‘Running straight into the defence’: Fijian Drua ‘too predictable’ says Boivert

A former Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) coaching director Frank Boivert believes the Fijian Drua team has become too predictable.

A former Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) coaching director Frank Boivert believes the Fijian Drua team has become too predictable.

Boivert, who coached the American national women’s team to two world cups and led the rugby program at the University of the South Pacific in Suva in the 90’s, said this has seen the Drua attacks nullified early by most Super Rugby Pacific teams they have faced so far.

The Frenchman said it is now time for the Drua team to return to utilising the Fijian flair and get key players like their scrumhalf, flyhalf and fullback involved in a lot more ‘creative plays’.

“A basic of rugby is to keep the defence guessing. If your attack is predictable it will make the job very easy for the defense,” he told RNZ Pacific.

He said if the scrumhalf runs the ball from ruck situations or use the blindside, they will attract defenders or watchdogs, who they can commit before releasing to support players who can hit the holes and create 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 said.

“What has been happening in the recent matches against the Hurricanes and the Western Force is basically the receiver runs and hits the defensive wall and is then gang tackled by the opposition. He then gets penalised for holding on.”