Why Jerry Tuwai Is Better: Serevi (original) (raw)

Speaking during a podcast interview with World Rugby, Serevi said, despite of Tuwai’s 5ft 7in frame, he has the ability to tackle and is a master at breakdowns where he has won many crucial turnovers.

Fijian 7s team playmaker Jerry Tuwai(left) and Waisale Serevi(right).

Maestro Waisale Serevi has finally given reasons on why he always rate Olympian and Fiji Airways Fijian 7s halfback Seremaia (Jerry) Tuwai as a much better player than him.

Speaking during a podcast interview with World Rugby, Serevi said, despite of Tuwai’s 5ft 7in frame, he has the ability to tackle and is a master at breakdowns where he has won many crucial turnovers.

“Jerry also creates space and he tackles while tackling is not my strongest point,” Serevi said.

“Jerry when he tackles he steals the ball. He has also mastered the breakdowns winning those turnovers.”

Former national rugby and Nabua 7s halfback Pauliasi Tabulutu said, in the late 1980s their defensive structure of 6 by 1 centered on Serevi.

“At that time Serevi was young and he could get injured. Also, we need to help him in his defence as well.

“The role of the six players in the front is to pressure the opposition to kick the ball or make mistakes and we also drive them towards the side-line to push them out.

“If the opposition breaks our defence then Serevi is to come at them from an angle that pushes them towards the side-line. “If not he holds them up for the cover defence to come in.

“Another reason, we kept Serevi at the back was because he was a match winner especially launching those counterattacking moves.” he recalled.

However, Tabulutu indicated that New Zealand exploited this through Jonah Lomu in the Cup final of the 1995 Hong Kong 7s tournament.

“When (NZ) broke the defence, Lomu in his three tries, just ran over Serevi to score,” Tabulutu added.

Tuwai, who is the current World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, has played 294 matches, scoring 134 tries with a total of 674 points.

According to World Rugby Sevens stats, Tuwai wins more than three turnovers in a single match.

“There are a lot of great players like Jerry Tuwai. At the moment he is doing well and I’m always interested in watching him play,” Serevi said.

“That is because of what I want to see in a player who plays at that level with consistency.”

Edited by Leone Cabenatabua

Feedback: leonec@fijisun.com.fj