Rangataua bow out of sevens in Fiji

TOUGH COMPETITION: Action from Rangataua's game against Suva Stallions at the Bayleys Fiji Coral Coast Sevens. PHOTO/ Jeremy Duxbury

The 2014 Bayleys Fiji Coral Coast Sevens tournament is all over for Rangataua after a 24-17 defeat to Naviti in the Shield quarterfinals on Saturday morning.

The New Zealand champions competed strongly in every game over three days of top class sevens at picturesque Lawaqa Park in "Rugby Town" Sigatoka but were unable to win more than one game out of four played.

The tournament highlight was beating Naviti Resort 14-7 on Friday.

Tries either side of halftime to Luke Masirewa and Paranihi Lovett saw the side home, benefiting in the first instance from a yellow card to a Naviti player, and then scoring a superbly executed set-piece try to Lovett after replacement Toby Harris had put Masirewa in the clear.

Relieved to not finish last in their pool, captain Matt Clutterbuck said they knew the going was always going to be tough against the energised Fijian sides.

"They are all fast and can step and offload, and for some reason there is always someone there to receive the offload," said Clutterbuck.

"Sometimes it's hard to defend so you have to stay tight. This is an awesome experience, an eye-opener, especially for some of the younger boys who have never played out of the country before or at a high level tournament. It's been great for the club too."

*Campbell Burnes is in Fiji courtesy of Tourism Fiji