Just now: “Running straight into the defence,” according to Boivert, the Fijian Drua is “too predictable.”
Just now: “Running straight into the defence,” according to Boivert, the Fijian Drua is “too predictable.”
Frank Boivert, a former coaching director of the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU), feels that the Fijian Drua team has grown too dependable.
Boivert, who oversaw the rugby program at the University of the South Pacific in Suva in the 1990s and coached the American national women’s team to two world cups, claimed that most Super Rugby Pacific sides they have faced thus far have neutralized the Drua attacks early on.
According to the Frenchman, the Drua side has to start using their Fijian flair again and incorporate their scrumhalf, flyhalf, and fullback in more “creative plays.”
In rugby, it’s important to keep the opposition guessing. The defense would have an extremely simple time handling your attack if it is predictable,” he told RNZ Pacific.
According to him, the scrumhalf will draw defenders or watchdogs if they run the ball from ruck situations or use the blindside. They can then commit to supporting players who can hit the holes and produce overlaps.
“It seems to me that the Drua team are just too predictable by running straight into the defence, instead of using the formidable weapon of Fijians, that is the inside step and the offload in the space,” he stated.
In the recent games against the Hurricanes and the Western Force, the opposition has essentially been gang-tackleing the receiver after he sprints and strikes the defensive wall. Then, for hanging on, he suffers consequences.”
Simple errors found
Another crucial error, according to Boivert, that the Drua ball carriers are making is collapsing to the ground instead of getting back up to continue moving ahead once they contact the defense wall.
He advised against rucks unless it is “really necessary for them to do that” for the team.
If there is a set-up on the ground, their other option is to get the ball out right away.
“When I was with Nadroga we were avoiding the rucks at all cost as for us a ruck was an accident of the game, like we say in France,” he explained.
For years, he has also provided support to Nadroga Rugby in the Fiji league.
We were therefore playing on our feet rather than “davo,” or going to ground, as sadly most Fijian teams do these days. Returning to the ruck game, it is extremely predictable due to the defenses’ exceptional organization.”
The French halfback, Antoine Dupont, is a model that the Drua halfbacks, or scrum-halves, should follow, according to him.
“He takes a few step just to hold the watchdog and then passes the ball, respecting the basic of rugby that we teach all our players, that is you must first fix a defender before passing the ball,” stated the coach.
“There are simply too many stereotypes about Fijian scrumhalfs. They simply keep passing the ball back and forth.
“They ought to run and never stop pushing the periphery. Additionally, they have to sprint on the blindside while holding the ball.”
According to Boivert, the counterattacking game is one of the team’s most powerful weapons that is not being used.
In his opinion, Selesitino Ravutaumada, a winger, would be more effective playing at fullback so that he could initiate counterattacks from kicked balls.
The counterattacker, however, needs to be aware of where to run and avoid dodging support teammates.
The person receiving the ball must be aware of both his teammates’ locations and the space available to him.
“Fijian players are fantastic counter-attackers and therefore the team must capitalise on that and use those fantastic qualities.”
The players, he argued, needed to be able to read when an overlap situation was likely to occur and adjust their defense accordingly.
He brought attention to the first Western Force try of the week, which was scored within three minutes by winger Chase Tiatia in Perth.
“Those Drua guys are incapable of playing defense. They are incapable of identifying overlaps,” he claimed.
“Instead of playing inside-out defense, when they are oriented toward the anticipated overlap player, the players in that play went to the ball carrier because they were keeping square.
“And another big issue is that the last Drua defender does not stay on the last attacking player, not marking his man.”
If the Drua team corrects the errors he has pointed out, he believes they can defeat the Reds.
Following the second scrum push, Boivert praised the team’s scrums and said they should be used as a platform to achieve an advantage. The number eight was assigned to create a play by selecting from the base of the scrums.
