Swire Shipping Fijian Drua captain Frank Lomani has credited Ben Volavola for shaping parts of his rugby knowledge as he prepares to face his mentor-turned-opponent in today’s Round 6 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Queensland Reds at Churchill Park.
Lomani said lining up against Volavola, who is in line for a potential debut for the Reds, will be a special moment.
“I want to wish Ben good luck and congratulations on his potential debut,” Lomani said.
“I’ve played with him for years and he’s someone who has helped me a lot. Some of the rugby knowledge I have today was contributed by Ben, so I’m really looking forward to seeing him play.”
The encounter will also see Lomani come up against fellow Fijians Filipo Daugunu and Seru Uru, adding further spice to the clash.
“It’s always good to go against fellow Fijian brothers, especially Ben and Uru. I’ve played with them and they are really good players,” he said.
“We will never underestimate them. The performances they’ve shown in the last few weeks prove they are playing really well.”
Despite their recent win over the Brumbies, Lomani stressed the importance of staying grounded.
“We’ve spoken about moving on this week. We cannot dwell on last week’s win against the Brumbies we have the Reds now,” he said.
“The Reds have won their last two games in the dying minutes, so they are bringing a really strong team here to Lautoka.”
Lomani added that attention to detail will be key against a Reds side known for its attacking flair.
“They’re a good young team. They love to throw the ball around and they kick a lot,” he said.
“For us, it’s about covering those areas and making sure we shut them down so we can play our game and produce good rugby.”
