Focus, Get Tough
We over-respected Queensland Country, not a good game for us, says Drua coach Seruvakula
Fiji Airways Fijian Drua coach Senirusi Seruvakula has criticized his team for lacking focus in their 26-24 Australian National Rugby Championship win over the Queensland Country at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka yesterday.
The Fijians needed a last-minute try to robust winger Levani Kurumudu to avoid being knocked out of the competition.
A yellow card to substitute centre Poasa Waqanibau for a dangerous shoulder charge compounded the team’s problems as they went searching for the winning try. Seruvakula said his team over-respected their opponents and played well below what they were capable of.
“The boys were not focused, it was not a good game for us,” he said. “I was really disappointed how we handled the game in the first half and in the last 20 minutes. “When you see the Country side in the first-half, they neither had the talent nor the skills to match us. “But we over-respected them. In a battlefield we can’t do that. We have to take out that mentality from the local boys and be more aggressive for the 80 minutes.”
The coach also singled out Waqanibau and loose-forward Filimoni Camaitovu for discipline issues, warning that “no-one was bigger than the team.”
What happened
The first 10 minutes was in some ways a war of attrition as both teams tried to stamp their mark on the match.
The Drua were shaky at scrum time and all over the place during lineouts in a poor set-piece performance.
Queensland Country got the first points of the match in the 9th minute after some sustained possession allowed No.8 Harry Wilson to cross over in the right corner.
First five-eighth Rowan Saifoloi converted to make it 7-0.
The visitors struck again in the 13th minute, with winger Joey Fittock profiting from a huge Jiuta Wainiqolo error to score a relatively easy try. Saifoloi converted to make it 14-0.
Johnny Dyer got the Drua going in the 23rd minute bursting through five tackles with a rampaging run to score under the sticks.
First five -eighth Enele Malele converted to make it 14-7. Kurimudu got the Drua’s second in the 31st after some hard work at the breakdown created space for the winger to cross over. Malele converted to make it 14-14. Saifoloi responded with a penalty to restore Queensland’ s lead to 1714 and the Country went on the attack thereafter.
The Drua had to soak up some pressure late in the first-half, much of it self-invited given the number of handling errors.
But fullback Apisalome Waqatabu, who had a difficult first-half, scored from a brilliant attacking move, with Malele’s conversion ensuring the Fijians led 21-17 at halftime.
Second-half
Both teams took a cautious approach in the second-half, with the Drua forced to defend for lengthy periods.
The pressure proved too much in the end as Queensland was awarded a penalty try in the 66th minute to lead 24-21.
The Drua seemed to be heading for defeat, especially when substitute Waqanibau was sent to the bin for a dangerous shoulder charge on Queensland centre Hamish Stewart with 10 minutes to go.
But a late Kurumudu try after a brilliant break from centre Cyril Reece settled the game and sent the Drua into the semi-finals for the second year running.
Comments:
Drua captain Joeli Veitayaki: “We need to improve on getting a good start. We let them score two or three tries and have to play catchup rugby.
“We made a lot of mistakes. If we can improve on our discipline, we can win the semi-final.” Edited by Leone Cabenatbua