Marist Brothers High School under-17 head coach Jonetani Rika expressed confidence as his team prepares for the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union Vodafone Super Deans finals this weekend. The Marist team will face off against Ratu Kadavulevu School, known as the ‘dream team,’ in the U17 final.
Marist secured their spot in the final after narrowly defeating Queen Victoria School 17-15 in the semi-finals last weekend. Rika highlighted that they are well-prepared, having previously played a warm-up match against RKS, which will provide them valuable insight heading into the final.
“Going into the final, we are not going in blind,” Rika stated. He emphasized that success will depend less on reputation and more on which team shows up physically and mentally prepared.
“I know they are a good team, but we can focus on our strengths and what we can control,” Rika added. His coaching staff includes Fijiana 7s head coach Saiasi Fuli, who offered encouraging words to the players following their semi-final victory.
Marist is set to compete against Ratu Kadavulevu School on Saturday at 12:50 PM at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.