THE Blues arrived last night, bringing with them a wave of enthusiasm as they prepare for their Super Rugby clash against the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua tomorrow night.
Head coach Vern Cotter acknowledged the importance of their win against the Force last week but stressed the need for continued focus.
“It was a good win for us against the Western Force last week,” the former Flying Fijians headcoach said.
“As for the Drua’s performance against the Reds, it’s going to be a big game for us on Friday.”
Cotter also highlighted the challenges of playing the Drua in Suva, noting the unique atmosphere.
“Playing the Drua in Suva will be difficult, the noise from the crowd — but we just have to focus on our game,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Fijian Drua is cautious of how they will approach their clash against the visitors, according to head coach Glen Jackson. Speaking at the media conference on Tuesday, Jackson spoke of how the team would proceed.
“We’re under no illusion on how we have to play against the Blues, and that is to physically take on the battle of what they offer in terms of their squad,” Jackson stressed.
He reflected on their performance against the Reds, where they won 36-33 and how it provided them with an area to look at when considering how they would face the Blues.
“The Reds, I think they showed us a blueprint of how to play. The Reds certainly play a lot more than the Blues but they’ve got a threat over the ball,” he said.
With this in mind, he understood how stringent their Kiwi opponents would be in aiming to clinch a win.
“Obviously, their season hasn’t gone as well as they like so they’ll be coming here knowing that they want anything but a victory to carry on in the competition as we do so,” he said.
The Drua will meet the Blues tomorrow at 7.05pm at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
