Hillmen to focus on discipline

Naitasiri must hold on to possession, tighten their defence and stay disciplined if they are to overcome hosts Nadi in Saturday’s Skipper Cup semi-final at King Charles Park.

Speaking to SUNsports yesterday, Naitasiri head coach Timoci Tinaviti said discipline and possession would be crucial against a strong Nadi side.

“It’s a very important game to us,” the former lock forward said.

“One thing I told the boys is our discipline. Discipline will cost us the game. We’re working on discipline, especially during our set-pieces.”

He said the team needed to execute its game plan at the right time and in the right areas to avoid conceding penalties.

Despite securing a semi-final spot after defeating Malolo last week, Tinaviti said there was still room for improvement, particularly in the team’s defence and first phase of play.

“Defeating Malolo last week is a huge thing for Naitasiri Rugby as a whole. As I mentioned last week, there’s still room for improvement, especially on our first play. We’re trying to fix our defence pattern in the middle, where we had trouble,” he said.

Tinaviti acknowledged Nadi’s strength and consistency but remained confident his side could rise to the challenge.

“Nadi is a good team, very strong and they have a good coach. Going down to Nadi this week is not easy for us. We just need to prepare, and we know that we can go and do the job and come back,” he added.

He said preparations were on track and urged Naitasiri fans and supporters to turn out in numbers to back the team in the semi-final.