Discipline and leadership are key focus areas for the Queen Victoria School Under-18 team as they prepare to meet Marist Brothers High School in the quarterfinals of the Vodafone Deans Trophy tomorrow at Suva’s HFC Bank Stadium.
QVS U18 captain Anare Tabakaucoro shared his thoughts in an interview, emphasizing the importance of respect for their opponents, despite Marist finishing third in their zone competition. “We had a normal preparation and we know that Marist is a good team,” he said.
Tabakaucoro, who is new to the QVS team, acknowledged the challenge of integrating into the squad, having not played with them last year. He noted that he frequently advises his teammates based on the strategies and techniques used by the previous team that secured the Deans Trophy. “That made us win the Deans Trophy. We’ll play for each other again, for our family, friends, and the old boys this year,” he remarked.
He underlined the team’s motivation stems from honoring their parents’ sacrifices, particularly for those who have traveled long distances from Vanua Levu and have not seen their families in a while. “Many of my teammates were raised by a single parent, and it drives us to perform well in every game,” he added.
Despite his experiences with the Fijian Warriors and Fiji Under-20 teams, Tabakaucoro remains humble. He believes in putting God first in his life and emphasizing that their coaching staff has encouraged them to win the Deans Trophy instead of merely defending their title.
On the other hand, the manager of the MBHS U18 team indicated that they prefer to maintain a low profile and will not participate in media interviews at this time.