THE McDonald’s Nadi Senior Men’s head coach Cohan Politini was pleased with his side’s improved second-half performance after maintaining their unbeaten run in Round Five of the Skipper Cup Competition against Taveuni at Churchill Park in Lautoka last week.
Politini said his players had prepared thoroughly for the encounter, knowing Taveuni would provide a tough challenge following their impressive 32-22 victory over Nadroga at Lawaqa Park in Round Four.
“We were prepared for that. We knew that Taveuni would give us a good game after they won against Nadroga,” Politini said.
“We prepared very well during the week, and it was more of a relief that we put on a better second half than we’ve done in the past four games.”
Nadi also used the match as an opportunity to introduce fresh talent, with four players making their debut and three others joining the squad from the development team.
Politini said the seven new faces provided an opportunity to rest some of the more experienced players while strengthening the team’s depth.
The Jetsetters faced a difficult opening half and trailed at the break, but Politini said his message to the players was simple.
“The message was just to stick to our systems. We know how our systems work,” he said.
“I was glad that we were down because it actually brought out the best in the boys in the second half, and they answered the call.”
Despite remaining unbeaten in the competition, Politini said keeping the players grounded remained a key focus for the coaching staff.
He said maintaining the right culture, discipline and consistency in training was crucial, as performances on the field were often influenced by what happened away from rugby.
Nadi will now turn their attention to Navosa in Round Six.
Politini expects another difficult contest when the Jetsetters host the improving Navosa side at King Charles Park in Nadi this Saturday.
“It’s a final every week. Navosa is a very good team and they’re climbing up, so we’re going to prepare extra well for them.”
The match kicks off at 3pm.
