Nadi Rugby opts for underdog tag

The McDonald’s Nadi rugby team is looking to maintain consistency in their performance and improve their discipline in today’s Skipper Cup clash against hosts FMF Suva at the National Stadium.

Nadi has secured back-to-back wins against Kadavu (19-15) and Lautoka (41-31), respectively, while Suva will look to bounce back from their 22-39 loss against BLK Nadroga last Saturday.

Nadi Rugby Union vice-president Jeff Tamata told SUNsports yesterday the team’s preparation has been going smoothly and they would not take Suva lightly.

“We know Suva is a very good team, and our preparation has been done accordingly,” he said.

“We know Suva is coming off a loss to Nadroga, and we know that Suva will try to defend their turf.”

Tamata is expecting a high-intensity match at the National Stadium.

“It’ll be a good time for the boys to showcase what they’ve been training for,” he said.

“I know the coaching staff have been working very hard around the clock on our mistakes from last week.”

Tamata added that discipline has been an area of focus for the team during their preparation this week.

“Last week we played with 13 men, so we were so fortunate to come out with a win against a strong Lautoka side,” he said.

“We can’t afford to do that against the Suva team.”

Tamata is optimistic about the coaches’ approach to the team this season.

“We saw a glimpse of what the team is doing in the first half last week. Unfortunately, we didn’t carry this momentum into the second spell,” he said.

“It’s a long season, so there will be player rotation, and these new players will need to maintain their performance to be consistent throughout this season.”

Nadi has included debutants in their last two games.

“I believe this week there’ll be some more debutants as well,” Tamata said.

“Our debutants are basically from our Under-20 teams and the club competitions.”

Tamata indicated that the Capital City side would be a tough encounter, as they are favourites in round three as hosts and are accustomed to the weather.

“A lot of prominent names are in their squad, and that’s something that we’ll take as a challenge going into the match tomorrow (today),” he said.

“We prefer to play in the hot weather as our players are used to it, but it’s Suva’s home game, so they decide the time. We just have to go with the flow and give our best tomorrow (today).”

Tamata said the team has opted for the underdog tag and hopes to deliver their performance on the field.

“We are working very hard to give a good game and a performance the fans will be proud of,” he said.

“We thank our sponsors and stakeholders for backing the team.”

Tamata urged Nadi fans in the Suva and Nausori corridor to turn up in numbers and cheer on their provincial team.

“The players are working hard to give a good game, and it’s going to be a tough match against Suva, so don’t miss it,” he said.

“It’s a new team; they’ve come out with two wins from two games, and hopefully they’ll come out with a win against Suva.”

The match kicks off at 6pm.