Swire Shipping Fijian Drua winger Manasa Mataele expressed optimism regarding the team’s performance, despite suffering another defeat on the road. In his 60th Shop N Save Super Rugby match and second for the Drua, Mataele emphasized that the squad made notable improvements compared to their previous outing.
Addressing their slow starts, which had been a concern in earlier matches, he noted, “Yes, definitely. That’s one thing we talked about, especially our fast start in the first half. Last week we didn’t start well. We tried to play catch-up rugby, but it just wasn’t good enough. I guess it was a big improvement, but vice versa, we didn’t finish strong. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we’ll regroup and go again next week.”
Mataele highlighted that territorial control was pivotal, mentioning that spending too much time in their own half allowed the Waratahs to launch effective attacks. He remarked, “I think for us it was playing territory, playing in the right areas of the field. We played too much in our half, which gave the Waratahs attacking opportunities. We did that well in the first half, but in the second half we pushed our luck a bit too much.”
Despite the challenging outcome, Mataele’s attacking prowess shone through at times, and he acknowledged the enthusiastic support from Drua fans even on away matches. Looking ahead, the Drua are determined to capitalize on their improved start as they prepare to face the Hurricanes in Lautoka this Saturday. With their focus on refining their game strategy and harnessing the energy of their supporters, there is hope for a turnaround in their upcoming fixtures.
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