THE McDonald’s Nadi Rugby vice president Jeff Tamata expects another fierce battle when his side takes on the Lautoka Maroons in Round Two of the Skipper Cup competition at Churchill Park on Saturday.
Fresh from their opening-round victory over Kadavu, Tamata said preparations have remained consistent as the Jetsetters shift their focus to face one of the Skipper Cup’s traditional powerhouses.
“The preparation this week has been similar to last week. We’re taking it round by round and things have been going well,” Tamata said.
He said Nadi had escaped major injuries from the opening match but expected a much tougher challenge against a Lautoka side eager to bounce back after a narrow loss 23-24 to Nadroga last Saturday.
“Lautoka has been one of the senior teams in the Skipper Cup. They performed well last year and only lost to Nadroga through a last-minute penalty try. We know they’ll be hungry for a win in front of their home crowd.”
Tamata said discussions with the coaching staff after the Kadavu match identified several areas that needed improvement, despite the positive start to the campaign.
“The first game is always tough. We’ve gotten through that hurdle, but there are still a lot of things we need to address before Saturday.”
While the final squad is yet to be named, Tamata said Nadi has full confidence in its player development system and depth, with more young talent expected to feature after eight debutants impressed in the opening round against Kadavu last Saturday.
Nadi will face Lautoka this Saturday at 3pm at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
Round 2 of the Skipper Cup fixtures:
· Rewa v Malolo at Burebasaga School Ground in Rewa
· Navosa v Taveuni at Vatureba Park, Keasi in Navosa
· Naitasiri v Kadavu at Ratu Cakobau Park
· Ba v Tailevu at 4R Electrical Stadium
· Nadroga v Suva at Lawaqa Park
All matches will kick off at 3pm.
