Former Fiji Rugby Union coaching director Franck Boivert offered his expert analysis in the wake of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua’s recent 10-48 defeat against the Western Force.
Boivert, a respected figure in rugby circles and known for his deep understanding of the game, did not mince his words in his assessment.
He pointed out several key areas where the Drua fell short during the match.
One of Boivert’s primary criticisms was the team’s failure to effectively utilise the inherent strengths of Fijian rugby.
He emphasised the importance of unpredictability in attack, suggesting that the Drua’s gameplay lacked the flair and characteristic of Fijian rugby.
“The basic of rugby is to keep the defence guessing; if your attack is predictable it will make the job very easy for the defence,” Boivert said.
He also pointed out the Drua’s tendency to become too predictable, akin to the issues faced by the Flying Fijians in their match against England during the Rugby World Cup quarter-final where Fiji lost 24-30.
“Let’s take the example of the last play in the Fiji (RWC) quarter-final; Fiji was just going from one ruck to another, and the English defence just had to wait and rest. We were there in Marseille and it was really painful to watch,” the Frenchman said.
“Same with our friend Mathieu Raynal, the referee; he said he was hoping secretly for Fiji to do something special, but the players were exhausted, and inevitably one of them fell into yet another ruck and Mathieu had no other option but to call him for diving in,” Boivert added.
“It seems to me that the Drua have the same issue, being just too predictable by t-boning into the defence instead of using the formidable weapon of Fijians that is the inside step and the offload in the space.”
Drawing from his experiences with Nadroga Rugby and his observations of the game, he advocates for a style of play that prioritizes maintaining possession and avoiding unnecessary rucks.
Boivert urged for a more dynamic and adaptable approach to the game.
“When with Nadroga, we were avoiding the rucks at all cost. For us, a ruck was an accident of the game, like we say in France, so we were playing on our feet just like the great Stade Toulousain team does – we call that in French ‘the Toulouse style of play’ or le jeu a la Toulousaine. That is play on your feet and not ‘davo’ like unfortunately most teams do now in Fiji,” he added.
“The ruck game is so predictable, the defences are just too well organised that players hit a wall.
“Another big weakness of the Fiji team and the Drua included is that there is absolutely no counter-attack pattern from the kicks.”