Lotu Inisi of Moana Pasifika (centre) celebrates scoring a try during the Super Rugby Pacific game against Fijian Drua, 2024. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Moana Pasifika forwards coach Tom Coventry reckons playing Fijian Drua in Lautoka is as demanding a gig as you can get in rugby.
The two Pacific rivals in the Super Rugby Pacific competition clash at Churchill Park on Saturday, and the Moana side not only have to contend with the afternoon heat - with a 2.30pm kick-off - but also the fanatical crowd support that the Drua attract for their home games.
"It's a little bit different than playing at Suva in the evening...it's as tough an event as you will probably get in a rugby union game, in my opinion," Coventry said this week.
"Their crowds are marvellous, aren't they,'' he said as he sized up the obstacles for Moana in the middle of the table match-up.
"The only way you can really deal with a Fijian crowd is to make sure you are playing good footy and playing on top of the team that they support. So obviously we are going to have to be very good."
Samoa forwards coach Tom Coventry, 2023. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The two teams sit seventh and eighth on the points table, both on 13 points with the Drua seventh by virtue of their much better points differential.
Moana have conceded the most points in the competition, at 303, but after some heavy losses against the Brumbies, Blues and Chiefs, they bounced back to beat the Reds 17-14 in the last match on 12 April and will be looking to maintain winning form.
"We know we are up for a challenge. We have got consistency with our team as far as selection goes, and hopefully we can gather that momentum that we had a week ago and continue on in Fiji but we understand how tough it is going to be."
It is one of the big games that Moana are targeting as Coventry outlined their ''top eight" philosophy, which differs from the ''win everything'' approach of more fancied teams in the competition.
"Right at the start of the year we understood that we were going to struggle at times. The reality is that the best teams in the competition have a little bit on us at the moment, and our expectations have been around making sure we pick opportunities to stay in some of the games where we think we can compete a bit harder.
"That does not mean we are going into games with a mindset that we are going to give up points. Certainly we weren't very happy how that happened with the Blues (47-8 loss) and the Chiefs (68-12) for example. But in reality we are trying to get through this season and ideally make the top eight and that is what we are aiming for.
"I know it sounds a little bit trite for a coach to say we are not after the top billing which is to win the whole thing, and I think that has been our mantra the whole year: getting better each week and picking off opportunities where we think we can challenge a team."
Danny Toala of Moana Pasifika. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Coventry said the team was working to a formula around getting through the season, taking into account some of the challenges that include the lack of experience in the squad.
"At the moment it is pretty tenuous. These next two games in the islands are going to be a real challenge for us, but I think we are up for it. Time will tell in the next week or two."
Moana's next assignment after the Drua will be playing the Highlanders in Nuku'alofa on 4 May.
Coventry said Moana had some good fortune when they squeaked in 39-36 against the Drua the last time the two teams met, during the Super Round in Melbourne, on March 2, but said they had a reasonably good formula and ''managed to squeeze them in parts of the game they weren't that comfortable with".
"There are some obvious trends of how the teams are playing Fiji, we will have those traits in our game as well."
Coventry said he wasn't aware of any talk of bragging rights between Moana and the Drua, who were looking to right their ship after recent losses to the Rebels and Hurricanes.
"This is a big one for us, a big one for them. There hasn't been a lot of talk and which is probably a good thing. I think we will just let our footy do the talking.
"I know there will be a massive crowd there and I know there will be a lot of noise and they always have plenty of of support, arguably the best support in the competition."