'We need to learn quickly': Fijian Drua coach's stern message after Waratahs loss
Fijian Drua assistant coach Brad Harris has issued a stern message to his players following their 38-14 Super Rugby Pacific loss to the Waratahs on the Gold Coast on Friday.
The defeat was the sixth loss from seven games for the new expansion franchise, who were forced to play with 13 men at one point after captain Nemani Nagusa was sent off and halfback Frank Lomani was sin binned for dangerous tackles.
During their respective absences, the Waratahs scored four of their six tries to put the result beyond doubt by the 52nd minute.
Speaking to media after the match, Harris – who was filling in for head coach Mick Byrne after he tested positive for Covid earlier in the week – said he was proud of the Drua’s effort, but made it clear improvements are needed for the weeks ahead.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Frank, but certainly I think we can’t fault the effort of the boys. The effort of the boys is there every week,” Harris said.
“We’re finishing the game strongly, and I think that part of our learning and our growth is that when pressure comes on in a game, we need to solve together, not individually, so I think that’s something that the boys are learning as they get more experienced at this level, and that is a big step-up for a lot of them.
“In terms of going down to 13 men in the second half, that was critical. We knew that at the five-minute mark in the second half, we were going to go to 15 [players].
“At that stage, it was 17-7, so we were very much in the game at that point, but unfortunately we then went down to 13 men, we conceded a try, and instead of going back to 15 men, we went back to 14 men for the next 10 minutes.
“That’s the thing at this level. If we don’t adapt quickly and learn quickly, the scoreboard pressure will kill us in those instances, so we’ll talk about that with the boys and we’ll continue to have faith in them.
“We’ll continue to work with them because we know they’re talented, we know they’re growing, we know they’re learning, so there’s a lot of positive stuff, but we need to learn quickly because, as I said, we’ve got the Brumbies, who are a fantastic team, and then we’ve got five teams from New Zealand who will be sweating on mistakes if we continue to give them the ball.”
Harris pinpointed the slow starts the Drua have got off to in their matches as a key area of their game that needs improvement before their run of fixtures against the table-topping Brumbies, the five Kiwi teams and fellow newcomers Moana Pasifika.
“Unfortunately we don’t seem to be learning how to start a game at this level,” Harris said.
“Our ball security let us down in that first 20 minutes four or five times, turned the ball over, didn’t allow ourselves to build the game that we wanted to build and try and apply some pressure to the Waratahs, but that’s a pretty consistent theme over the last number of weeks.
“We need to have a look at that this week, ask some questions of ourselves and learn to start the game a lot better, certainly.”
Drua first-five Teti Tela agreed with his coach’s assessment of his side, who were forced to relocate their camp to the Gold Coast on Wednesday due to rising floodwaters in New South Wales.
Tela and Harris refused to attribute their loss to those off-field distractions, though, with the former asserting that the Drua must eliminate basic errors from their game if they are to pick up a second win this season.
“All it is is the last pass or someone to finish off that easy catch-and-pass or whatever it might be, and we’re over for a try,” Tela said.
“We’ve always got that belief. We can score when we want to score, but, as Brad’s saying, it comes down to those basics – catching the ball, the knock-ons, just the little one percent mistakes, the basic mistakes are really costing us, especially early in the game.
“I have belief in the boys from the first minute right through to the 80th minute, but it’s just about holding onto the ball for us at the moment.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
1 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
5 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
5 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
4 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
38 Go to comments