Glen Jackson, the head coach of Swire Shipping Fijian Drua, expressed his frustration following a heavy 52-15 defeat to the Western Force in their recent match held during round six. Jackson highlighted that the team’s eight days of preparation in Perth felt more like a holiday than serious training, indicating the need for urgent adjustments in both preparation and gameplay.
“Very frustrating,” Jackson stated. “We’ve been here for eight days, and the boys had more of a holiday than prepare for rugby. We tried to change things up coming here knowing the last time we came here was a similar result, so whatever we’re doing is not working.” He noted that the current performance levels and efforts do not meet the club’s aspirations.
The Western Force dominated from the start, scoring five tries in the first half to lead 33-5 at halftime, with the only response from Drua coming from Ilaisa Droasese. Although Drua attempted a comeback in the second half with tries from Taniela Rakuro and Etonia Waqa, issues with discipline and set-pieces were evident, enabling the Force to capitalize on their missteps.
This match has served as a crucial wake-up call for the Drua, who will have a bye week to regroup before facing the tough challenge of the Crusaders at home on April 5. Jackson is expected to focus on revisiting training strategies to address the problems that have emerged in recent games, especially missed conversions and discipline errors that have affected their results.
Despite this setback, there is reason for optimism. The Drua demonstrated significant potential in earlier matches this season, and with renewed emphasis on training and strong support from their fan base, there’s a positive outlook for their upcoming games. Jackson underscored the importance of returning to basics, a step that could revitalize the team’s performance and reaffirm their commitment to becoming a competitive force in the Super Rugby Pacific.
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