Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne is banking on the support of Fijian fans this afternoon to boost morale in the side.
The Drua will take on the might of a power-packed Brumbies side in their second game of the Super Rugby Pacific competition in Canberra, Australia.
What makes this match extra special is the revelation that the former Super Rugby champions have named more than 10 players who have tasted the Australian Wallabies environment.
“We know that wherever we play, the Fijian supporters are going to come out and they will be loud and create a lot of energy,” Byrne said.
“This Saturday will be the same. They will travel down from Sydney, drive up from Melbourne and even fly in from Brisbane. We know they will be there and the Fiji flags will be flying high.
“We may not be many, but we’ll be loud and we’ll sound like many. The boys will appreciate that. They could hear the noise of support for them. That is very encouraging and I encourage every Fijian supporter out there to come down and support the boys in Canberra.”
For whatever it is worth, this is it for the Drua.
The Waratahs gave the Drua a baptism of fire in round one.
They showed them the pace at which the game is played at Super Rugby level. They showed them what it means to be playing with the big boys.
They showed them what controlled aggression means and why facets of the game are crucial in winning games.
The Drua may have gone in with pace and skills. But when it mattered, exposure to that very high level of competition was critical.
It made the difference. It stood out like the monolithic Joske’s Thumb visible from the Suva harbour.
Heading into a game which some pundits will probably consider a mis-match, the Drua will need to knuckle down.
They will need to stick to their gameplan, and believe in themselves. They will need to be aggressive, and assertive.
They will to make their presence felt around the rucks and in broken play. They will need to stand up to the very tough Brumbies outfit.
This isn’t a game for the faint-hearted. This is a game of a life-time for the Drua.
This is when they will test themselves against some of the best players in the business.
Whatever the outcome, we are encouraged by the fact that we have players who have an opportunity to play at the highest level of the game against one of the top sides in the competition.
We may have a lot of relatively unknown and untested players. But where there is heart and a will to make a difference, then there will be hope!
We say go Drua, go!
