Fijian Drua Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Fijians celebrate Mother's Day this weekend - a special ocassion for families when mums, grandmums, and the women in the household are honoured and appreciated for their invaluable contributions.
If there is something the Fijian Drua - currently sitting at the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific standings - can play for on Friday, it's Fiji's mothers.
While naming their lineup on Wednesday at their Nadi camp, club management also announced the names of each players' mothers.
Fijian Drua fans at Churchill Park, Lautoka. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
There is no denying that the women of the Drua vuvale (family) have been among the team's strongest supporters.
They have been in the stands at every game when they can, cheering for their sons.
On Friday, they are expected to be the loudest again at the National Stadium, when the side host the Blues in a Round 13 clash.
While the male fans have been vocal in condemning the team when they have not performed, the mothers and female fans of the vuvale have been reassuring, urging their warriors to keep on fighting.
It would, therefore, be the perfect gift for the mothers to receive a victory at the Laucala turf.
Head coach Glen Jackson has retained the core of the team that won against the Reds at the same venue last Saturday.
It is his belief the team will be able to defy the odds heavily stacked against them, and get that win for the mums against the competition's reigning champions.
He knows the visitors will bring a lot of physicality, something he is priming his players for.
"We're under no illusion how we have to play against the Blues," he said, adding "and that is to physically take on the battle of what they offer in terms of their squad."
"The Reds showed us a blueprint of how to play. The Reds certainly play a lot more rugby than the Blues, but they got a threat over the ball," he said, siganling that flanker Dalton Papalii will be the man to defuse early.
"I think he has been one of the best in the competition around this. We've certainly got to look after him."
Fijian Drua fans at Churchill Park, Lautoka. Photo: Kirk Corrie/ActionPress
"Obviously their season hasn't gone as well as they'd like, so that they'll be coming here knowing that they want anything but a victory to carry on in the competition as we do too.
"It's going to be a great clash for for everyone involved, and for the people watching under the lights in Suva, I think, Friday night will be a great atmosphere."
He said if the team can lift their game from what they displayed against the Wallaby-packed Reds last weekend, they should be able to gift their mothers this weekend.
"The Reds are obviously placed at the top end of the table for a reason," he said.
"They brought a team full of Wallabies and I thought the result was obviously outstanding. Just the way they fought for 80 minutes against a quality team."
Get points is the focus
Jackson said their focus will be on getting points at every opportunity and turning possession into that is critical.
He also pointed to the team's discipline as a key element of their game, with a big improvement as they have gone through the season.
"Certainly our disciplines been been outstanding at the moment as I think we're pretty much the team with the lowest penalty count at the moment in terms of the competition," he said.
"But certainly with the Blues they scrum for penalties, they drive for penalties, and you know that's their game.
"We're going to be super disciplined around all of that. I know our scrums been outstanding this year, so we'll be working extremely hard to show the referees the good picture there and actually show some dominance.
"They're up for the challenge, and they're looking forward to that, but the battle will certainly will be at the set piece, and how well we do against them.
"We'll make sure we keep them out of our half and we're not going to change the way we play the Fijian flair and the Drua flair.
In terms of line breaks we are still number one in the competiton but biggest focus is making sure those line breaks turn into points and that's something you need to do against the Blues."
It means kickers Kemu Valetini, who gets his second start this weekend following a good performance in the number 10 jersey against the Reds, and Isaiah Washington-Ravula will need to be on song with their conversion attempts.
Defending changes
Jackson has also defended the constant changes he has been making to his match-day 23 over the last 12 rounds.
Fans have taken to social media questioning his motive, blaming the constant massive changes done every week to the team's poor performance and standing in the competition table.
But the former Chiefs player and former internaitonal rugby referee said selections have been made for the good of the team.
He said there were alot of 'young players' who still needed to get good game time and they were also building for the future.
"We easily could have had four or five victories, but we didn't and that's just reality of this competition," he told the media in Nadi.
"So to carry on winning, it's going to be important for the boys, not only for this year, but moving forward into the future.
"We got guys getting close to 50 games, so we're just getting great experience. We've got a good bunch of very young men that haven't played a lot of rugby.
"We're trying to select, what we see is the best for the player and also best for the club. We are looking for the best people to play in the right positions for our club, and and not only now, but in the future, and to make this club extremely successful, which I know it will be."
'Keep winning'
Jackson said they are also focused on just winning their matches, one at a time.
That is also the focus against the Blues.
"No pressure," he said, when asked if they are still aiming for a top six finish.
"We've sort of gone away from any sort of pressure around the points table, but it's pretty clear that we just need to keep winning every game," he said.
"I just want our boys to understand what it means to play in front of fans at home, and how important it is to be proud of what they're doing.
He said the players "have been training unbelievably well".
"They just don't always get everything right on the field, but the more we're playing, the better they're looking, and that's just the main point around, especially the Blues.
"They definitely give us a different prospect of what the Reds do. And we just know it's just going to be a hard forward battle through the middle of the field."
Match-day 23 v Blues
Jackson has retained the majority of last week's win over the Reds.
However, injury has forced outstanding flanker Etonia Waqa out this week, meaning Josefa Tamani gets a start against the Blues.
Young Suva player Sailosi Vukalokalo gets a spot on the bench for a potential Super Rugby Pacific debut.
The young lock has recovered from long-term injury to finally make the match-day 23.
Jackson has also made a backline reshuffle for the Blues clash.
The Bues have named Fijian heritage player Hoskins Sotutu in their starting lineup. The player is son of former Flying Fijian Waisake, who also played for Auckland.
Fijian Drua v Blues
Kick-off: 7.05pm Friday 9 May
Venue: HFC Bank Stadium, Suva
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Fijian Drua: 1. Haereiti Hetet, 2. Zuriel Togiatama, 3. Mesake Doge (c), 4. Mesake Vocevoce, 5.Isoa Nasilasila, 6. Joseva Tamani, 7. Isoa Tuwai, 8. Kitione Salawa, 9. Simione Kuruvoli, 10. Kemu Valetini, 11. Taniela Rakuro, 12. Inia Tabuavou, 13. Vuate Karawalevu, 14. Ponipate Loganimasi, 15. Selestino Ravutaumada
Bench: 16. Tevita Ikanivere, 17. Peni Ravai, 18. Samuela Tawake, 19. Sailosi Vukalokalo, 20. Elia Canakaivata, 21. Philip Baselala, 22. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 23. Isikeli Rabitu.
Blues: 1.Joshua Fusitu'a, 2. Ricky Riccitelli, 3. Marcel Renata, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 5. Laghlan McWhannell, 6. Anton Segner, 7. Dalton Papali'i, 8. Hoskins Sotutu, 9. Taufa Funaki, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. AJ Lam, 12. Xavi Taele, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Cole Forbes, 15. Corey Evans
Bench: 16. Kurt Eklund, 17. Mason Tupaea, 18. Angus Ta'avao, 19. Josh Beehre, 20. Adrian Choat, 21. Finlay Christie, 22. Harry Plummer, 23.Zarn Sullivan
