Defending under-18 Vodafone Super Deans champion Queen Victoria School (QVS) is progressing well in their title defense after a victory against Marist Brothers High School. QVS secured a hard-fought 13-6 win in the quarter-finals held on Saturday, keeping their hopes of retaining the championship alive.
Coach Josaia Waiwalu expressed relief at securing a spot in the semi-finals, especially given the unexpected results experienced by other teams that day. He acknowledged the challenge posed by Marist, noting, “They gave us a run for our money. We knew they were going to come to fight and they threw everything at us, but I’m glad that it is finally over and we breathe a sigh of relief. We can move on from here and look forward to the match against Ratu Navula.”
Ratu Navula advanced to the semi-finals by coming from behind to defeat Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School with a score of 16-10 in their quarter-final.
Waiwalu emphasized the importance of staying focused in the upcoming semi-finals. “Most definitely. I think every team is here to win, they have prepared so well. We are leaving no stone unturned so we must be very mindful of that and hopefully we can play the full 70 minutes next week against RNC.”
He reflected on his team’s performance, noting a drop in concentration during the second half. “We must improve on that. The cohesion – we started well, but I guess towards the end we slackened off and that’s when Marist smelt blood and moved on from there. It’s a lesson learned for us especially after two weeks of no footy at all.”
QVS will begin preparations for the semi-finals, which will take place at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva this Saturday.