Defending under-18 Vodafone Super Deans champion Queen Victoria School is progressing well in their title defense after a narrow victory. They secured a 13-6 win against Marist Brothers High School in the quarter-finals, keeping their hopes of retaining the title alive.
Coach Josaia Waiwalu expressed relief at reaching the semi-finals, noting the upsets that occurred in other matches that day. He acknowledged the challenge posed by Marist, commending their effort and intensity. “It was a big challenge against Marist; I think they gave us a run for our money. We knew they were going to come to fight and they gave it their all,” he stated. “We’re glad it’s finally over, and we can look forward to the match against Ratu Navula.”
Ratu Navula advanced to the semi-finals after coming from behind to defeat Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School with a score of 16-10. Waiwalu emphasized the need for his team to be cautious against their upcoming opponents. “Every team is here to win; they have prepared well. We need to be mindful and play a complete 70 minutes next week against RNC,” he remarked.
Waiwalu pointed out areas for improvement, particularly in maintaining concentration throughout the match. “In the second half, we lost our focus, and we must work on that. The cohesion was good initially, but we relaxed towards the end, which allowed Marist to capitalize. It’s a lesson learned for us, especially after two weeks without any matches,” he added.
The team is set to resume training today as they prepare for the semi-finals at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva this Saturday.