With three more days to go before the Rooster Chicken Fijiana Drua takes on the Melbourne Rebels at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, fullback Lavenia Tinai says she is ready to put her life on the line for her side.
After a close encounter with the ACT Brumbies last weekend at Prince Charles Park in Nadi, Tinai says the team will be working on their weaknesses and sharpening their attack as they prepare to defend their title in the 2023 Buildcorp Super W.
“We’ve been during our reviews as a team and working on a few areas where we lacked on last week,” the former national 7s rep said.
Tinai says stepping in to fill Roela Radiniyavuni’s shoes at fullback has been no easy feat.
“She is a spectacular player, and for me to come in and play at her position is a huge thing for me. Since I never really played at fullback, I need to expose and get more used to the position.”
However, when the opportunity rose for Tinai to take the position after the departure of Radiniyavuni, she did not waste any time in putting her hands up.
“When the opportunity came by I told myself, ‘Why not?’. I’m always willing to take on challenges and better myself bit by bit.”
Tinai says she also has a few areas she needs to work on after their match against the Brumbies.
“I need to work on my ball handling, I was dropping the ball a few times last weekend. And while playing at fullback, I need to be more vigilant, and since most of the time the ball is upfront, I tend to relax at the back.”
She labelled team bonding as a strong factor that she believes will carry the team through the competition.
The Super W match kicks off at 1.30pm.
