusing a tournament of sevens to be sponsored by Rothmans. The tournament was then taken over by Hong Kong who changed focus by sending invitations to Asian and pacific sides. The first teams to participate were clubs from Korea, Australia New Zealand Tonga, Japan Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Fiji. This first tournament was sponsored by Rothmans and Cathay Pacific.

Sri Lanka which has been in this tournament, bar a few occasions, did manage to take part without a single win. Disappointing would be the comment of the cynic. On the other hand you got to keep competing if one is to get the necessary exposure to play at least among the giants of Asia. Look at the brighter side of things. The Hong Kong sevens came into being what it is today from a very shaky beginning. Today it is a premier event in the international rugby calendar. It is not a question of big or small but the commitment and devotion that have taken the Hong Kong sevens to what it is today. It is the passion that takes you where you are. It is just not dreaming to be there. Is there any lesson to us in this small island?

Sri Lanka as a founder participant continues to be there with little to show of. The lesson that has to be build from the participation is the recognition of what passion can do. Samoa beat Fiji after some anxious moments in the second half. On the other hand Fiji which was being led 27 to 0 at half time came from behind and almost beat the Samoans. All the scoring in the second half was by the losing Fiji side. The Samoan coach attributes the team’s progress to their commitment to training.

If Sri Lanka has to uplift their performance they got to learn from the success of others. The experience of being there and playing the best is an opportunity they had to learn. The question however is, have they or will they ever?

Progress will only come from a fitter and better trained side who are committed to a cause. It seemed we had the talent but the passion to take on better sides was not there.

There can be criticism and post mortems. The reality is that we have to build a winning side and not a pack of whining school boys. Can we blame them?

A lesson from Fiji may be of value to us. Little were they worried that they were trailing 27 to 0 in a sevens match; and that too at half time. Serevi the legendary Fijian who is player / coach says “we made a lot of mistakes in the first half, I asked the boys at half time to relax. If Samoa could score 27 points then we could in the second half”. This they did in style and almost beat Samoa. The positive attitude is what makes you look like the champions.

What is so much to worry about losing in Hong Kong? Look at the Asian giants who took part this year. Japan, Korea and China relegated to the Bowl. It was only Japan who beat Chinese Taipei in the bowl quarters that advanced but lost to France in the semi-final. France earlier beat China who was last year’s bowl winners.