Reflecting on the 2024 Super W season, Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua women’s head coach Mosese Rauluni said the fighting spirit of his team is something to celebrate.
The Drua lost the Super W title 14-50 on Sunday to a fitter and better Waratahs side that had a perfect season, setting the benchmark from the first round.
However, it doesn’t take away that fact that the Drua fought battles even before the season started and their resilience is something worth noting.
“We were still way off the mark today (Sunday) and I couldn’t be proud of the girls for putting in the effort. We can talk about a lot of things that went wrong but, I couldn’t be prouder of the girls for what they’ve done this season. We probably shouldn’t be in this final but, we managed to do it and that’s just the fighting spirit of the Drua,” Rauluni shared.
“We had a short pre-season, we started late, had a lot of injuries at the start with our forwards but, we managed to scrape together a team. I give credit to the system of High-Performance Unit in Fiji for filling the gaps that we needed until the girls are fit again.”
Raluni also reflected on their performance in the final which he said was disappointing, but it is now water under the bridge.
“Disappointing, we had the opportunity in the first half but, grand finals are about opportunities, and we didn’t take them. It could have been a different story but, we can’t dwell in the past, you make a mistake, and you move on but, we didn’t seem to move on.
“They beat us physically with their ball carries and our defence. Our tackles were too high, got yellow cards and it just took us to the back foot all the time so, I’m disappointed, I know the girls are better than that but, we just must keep moving forward,” Rauluni added.
The team will have a one-week break before they embark on the next task which is the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship which will serve as a qualifier to the Rugby World Cup in England next year.
