Tanivula hunts for new talent

A FIJI Rugby Union development sevens team will take part in the Namatakula 7s tournament at Vatureba Park tomorrow.

National sevens coach Iliesa Tanivula will field a national team and will be scouting for new players.

Tanivual said he would be on the look-out for new talent.

"I'm keen to get to and participate in as many of the local sevens tournaments as possible to search for new talent," Tanivula told the fijirugby website.

"While I'll be coming along with an FRU team, I'll also be watching and looking out for promising players in all the participating teams and I hope to rope in new talent into the Digicel Fiji 7s squad."

The Asco Motors sponsored Namatakula sevens tournament was the first to be sanctioned by the Fiji Rugby Union.

Chief organiser Nemani Naucavu said the presence of the national team would boost the level of competition in the tournament.

"The presence of any national team, development or otherwise, will be a big boost for the tournament for it is our aim to expose the local raw talent we have in the interior of Navosa ...," he said.

and to have the national sevens coach there watching is just wonderful news," Naucavu said.

The winner will walk away with $3,000. The tournament will end on Thursday.

Brace for assault

Andrew Durutalo and Tongan Chris Maka are expected to fire up Northland ahead of their BSP Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy challenge match on Saturday.

And the Uprising Beach Resort Northland Coach Watisoni Ratulevu has warned the MRecht Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji Nadroga to brace for the assault.

Japan-based Durutalo and Maka who were trialled for Otago in the NPC last week, are expected to join camp tomorrow and bring with them the extra firepower.

The news is received with open arms by the Northland contingent after Seremaia Bai and Sisa Koyamaibole informed them of their unavailability while Uraia Vecenadavui who was the favourite to lead the side, has been sidelined. The two Flying Fijians' have commitments for their respective clubs while Vecenadavui was injured during a club game at the weekend.

But this has not discouraged optimistic coach Watisoni Ratulevu who has thrown a challenge to the Nadroga camp to “play your best rugby as you will be in for a hard time."

“We have players who have been part of our development plan since we joined the major union,” said Ratulevu, “so we are looking to these players to rise to the occasion.”

“This is the time for them to stand up and prove themselves.With the absence of Vecenadavui, Durutalo and seasoned captain Banuve Dretiverata are favourites to take the lead role.”

The last time Northland won the trophy was in 2008, after wresting it away from Tailevu only to lose it to Naitasiri a week later.

Ratulevu is confident of a more favourable result this year judging from the workouts and efforts in their preparation.

“It will be tough because Nadroga would want to keep their record intact, of being the local champions. But a challenge is a challenge and only good and better preparation will make the difference,”` Ratulevu said.

“We may not have the caliber of players that Nadroga has but this year's preparations are better than the previous years.

With that we are looking forward to the assault on Saturday at Lawaqa Park.”

New Caledonia edges Fiji

The New Caledonia badminton team wrapped-up their tour of Fiji with a 3-2 win in a Test match against the national squad at the Yat Sen Hall yesterday.

Fiji won the women's singles via Andra Whiteside before she partnered off with her cousin Danielle to scoop the women's doubles. New Caledonia on the other hand, won the men's singles, mixed doubles and men's doubles.

Despite the loss, Fiji Badminton Association official Violet Williams said the warm-up augured well for the national squad.

“As we are still in our preparation phase ahead of the Pacific Games, we can take on board losses and lessons learnt along the way to improve on," Williams said.

“It is also an opportunity to gauge our players in the squad.”

There were highlights from the Test, said Williams.

The most notable being Andra, establishing herself as the top lady in the local badminton circle. The current Pacific Games women's singles gold medallist defeated New Caledonia's top lady player Johanna Kou in a close encounter which went into the third set. Andra won the first 21-15 before Kou claimed the second 21-19 and Andra sealed the game 21-19 in the third set. Andra teamed up with her cousin Danielle to defeat Kou and her Cecile Kaddour in the women doubles.

New blood Afa McKenzie played “fairly average” in his debut match for the national squad.

McKenzie who is the new inclusion in the squad lost 2-0 (set scores being 10-21, 6-21) to Pacific Games men's champion and gold medalist Fabien Kaddour in the men's singles. He teamed up with Shivneil Chand in the men's doubles but they lost to Fabien and Arnold 21-18, 21-7.

The Pacific Games next year will be hosted by New Caledonia.

Army Green upbeat

The Army Green camp is upbeat it will be third time lucky when they go head to head with the Fresh'et Navy in the Fosters Escott Shield final tomorrow.

They met on two occasions earlier this year and lost "pretty bad" in both according to team manager, Netani Kaukimoce.

The first time they met was in the Bougainville Cup and the second in the Skaffworks Challenge.

When they clash at 7pm tomorrow at the TFL Stadium, it will be the third time the two sides have met this year and Kaukimoce hopes the outcome will be in their favour.

Former Digicel 7s rep Iliavi Satala, seasoned captain Dale Tonawai and Aminiasi Nava are back to rejuvenate the Delainabua team in their final defence of the 98-year-old coveted Shield.

The three join an experienced squad boasting the likes of Leone Nakarawa, Mosese Vasuitoga, Aseri Buli, Jeke Lalai and Tevita Rabukawaqa to name a few.

With Naitasiri coach Joji Rinakama as technical advisor to the team, Kaukimoce believes their losing jinx to Navy this year will be no more.

“The boys are confident that the results will change this time around,” Kaukimoce said. “As holders of the Escott shield, defence plays a major part in it.

The boys know how important this shield is to us and we are not taking the match lightly. In previous matches against Navy we did not have the services of Tonawai, Nava and Satala.”

Tonawai is expected to takeover the captaincy role following the absence of Napolioni Naulia who has been sidelined due to injury. Satala could run at fullback in the run-on team.

“Satala is an experienced player. He has always risen to the occasion when needed and we believe it will be no different in this match,” Kaukimoce said. "With a good preparation to back our final match, the boys are looking forward to the encounter and eager to come away on top.”

The match is set for 7pm to follow the Koroturaga final between Savura and National Fire Authority at 5.30pm. At 4pm Raiwaqa will take on Nabua in the Under 20 final.