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'The thing is with Fiji, they can score from wherever': Rivals on notice ahead of Drua debut

(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Laughing off claims Fijian Drua will be the easybeats of Super Rugby Pacific, the NSW Waratahs are instead on guard against a first-round ambush from the competition’s newcomers.

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Winless in 2021, the Waratahs enter their season opener on Friday night at Commbank Stadium with renewed confidence after an unbeaten trial campaign against the Queensland Reds, Brumbies and combined Shute Shield opposition.

The Tahs have no plans on letting all the momentum slip against a Drua outfit fresh off upsetting the Melbourne Rebels in their first and only trial last week.

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Simon Zebo on France vs Ireland

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“They were very strong,” the Waratahs’ former sevens specialist Dylan Pietsch said on Monday.

“The thing is with Fiji, they can score from wherever, whenever.

“So if you’re five metres out, they’ll somehow get an offload out and score from 100 metres — and they’ve done that to me many times.”

Drua coach Mick Byrne is playing down his side’s first-season prospects in the major leagues, but NSW attack coach Chris Whitaker is having none it.

Whitaker said the Drua’s talents were there for all to see during their initiation in the National Rugby Championship from 2017-19, including their triumphant 2018 campaign.

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“They live for it,” Whitaker said.

“They’re freak athletes. They’re not short on recruiting some talent, that’s for sure.

“You just have to look at that Rebels game.

“Whether they’re starting the game or finishing the game, they’ve all got natural ability and, once they start to click, they’ll be a dangerous team, that’s for sure.”

Whitaker said it’s imperative the Waratahs stick to their game plan and not fall into playing sevens-style rugby.

“Our biggest danger is turning it into like a Fijian style game. I think that’s what they want,” he said.

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“On both sides of the ball we’ve got to be really disciplined and stick to what we’re doing best.

“We want to limit the amount of opportunities that we give them in the unstructured scenario — loose turnovers, loose kicks, anything like that.

“They can create something from nothing and, once they get on a roll and once you get in that unstructured type of play where there’s unforced errors, that’s the whole trick of the Fijians and the way they play.

“They play a high passing game to try to lure you into that as well.

“The moment you started to play like Fiji that’s when you make mistakes and that’s when you’re playing to their strengths.”

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isaac 991 days ago

The only way the Drua will concede alot of point and penalties will be from mauls...thos is one area the australian teams thrive on and its channelled to the Wallabies...if mails are out the window and open, exciting rugby approach taken by the kiwis are implemented, super rugby Pasifika will be a beauty to watch...otherwise mails and penalties will slow and bore the games down under

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'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

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