Swire Shipping Fijian Drua Head Coach Mick Byrne has lauded his team’s defensive efforts, which was crucial in withstanding a vigorous second-half comeback by the Waratahs.
He says the Drua boys displayed a remarkable defensive performance to secure a thrilling 39-36 golden point victory over the Waratahs at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
“We worked extremely hard in the first half and put ourselves in a good position. Full credit to the Waratahs, they came back in the second half and put us under pressure,” he said.
“I said to the boys, we find new ways to win games of rugby and you can only do it if you dig deep. Waratahs dug deep today and came back in the second half but we were good enough to step across the line,” said Byrne.
Despite the unstructured and tense moments, Byrne commended the younger players on the field for their performance, saying it as a valuable learning experience.
“It wasn’t as structured and composed as it was supposed to be, but we got young men on the field, and they did well. It’s a learning curve for us and the effort was there,”
He also acknowledged the spirit of Fijian fans, who braved through adverse weather conditions to support their team.
“The fans obviously play a big part…to put up with all those in the last fortnight and come out to cheer for the boys, epitomizes the spirit of rugby in Fiji. We really appreciate the cheering and support,” Byrne added.
