Lakeba claims Taga Shield

LAKEBA came out victorious in the last round of the Suva Rugby FMF Koroturaga competition after defeating Covenant Blues 23-20 to claim the Mosese Taga Shield at Suva Grammar School in Suva yesterday.

They now book a spot in the quarter-finals of the Escott Shield competition.

Team manager Roko Soane praised his side for standing up to a formidable Covenant Blues side, who almost managed to retain the shield in the dying minutes of the game.

“We are very proud of the boys, they were able to come out today and execute what we have been working on for the past few weeks,” he said.

With Covenant Blues in possession in the last two minutes, Lakeba were able to hold their 23-20 lead until the sound of the final hooter, before forcing a penalty to end the match.

“The boys worked very hard in the dying two minutes of the game as Covenant Blues moved closer to our line.

“Hats off to the forwards for their defense until the final hooter before they were able to force a penalty.”

All that’s left now for Lakeba is to work on a few handling errors and their discipline as they prepare for the quarters.

“We still do not know who we will play in the Escortt Shield quarter-finals, but we need to work on a few things before then.

“Discipline is a huge one, there were a few times during the game where the boys were unable to maintain their discipline.

“We also want to work on our ball handling throughout this week.

“Other than this, the boys did very well, and we are very proud of them.”

He also thanked all their supporters and fans who turned up at the Suva Grammar School grounds to cheer the boys to victory.

“A big thank you to all our fans and supporters here today, this win is for you.”