Fiji 42 Canada 11

Date:  07 Jul 2000
Venue:  Apia
Attendance:  Not Recorded
Referee:  Hamala t.

With only one win in four attempts Canada have shown little positive growth over last year's 0-5 Epson Cup performance, adding a 42-11 loss to Fiji at Apia, Samoa.  They must now do a post mortem and make some changes for their remaining match against Japan next week in Toronto.

Sounding like a parent having to answer yet another complaint about a troublesome child Canadian coach David Clark was crestfallen following his team's second defeat in six days, losing to Fiji 42-11.

Sticking to his blunt style Clark did not hide behind excuses, choosing instead to identify where the team weaknesses were in this their third straight Epson Cup loss since their opening victory over Tonga in May.

"Again we were incompetent in our individual skills, knocking balls on, not catching the high ball, missing tackles," said Clark from Apia, Samoa early Saturday morning (Friday evening Samoa time) as he dropped a laundry list of problems displayed by the young team.  "The forwards toiled manfully and did a hell of a lot of work and the backs let us down.

"We didn't kick the ball judiciously, it went off the side of our boot we took wrong options.  We paid the penalty," concluded Clark, who has a 1-3-1 record since becoming coach of Canada in February.

Back from club commitments in France, centre Vili Satala, had Canada stretched with his assertive running that set up Marika Vunibaka for a try and gained one for himself as well.

Clark admits some frustration is setting in not only for him-self, but some players on others, threatening to divide the camp.

"Some players are frustrated with other players, and they shouldn't be," Clark said firmly.  "Because everybody was at blame.  After last week (a 41-22 loss to Samoa) there was nobody who escaped criticism and today there were probably only a couple of players who enhanced their reputation.  The rest of them were still tentative, they have an in-ability to threaten defense, particularly in our back-line."

With one match remaining in the 2000 Epson Cup Pacific Rim tournament against Japan in Toronto, Clark has a scant three days to right a listing ship as the team only reassembles on Wednesday following their nearly 35 hour flight home.

The former Queensland coach admits the task will be hard one, and there will be some tough questions of certain players before selections are made against the last place Cherry Blossoms.

"We've got to get some people in and talk to them one on one and find out exactly how they are contributing to this team," said Clark pointedly.  "What they think they are doing and what they are not doing.  And then there will be some changes."

Clark also believes that the 27-27 draw against Ireland June 17th may have given some players a false sense of achievement, something he was worried about, and even mentioned to the board of directors the following day.  The wake up call has been the 83 points scored on them in the past two games while only generating 33.

Said Clark of the waning Canadian reputation of always providing a tough defensive stand against opponents, "We're losing the Canadian treasure, which has been our toughness and commitment, and it's fast becoming a myth."

"I'm absolutely distressed at the lack of shoulder tackling in our backs and I am at a loss to work out why," admitted the subdued Australian.

Team captain Al Charron, playing in his 58th international for Canada was very downbeat following the match, and had little to offer as to why the team has struggled in recent times.

"I'm very disappointed.  We still can't do the fundamentals that you need to win a game," said the 33 year old Ottawa native.  "We can make all the excuses in the world, but we are just not good enough at fundamentals, and that's disappointing."

Not wanting to make excuses for the relatively young sides lack of performance, Charron does feel it is necessary to point out that Canada does not have it's best players available, and until that changes he fears there will be little improvement.

"We don't have our best players here.  We're not playing from a position of strength," he said, adding "I wish we could have won these games so we could come back to the Canadian board to ask them to correct things."

Charron is referring to the player's growing discontentment at the travel arrangements made for their unusually long itinerary in the last 7 weeks.  But the veteran also knows that making too much of the myriad of connections and multi-hour layovers will sound like sour grapes from the under achieving side.

"Unfortunately because we lost it only sounds like whining and looking for excuses.  It's just disappointing the way that we're treated and expected to do things.  And there is no support from the board as far as getting things done properly," concluded the veteran of three World Cups.

For Fiji, they have played their final match of the Epson Cup and can now only find a satellite dish and watch next Saturday's match between Samoa and the USA to see who will win the championship.  If the Eagles can manage a win, then Fiji will capture the title, an achievement all the more incredible since they have not had one home game in the series because of the ongoing political crisis in Suva.

The Fijians did not waste time celebrating their win as they had to get changed and race for an 8:00 p.m. (local time flight) following the conclusion of the match at 5:45 p.m.  A quick field side tray of sandwiches and exchange of ties and the Islanders were off to reunite with family for the first time in almost two months.

Fiji
Tries:  Vili Satala, Marika Vunibaka (2), Alifereti Doviverata, Seremaia Bai, Kameli Natoba.
Conversions:  Nicky Little (6).

Canada
Try:  Phil Murphy.
Penalty:  Scott Stewart.  Drop goal:  Winston Stanley.