Mick Byrne’s navigating of the Drua ship to a successful Super Rugby regatta in only its second year of competition has caught the eyes of world rugby by storm.
The seas are getting rough, and administrators of the game are trying to negate the nautical speed with which the Drua are sailing at.
For all Drua’s away games, we will continue to see the same officiating like against the Chief’s in Hamilton.
No calls for the home team on their numerous forward passes and contests at the breakdown for at least 70 minutes.
This is when the officiating team deem that the difference on the score board is enough for a win for the home team and then the calls begin to favour the Drua.
Byrne and Cawanibuka will need to come up with a training schedule for the Drua to play a 120-to-160-minute rugby game.
Their cardio and strengthening fitness will need to be at peak Olympic level for the duration of the tournament.
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At this fitness level, they have to up the tempo of the game with speed and power, especially during their away games and at home. Mistakes will always be a problem but once this is ironed out, “cry havoc” for the other teams!
Sail on Drua to your destiny. But for the unashamed officials at Hamilton, the outcome could have been different.
That is to be expected for the Drua, going forward for every game ahead of you.
Even, SANZAR the rugby body for the southern hemisphere, is now proposing a ‘heat protocol’ for games in Fiji.
Knowing this will be the norm for the Drua, the team can prepare itself by being a bigger, stronger and more powerful team.
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