[Source: World Rugby Sevens/Facebook]

Enduring those brutal training sessions at the Sigatoka sand dunes this year is one of those factors that came into play in the extra three and a half minutes our Fiji 7s team played against Ireland in the Olympic Games quarter-final in Paris yesterday.

Fiji conceded four penalties after the fulltime hooter, but they stuck together as a team, according to Coach Osea Kolinisau.

Trailing 10-7 at halftime, Kolinisau told the players they’d decide where their fate lies in this Olympics.

The Rio 2016 winning captain said there were another two minutes left when Waisea Nacuqu scored to put Fiji in front 19-15, and he shouted from the sidelines for the side to defend well.

[Source: World Rugby]

Kolinisau says Captain Jerry Tuwai wrapped up their post-match talk by simply reminding the team of those days when they had to go through a lot of pain at the Sigatoka sand dunes.

‘I thank the boys that came in they stuck at it although Ireland got a couple of penalties I think some of it should have gone our way but I thank the boys not losing hope and showing how mental tough they are to connect as a group in those dying stages, Jerry summed it up well when we had our team talk saying that was the sand dunes when we really tired we just climb through’.

Fiji will play Australia in the second semifinal at 2am tomorrow.

In the first semifinal at 1:30am, South Africa faces hosts France.

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