Ponipate Loganimasi of Fijian Drua runs with the ball. Photo: Getty Images
Frustration is starting to show as the Fijian Drua fights for survival in the race for the top six spots in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Head coach Glen Jackson told reporters in Nadi that not starting their games well in the past weekends is something they have continued to talk about.
The equation for them is simple - win and keep winning.
"It's pretty much most games, isn't it, that we haven't started well, so it's certainly a focus for us this week to make sure that we start well at home," Jackson said.
"Waratah is obviously coming into the game full of confidence. And you know, after the last time we played them, I thought it was a good game of rugby. And we just need to make sure that we start well, so we're in the game right from the beginning."
Jackson watched the side lose the plot against the Highlanders early in Dunedin last Saturday, losing 43-20.
He said the frustration has been that they know they should have won that game, and earlier ones as well that they let slipped through because of errors and ill-discipline.
"We should have won that game but as you can well imagine, we're getting a little bit sick for saying that as well," he stated.
"I''m always confident with our boys. The results haven't gone our way, but in terms of what we've done in parts of the game, we've shown that we're a quality outfit," he told the media.
"It's just those little individual errors and team mistakes, at the beginning, and then just falling off at the end when we're sort of chasing a game. The middle periods of what we did against the Highlanders was really good. So it's, important that we take those learnings and put them into this game."
One chance
Jackson knows the team has this one chance to keep their hopes of an outside chance to qualify for the play-off alive.
"Win every game. Certainly a chance," the former Chiefs player said.
"It's a competition that's still wide open, everyone beating everyone. There's plenty of blow-out scores that are starting to happen.
"This is a big game for us to prove, not only to ourselves, but also to the supporters and this competition that we're in it, and you know, you win this one, you can get on a roll."
Jackson said they will need to front up against the Waratahs at Churchill Park.
"To front up. There's plenty of energy and motivation from some of that moments in that game," he said, referring to the last time they met the New South Wales outfit in Sydney on February 28 and lost 29-24.
"Look, it's never easy when we've lost the games that we have. But as I just said, it's the Waratahs and the boys have plenty ammunition from from last time they played them. It's certainly a game that we should have won. There's certainly some aspects in that game that we were unhappy with, that I know our boys were pretty excited to get back to them."
Having had no luck on the road in the past few weeks, plus losing to the Crusaders in Suva, have not been easy on the team, Jackson revealed.
The coaching and management team's challenge has been getting the players to re-focus and have that confidence that they can still do the job required of them.
"Getting the boys do believe they are still good enough," Jackson said.
"We know they are. As coaches, we're giving them a lot of stuff that they're doing extremely well, and they're learning, it's just that ability to believe in what they're doing.
"And sometimes I think that maybe the nervousness of starting and performing well. They're all very talented players, very, very exciting to watch when they've got it nailed, and they just need to keep doing it, or do it for 80 minutes.
"We're excited for this week to be able to do it against a team that they're very excited to play against."
Adding to the Drua's woes is the news that two of their top players and leaders will not be out for the rest of the season.
2023-2024 captain, Ratu Meli Derenalagi and this year's co-captain Frank Lomani are both out because of injuries.
The Drua have six games to play before the competition wraps up.
Waratahs is their opponent this weekend, before they fly to Auckland for their Pasifika clash against Moana Pasifika in North Harbour on April 26.
They then host the Reds on 3 May and the Blues on 9 May before they also host the Western Force on 17 May.
They will fly to Brisbane to meet the Reds in a return clash on May 31 in their last round-robin game.
Drua: 1. Peni Ravai, 2. Mesulame Dolokoto (cc), 3. Mesake Doge, 4. Isoa Nasilasila, 5. Leone Rotuisolia, 6. Etonia Waqa, 7. Motikiai Murray, 8. Elia Canakaivata, 9. Simione Kuruvoli, 10. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 11. Ponipate Loganimasi, 12. Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, 13. Iosefo Masi (cc), 14. Taniela Rakuro, 15. Isikeli Rabitu. Reserve: 16. Zuriel Togiatama, 17. Emosi Tuqiri, 18. Samuela Tawake, 19. Vilive Miramira, 20. Isoa Tuwai, 21. Leone Nawai, 22. Kemu Valetini, 23. Inia Tabuavou
Waratahs:
