Olympic rugby: Sevens has ‘bright future’ in Africa, says Bryan Habana

When it comes to men’s rugby at the Olympics, one nation dominates: Fiji.

The Pacific islanders triumphed at the inaugural tournament in 2016 – winning the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal – and defended their title in Tokyo three years ago.

“The players are just monstrous, in strength, size and speed,” Habana said.

“They’re just so good at what they do. If you’re not able to compete with them physically, nine times out of 10 you’re going to find yourself wanting.”

Habana came up against Fiji before their first Olympic title – an encounter that left its mark.

“It was as physical and as fast-paced as I’ve ever experienced any type of rugby,” he explained.

“At times, it felt like you were chasing ghosts.”

Known for their fast-paced game based on physicality at the breakdown, swift offloads and capitalising on broken field in possession, Fiji’s bid for a third successive Olympic gold might not be straightforward.

They finished sixth in this season’s SVNS circuit, failing to pick up an event victory, after parting company with head coach Ben Gollings in March.

“They’ve also gone through a massive transition phase and they’ve actually been struggling on the field,” said Habana.

So, if he were a coach, how would Habana go about beating the defending champions?

“One of the great things when you play against Fiji is to try to keep it as structured as possible.

“If you don’t use the opportunities, which are very limited throughout the course of 14 minutes, you’re going to come up wanting because they can score a try out of nothing.

“Keep it tight, and don’t be scared to physically test them. But make sure that you don’t stop being relentless for the full 14 minutes.”