‘Bring Tuwai into coaching team and eject players past their prime’ – Delasau

Former Fiji rugby sevens wing Vilimoni Delasau wants double Olympic Games gold medallist Jerry Tuwai recruited to the coaching staff in order to help Ben Gollings, the head coach under pressure, win an HSBC SVNS title for the first time and prepare the team for the summer Olympics in Paris.

Delasau told SUNsports that it’s crucial to add fresh players to the team instead of sticking with seasoned players who might have lost their competitive edge.

But he clarified, “That is not happening.” Some of these athletes are past their peak if you watch them now. We must add hungry new players to the team.

According to reports, a recent meeting between Gollings and Tuwai helped to mend fences between the two after the playmaker disclosed that the coach had instructed him to participate in local competitions to demonstrate his continued dominance in the sevens circuit.

Tuwai began to doubt Gollings’ capacity to lead the team as a result.

In his sevens career, Delasau, who participated in the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups and played 29 times for the Flying Fijians, scored 85 tries. He also said, “I’m not sure what the problem with Ben Gollings is?

“Seeing what should be done, but isn’t, hurts. If I were to make the decision, I would include Tuwai (the player) on the coaching panel alongside Sireli Bobo, perhaps Isake Katonibau, or some other experienced senior players.

According to my observations, sevens rugby is good for one year and okay for two. You start to become disinterested when it gets to the third year. You merely go on the tour or for the money. That’s what I went through; in my third year, I was eager to sign a fifteen-year contract and travel abroad.

“When we keep selecting the same players, what good is development? We select one or two new participants each time, so why not select five or seven at once? Choosing the same squad over and over again defeats the purpose of progression.

“We are really deep. Coach Mike Friday of USA also gave some fresh players praise at the Coral Coast event.

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