Dragons U19 coach Reddy plans ahead

The Ba Provincial Freebird Institute Under-19 rugby league side is not banking on last year’s victory at this Saturday’s semi-final.

The Lautoka-based school is the defending Vodafone Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby League U17 champion.

Head coach Krishant Reddy said teams are not the same every year and they would now lift their preparations.

The Ba Pro Dragons defeated Nasinu Secondary Panthers in the quarterfinal, 30-14, last Saturday. They will face Queen Victoria Knights in the semifinals at Churchill Park, Lautoka.

“QVS is a very good side. They are powerhouse in rugby,” Reddy said.

“We have one simple message just stick to basics, trust yourselves and trust one other.”

Reddy has been coaching this side right from the U15 grade. He acknowledged the support of parents who back them at every match.

“We need to work on our errors that we did against Nasinu. It’s things like simple handling errors.

“Our message is always to keep things simple, and we’ll go back on Monday (today) for training and see how we can come up with a plan to tackle QVS.”

He has been teaching in Ba Pro for the last eight years.

Reddy said he was interested in how these young ruggers prepare for a game and gave it a try to coach them. He has not looked back since.

“I’d like to thank some staff too who has helped in this journey of coaching. They trusted me to guide these players and I’m grateful that I’m able to lead this team on my own with their support.”

One of the biggest thing he learnt on this journey is having a good supportive family.

“They love that connection and support from their families and I always cherish those moments when I see parents coming around to hug their children.

“It’s very overwhelming to see that. I also have a son, he’s also into rugby, and he also loves watching these boys, and that also motivates me to come do what I do.

“One of the major challenges was the school closure, last week, and then we were on a bye for three weeks because we had very less teams in the U19 competition in the West. It did not allow us to have a lot of game time, but we managed to win.”

Asked on what advise he gives his team, Reddy said: “For me, one of the most important things is their journey. I always tell them no matter what the result is, just do your best and work hard- you have your talent and your opportunities will come sooner or later.”

Results:

U15: Marist Storms 18-20 Central College Storms, Gospel Saints 14-6 Ba Pro Dragons, Nasinu Panthers 10-6 Sigatoka Mission Knights, RKS Eels 10-4 Xavier College Bulldogs.

U17: Lelean Knights 28-21 Sigatoka Valley Cowboys, Nasinu Panthers 14-30 Sigatoka Mission Knights, Lami Tigers 0-28 Ba Methodist Saints, RKS Eels 12-10 Ba Pro Dragons.

U19: Ba Methodist Saints 10-12 QVS Knights, Nilsen Warriors 18-46 RKS Eels, Ba Pro Dragons 30-14 Nasinu Panthers, Ra High Roosters 17-10 Naitasiri Warriors.

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