Skipper Cup Semi Finals Preview

Skipper Cup semi-finals are set to take place on this Saturday at 2 venues which is ANZ Stadium and Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori.

Defending Skipper Cup champions Suva will play Namosi while Naitasiri takes on Nadroga.

Suva will be opting for their third consecutive title win this season. Suva secured the Skipper Cup title two years in a row in 2018 and 2019, and they aim to continue their winning streak this year.

Comprising with a mix of young and experienced players, Suva set the right rhythm beginning of this season, where the young prospects clicked very well with their older and experienced teamates.

The season went well for Suva, despite losing to Nadroga in the first round which is also the first Farebrother Challenge, Suva manage to continue the remaining rounds on a successful run.

Suva led the Skipper Cup points table after the final round last weekend, playing a total of 14 matches, winning 11 games and losing 3, raking in 51 total points.

Suva beat Namosi 22 – 17 last weekend in the final round of Skipper Cup, Suva manager Nemani Tuifagalele knows that this knockout stage will be different and Namosi will be coming in hard at them.

“Even though we beat them (Namosi) last weekend, we won’t write them off as they’ll be coming back stronger in this knockout stage,” Tuifagalele said.

Tuifagalele emphasized that Namosi’s forwards and is very dominant and they’ll try to match them in this area.

“It’ll be a battle of the forwards and we know that Namosi team are very dominant in this area, but we’ve been training our forwards around the clock to match up the Namosi forwards,” said Tuifagalele.

However, after losing the Farebrother Trophy to Nadi last two weeks, Namosi has now set their focus on the Skipper Cup, and this knockout stage against Suva is their chance to requite their Farebrother loss and qualify for the finals.

Namosi is in 4th place in the Skipper points table and they’ve raked in 9 wins and 5 loss with 39 points in their last 14 rounds of Skipper competition.

In the other semifinal clash, Naitasiri are anticipating an exuberant clash against Nadroga at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori.

Naitasiri sits at second place with 10 wins and 4 loss totaling 46 points throughout the 14 rounds of Skipper Cup

Naitasiri head coach Dr. Ilaitia Tuisese knows that playing Nadroga will always be an enthralling encounter and he explains that Nadroga will always bring entertaining rugby, especially in the knockout stage.

“Never underestimate Nadroga especially when it comes to knockout stages, we all know Nadroga are rugby champions and whenever they reach knockout stages, they’re in a different state,” said Tuisese.

“We’re working on our discipline as discipline we’ll be crucial in these stages, 1 wrong move can cause us the game,” he added.

“There’s nothing more we can do at this stage but to fine-tune our game plan into perfection, it’s been a long season and now that we’re in the knockoff stage, we just need to hone up our game strategy and execute it well comes game day,” said Tuisese.

Nadroga are in third place with 9 wins, 5 loss, and a total of 45 points.

Nadroga has so much to play for in this knockout stage, losing the Farebrother Trophy beginning of the year, and with the taste of vengeance on their tongues after two straight years of narrow Cup defeat at the hands of Suva.

It won’t be an easy match for Nadroga, playing Naitasiri at their home ground is always an advantage looking at their strong fan base.

However, as Tuisese mentioned, Nadroga always brings a different game when it comes to the knockout stages.

Suva plays Namosi at 3 pm this Saturday at ANZ Stadium while Naitasiri host Nadroga at 3 pm at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori.