JOJI Nasova will make his debut for the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua against the Hurricanes this Saturday at Churchill Park.
Head coach Glen Jackson said the side was excited to welcome the winger into the match-day squad.
“Joji is going to get his debut. He’s been good around the Fijian boys, so he’ll go on the wing, and we’re excited to see him perform. He’s a quality player and a quality man, and it’s going to be great to get him on the field,” Jackson said.
Despite back-to-back losses to start the season, Jackson said the mood in camp remains positive.
“The mood’s fine. It’s a tough competition. Of course we’d want to have two wins on the board, but we haven’t. It’s only week two and there are still teams yet to get a win. Getting back home, we’re looking forward to this game.”
Jackson highlighted the team’s strong start in their previous outing as one of the positives from their review.
“We had a great first 15 minutes against a quality, well-coached side. We were close, but it’s about experience and leadership and learning to stay in the game for the full 80 minutes.”
Discipline and execution remain key focus areas heading into Saturday.
“Discipline has been good we’re always under 10 penalties per game, which is the magic number. We’ve worked hard on that. It’s about continuing to execute and keep moving forward.
“There were a lot of big hits in that game and plenty of sore bodies from both sides, so we’re happy with the physicality we showed.”
Jackson also said the scrum will be under close attention after last week’s contest.
“The Waratahs got away with their hit and chase and fair play to them — they’ve got a smart front row. We’ve talked about making sure we get that right because the Hurricanes have a strong scrum and they’ll come hard.
“We’ve been very good on our own ball for a long time, so that performance was a bit of a surprise. But it’s given the big boys a wake-up call and we’re expecting a strong response this week.”
DRUA (1-15): Haereiti Hetet, Zuriel Togiatama, Mesake Doge, Mesake Vocevoce, Isoa Nasilasila, Etonia Waqa, Motikiai Murray, Elia Canakaivata, Frank Lomani (c), Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, Epeli Momo, Isikeli Rabitu, Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, Joji Nasova, Ilaisa Droasese
Replacements: Kavaia Tagivetaua, Emosi Tuqiri, Peni Ravai, Vilive Miramira, Kitione Salawa, Isoa Tuwai, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Inia Tabuavou
