Fiji captain rues missed opportunity after Scotland comeback

Fiji Water Flying Fijians captain Tevita Ikanivere voiced his disappointment following the team's inability to secure a victory against Scotland in their final Nations Championship match. Fiji displayed a dominant first-half performance, leading 17-7 at the break, but ultimately succumbed to a 33-17 defeat after Scotland mounted a significant comeback.

Ikanivere acknowledged the team's fighting spirit but admitted they lost control of the game when it mattered most. "We came out here today trying to get the win," he stated. "I think a lot of people did so much work to be able to host games here in the North. I thank the boys for coming out here today with a fighting spirit."

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We came out here today trying to get the win. I think a lot of people did so much work to be able to host games here in the North. I thank the boys for coming out here today with a fighting spirit.

The skipper highlighted that Fiji spent too much of the second half defending and struggled to manage the game's territory effectively. "We can’t defend the whole game, the whole 40 minutes," Ikanivere explained. "We didn’t control the territory better in the last 30 minutes, 15 minutes. It just slipped away from us."

Despite the frustrating end to their Nations Championship campaign for the July window, Ikanivere praised the players' commitment throughout the tournament.

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We can’t defend the whole game, the whole 40 minutes. We didn’t control the territory better in the last 30 minutes, 15 minutes. It just slipped away from us.