One of the weak areas in the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua backline in the 2024 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific season is the lack of a specialised second-five eight.

This became evident when Kalaveti Ravouvou left for Bristol’s Bears. In the 2024 season, the number 12 position had been more of a quick fix with Kemu Valetini, Apisalome Vota and Michael Naitokani being tried out in the position.

Drua attacking coach, Tim Sampson, did not mince his words yesterday when he indicated that it is a key position.

“I think the more cohesion we have between our number 10 and number 12 is really important,” he said.

“We’ve got Inia (Tabuavou) who’s come to the club, which is fantastic. He’s a very good ball player, a very good hard runner, but also a very good communicator.”

The team has Valetini, and Tuidraki Samusamuvodre who have been around for a while.

“They’re going to be key players for us. And a really important link between our number 10 and number 12 through to our outside backs.

“It’s a really important position for us in how we want to play, so a lot of responsibility will be on them.

Sampson has good thoughts on the 2025 season, despite it still being in the early stages at the moment.

“I’ve been here for a couple of months now and the squad that we’re training is good while the Flying Fijians were away.

They have put in a lot of hard work and I can only go on what other coaches who have been here before have said and we’re a lot fitter than 12 months ago.

“We’re doing a lot more conditioning work so that’s certainly an area that we’re focusing on is getting the match fit. It’s obvious in the past that we must win more games away from home.

“If we can do that and continue with the success we have here in Fiji, we’ll be pushing for the top four.”

Meanwhile, Drua’s coach Glen Jackson has confirmed that Sampson is the attacking coach with Chris Gibbes as the forwards coach while Greg Flemming is the defence coach.

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