The Naitasiri Under-20 rugby team is keeping a low profile in tomorrow’s Skipper Cup U20 semifinal clash against FMF Suva at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori.

Speaking to SUNsports yesterday, Naitaisiri U20 head coach Lasarusa Senibale said it would be a huge task for his side to topple defending champions Suva.

“We respect Suva for their status and that they have the caliber of players with an experienced coaching staff,” he said.

“We have earned our spot so we will continue to work hard and fight on because that’s what our families and fans want us to do.”

Senibale said they would be cautious of their discipline and tackling techniques against Suva.

“We have players that have worked hard to be where they are now. We have developed a lot of planning processes to enable us to be in this position.

“We want to be in the final and so is Suva. They (Suva) want to defend their title.”

Senibale said they had a quiet preparation and are covering all areas of their game during training.

“We know Suva’s strong points and we are not relying on the results of the pool games a few months ago when we beat them at Bidesi (Park),” he said.

“I have reiterated to the players the importance of maintaining the presence of the full 15 players on the field. With a player down, we give the opposition a lot of confidence and room to work with.”

Senibale said they have been working on their game management and decision making.

‘Our set pieces are very important because they are our launching pad so that is one area that we continuously work on,” he said.

“It is up to us to turn these players dream into a reality and that is why we work hard on a daily basis.”

Senibale said the team has learnt a lot from their mistakes in their quarterfinal win over Tailevu last week.

“We had a close call last week, so I told them prior to the semi-final that it’s either next week or next year,” he said.

“We still survive for another week, and it’ll be the same message that we’ll give the boys.”

Senibale said the team’s strength lies in the player’s chemistry in the field despite a few players originating from other provinces.

“We started off with 143 players and all those players had a chance to don the jersey from the pool games right up to last week,” he said.

“Our players come and go as they continue to progress to the Fijian Warriors, Junior Flying Fijians and employment opportunities like in the Police Force or the Army.”

Senibale said the players’ strong bond has carried them right to the semifinals.

“I told them that when they have the opportunity that they’ll need to take it or they’ll regret it for the rest of their life,” he said.

“We are requesting the people of Naitasiri to come down and support their three teams at Ratu Cakobau Park.”

Senibale described their match against Suva to the Biblical story of David taking on Goliath.

“We measure ourselves against the best and right now Suva is the best,” he added.

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