A Mark Telea hat trick and countless handling errors were just some of the factors in Moana Pasifika’s loss to the Blues at Eden Park in the weekend.
The Blues outclassed Moana from the beginning, running in a total of 7 tries capitalising on numerous errors from a struggling Moana side.
The loss comes after a heavy defeat last week to the Brumbies who demolished Moana 60-21.
Reflecting on the back-to-back losses, coach Fa’alogo Tana Umaga says that the results have hurt the team as a whole.
“It’s a tough lesson for us. A real smack in the mouth for us as a team,” Fa’alogo stated in the after-match press conference.
“A lot of the guys are disappointed, but we can’t be disheartened and should understand that there are positives that we can take out of this.
“But we go again next week, and I guess that is the beauty of sport.”
One of the positives from the loss was the standout Inisi brothers Lotu and Fine, who have made their mark this season through their line breaks and metres in carries.
Fine was instrumental in Moana’s only try, setting up skipper Sione Havili Tui for a try in the corner.
Lotu was a menace in the forward pack matching the Blues’ physicality before being taken off field due to concussion protocols.
And as they prepare to take on last year’s Super Rugby Pacific runner ups Chiefs this weekend, Moana will be looking to use every chance they have to improve and work on their skills.
“You can only prepare with what you have in hand,” Fa’alogo says.
“But I have faith in the boys and the squad we have, and I know there will be some hard lessons for us this week ahead of our game with the Chiefs.”
Fijian Drua drown out the Western Force in the Lautoka wet
The home crowd’s good luck charm continued for the Fijian Drua, defeating the Western Force in Lautoka making it their third straight win at home for the season.
In wet and windy conditions, where the field was covered in mud and puddles, Drua excelled making the most of the weather, defeating Western Force 31-13.
The hosts were down by a player after a red card to Tevita Ikanivere, but it did not stop them from claiming the victory.
“It was just like another day in the village throwing the ball around in the rain for the boys,” said young Drua star Isaiah Armstorng Ravula.
He says it really was an exciting match for them even though they were not expecting the conditions to be that wet and the rain to be that heavy.
The 20-year-old scored a total of 16 points from the tee, kicking 2 conversions and 4 penalty goals.
The win sees Drua move up to 7th on the ladder with a total of 13 points overall.
