Nadroga eye double title

Cambridge Farms Nadroga captain Manu Ratuni­yarawa says the side will savour its Skipper Cup triumph before turning its attention to the Inkk Farebrother Challenge in a fortnight.

Nadroga defeated McDonald's Nadi 24-22 in a thrilling Skipper Cup final at Churchill Park in Lau­toka last Saturday after trailing 19-11 at halftime.

Ratuniyarawa said winning the prestigious title was special, par­ticularly after missing out last sea­son.

"It is special. We talked about it at the start of the season and finally getting it after a lapse of a year means a lot to us.

"We knew we had to play for 80 minutes and stick to our game plan," Ratuniyarawa said.

He was also pleased with the com­mitment shown by the players, in­cluding several who featured in the Under-20 competition last year.

"This year has been a good season for us," he said.

Meanwhile, Nadi captain Peni Naruma was gracious in defeat, acknowledging Nadroga's strong finish after his side had controlled much of the first half.

"We did better in the first half but struggled towards the final whis­tle," he said.

Although disappointed with the result, Naruma thanked the sup­porters who stood behind the team throughout the season.

"We did not get the win today, but I want to thank our fans for supporting us from the start of the season until now.

"We had great support, and the Vanua o Nadi came out in num­bers," he said.

Attention now shifts to this Saturday's clash between Naitasiri and Ra in the Inkk Farebrother Chal­lenge.