Suva No.8 Lavenia Tinai and fly half and captain Mereani Moceituba scored two tries each in the capital city side’s 41-5 win over Lautoka in their ANZ Marama Championship encounter in slippery conditions at Bidesi Park today where four cards including an automatic red were flashed.
Both Fijiana 7s and XVs reps’, Tinai and Moceituba showed their experience, scoring a try in each half, with the former anchoring her second from the base of a scrum in their 22m to score a length of the field try.
The win, Suva’s seventh on the trot means they wrap up round one of the championship undefeated and underline themselves as the team to beat in the competition, a feat that looks certain in their defeat of Lautoka today. Lautoka are the reigning Womens XVs provincial champs.
However, a modest Suva coach Meli Tuifagalele is not reading too much into their results thus far, saying that they expect other teams to step up their game when round two of the competition starts.
“We came into the game knowing that Lautoka are the champions of the womens competition,” Tuifagalele said.
“We have been preparing the girls for this one game. Although the Lautoka have had unfavorable results in the competition, we respected them knowing they are the champions of the competition.”
Suva go on a bye next week, to await the return match against Nadroga the following week.
Meanwhile, despite the shoreline, Lautoka coach Wiliame Satala said he was pleased with the side’s showing.
“I am happy with their performance because they are lot of new girls,” Satala said.
“Some of the girls have gone on to play for the 7s teams and Fijiana and others have joined other unions.”
He said they would need to work on perfecting their positional roles, heading into their next game which is likely to be against Nadroga.
The scoreline ended in Suva’s favour, but Lautoka anchored the first points on the board with a try in the third minute of play.
Scoring Sequence: Suva vs Lautoka
3min – TRY Lautoka, Avisake Kurulo; Conversion Litiana Vueti (missed) 0-5
17min – TRY Suva Lavenia Tinai; conversión missed 5-5
23min YC Lautoka Repeka Mata
24min TRY Suva Seruwaia Vukotu; Conv Tinai (missed) 10-5
33min TRY Suva Mereani Moceituba; Conv Tinai 17-5
Half-Time 17 – 5
10min TRY Suva Tinai; Conv Tinai (missed) 22-5
13mins YC Lautoka Avisake Satala
16mins YC Suva Vukotu
21mins RC Lautoka Luisa Tora
26mins TRY Suva Titilia Sovanatabua; Conv Tinai 29-5
33min TRY Suva Vitalini Mirini; Conv Tinai 36-5
38min TRY Suva, Moceituba; Conv Tinai (missed) 41-5
Full-Time
In other games played today, Namosi defeated Nadi 15-5 at home at Thurston Park in Navua whilst Yasawa accounted for Nadroga 22-0 at Prince Charles Park in Nadi. In the lone game tomorrow, Tailevu host Naitasiri at Ratu Cakobai Park in Nausori.
