Talofa lava, Malolelei’i, Bula vinaka and welcome to TEIVOVOrugby.com’s Super Rugby Pacific podcast Season 01 episode 06 – I’m Culden Kamea.

This is my weekly podcast on the Fijian Drua, Moana Pasifika and other teams in the Super Rugby Pacific 2023 competition, plus Team Fijiana of course defending their Super W title in Australia.

However, this week, I just have to get this off my chest – biased or incompetent refereeing.

Not in Super Rugby Pacific but at the Hong Kong 7s on Sunday in the play-off for Bronze in the Women’s competition between Fijiana and Great Britain.

Sadly, Fijiana were robbed of the bronze medal by biased refereeing in their game against Great Britain.

Having trailed throughout, Team Fijiana scored just before the fulltime siren with 31 seconds to play and then converted for a 19-17 win at 08 seconds after the final siren – why they should then have to re-start beats me.

Anyway, during sudden death after the re-start, the referee blew five consecutive penalties against Fijiana until Great Britain won.

Two penalties were awarded against Fijiana for the “tackler not rolling away” according to the referee, but in both cases the Fijiana tacklers were clear of the tackle ball, and in both cases, another Fijiana player was already over the ball trying to win it.

In the first penalty for this at 44 seconds into the sudden death game time, the Great Britain number 10 loses her feet and falls into the tackle ball area off her feet, which is an infringement.

She temporarily blocks the Fijiana 09 from exiting that area, but she is to one side and stands up while Naimasi is correctly over the ball trying to win it, when the referee penalizes Fijiana for not rolling away.

Another penalty was for the Fijiana front row “standing up” in the scrum, according to the referee.

Yet it was so clear that Team Fijiana dominated the Great Britain scrum throughout the game, and especially during the sudden death period.

It was so clearly the Great Britain forwards who stood up twice under immense pressure, being pushed backwards at their scrum!

Yet the referee penalized the Fijiana front row for “standing up”.

As far as I know, all front rows try to get under their opponents front row and force them up, which the Fijiana forwards did, even the TV commentator said, “Big scrum Fiji,” at one minute and 24 seconds into sudden death game time.

After re-setting the scrum for a second time at one minute 56 seconds gone, the Great Britain forwards could not take the pressure and had to stand up again so that they could get out of the scrum ASAP.

All referees know this and always penalize the scrum going backwards for standing up, not the dominant forwards driving forward – in this case Team Fijiana.

In the case of the fourth penalty against Fijiana Captain Naimasi for “not rolling away” she was behind the tackle area and not in any way interfering with Great Britain playing the ball, yet Naimasi was penalized.

From that penalty Naimasi was yellow-carded for not retiring 10M and Great Britain scored against Fijiana with a player down.

That was plain daylight robbery by biased refereeing.

New Zealand cruised to victory in both the Women’s and Men’s finals of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens to increase their leads at the top of the ladder.

New Zealand women beat Australia 17-26 and the All Blacks 7s beat Fiji 17-24 to win their first Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong 7s title since 2014.

In Super Rugby Round 6 last weekend:

• the Hurricanes 45-42 the Force
• the Brumbies 40-36 the NSW Waratahs
• the Crusaders 25-12 the Reds
• the Fijian Drua 38-28 the Rebels
• the Chiefs 20-13 the Blues
• Moana Pasifika 17-45 the Highlanders

In Super W Round 2 last weekend:

• the Fijiana Drua 39-12 the Rebels
• the Brumbies 13-24 NSW Waratahs
• the Force 14-29 the Reds

Both Fiji teams had good wins at home with the Drua on a bye this weekend and a tough game against the Blues in Lautoka in the heat of mid-April to come, while our Fijiana Drua girls play the rest of their games away in Australia.

For TEIVOVOrugby.com, I’m Culden Kamea.

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Talofa lava, Malo lelei’i, Bula vinaka and welcome to TEIVOVOrugby.com’s Super Rugby Pacific podcast Season 01 episode 05 – I’m Culden Kamea.

This is my weekly podcast on the Fijian Drua, Moana Pasifika and other teams in the Super Rugby Pacific 2023 competition, plus Team Fijiana of course defending their Super W title in Australia.

In Super Rugby Round 5 last weekend:
the Blues 30-17 the Force
the Rebels 40-34 the Reds
the Hurricanes 59-0 Moana Pasifika
the Highlanders 57-24 the Fijian Drua
the NSW Waratahs 14-24 the Chiefs
the Crusaders 35-17 the Brumbies

In Super W Round 1 last weekend:
the NSW Waratahs 43-0 the Force
the Rebels 0-43 the Reds
the Fijian Drua 12-7 the Brumbies

Borrowing much of this story from STUFF NZ rugby columnist, Mark Reason:

The average margin of victory for the five New Zealand Super Rugby teams last the weekend was 26. And all of them were a long way short of full strength.

One thing Super Rugby Pacific cannot hide from is that attendances are plummeting across Australia and New Zealand. That’s why crowd attendances at games are never revealed, but it’s plain to see on TV.

In contrast, NRL crowds are up this season. Over 50,000 turned up for the Brisbane derby between the Broncos and the Dolphins.

The NZ Warriors get way bigger crowds than the handful who turned up at Mount Smart to watch the Canes thump Moana Pasifika.

Further afield, the NFL in the US has just concluded a bumper regular season with 97% of seats sold, with the average crowd - wait for it - 69,389 at an average ticket price of a staggering NZ$740 per ticket.

It’s a major worry. If only the Fijian Drua can be more consistent and Moana Pasifika start winning.

In other Super Rugby news:
Crusaders and All Blacks Wing Sevu Reece will miss the rest of the 2023 rugby season, including the Rugby World Cup in France, due to a knee injury.

The 26-year-old Fijian flyer injured his knee earlier this month against the Blues at Eden Park and will undergo surgery.

Across the ditch, rugby union fans in Australia were somewhat stunned by news last Friday that Rugby Australia had signed NRL teen sensation, Joseph Sua’ali’i to switch codes and play for the New South Wales Waratahs from 2025.

The 19-year-old has penned a deal - reportedly worth A$1.6Million per season until the end of 2027 to become Australia’s highest-paid rugby player in history.

It comes ahead of the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour and the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

A$1.6M a season is a staggering amount of money to bank on one player – especially a Wing to what – beat the British & Irish Lions?

Rugby Australia has been down this road so many times before; signing the likes of Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri, Marika Koroibete and more recently Suliasi Vunivalu – some of the best NRL Wings of all time!

Not sure if it was all money well spent?

Any way, watch out for Team Fijiana at 1.05pm at home in Suva on Saturday against the Melbourne Rebels, followed by the Fijian Drua at 3.35pm also at HFC Bank Stadium against the Rebels, fresh off impressive wins against the Tahs and the Reds, who have both beaten the Fijian Drua.

For TEIVOVOrugby.com, I’m Culden Kamea.

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Talofa lava, Malo lelei’i Bula vinaka and welcome to TEIVOVOrugby’s Super Rugby podcast Season One episode 04 again, sorry I got my numbers mixed up last time – anyway I’m Culden Kamea.

This is my weekly podcast on the Fijian Drua, Moana Pasifika and other teams in the Super Rugby Pacific 2023 competition, plus Team Fijiana of course when they start defending their Super W title in Australia very soon.

In Super Rugby Round 4 last weekend:
the Hurricanes 34-17 the NSW Tahs.
the Chiefs 44-25 the Rebels
the Blues 28-34 Crusaders
the Brumbies 62-36 Moana Pasifika
the Highlanders 43-35 the Force

A couple of big issues that I want to focus on are:
the Yellow card, no-pushing-in-the-scrums, 13-man rule
the naming of Scott “Razor” Robertson as All Blacks Head Coach

Competing against any team with 15 players is tough enough, but as the Blues found out against the Crusaders last weekend, with two men short, it’s nigh on impossible.

The Blues ended up conceding two tries in the 10-minute period, going from 21-19 up to 31-21 down and like the Fijian Drua against the NSW Waratahs the previous round, that was pretty much game over.

So how did the situation arise?
The Blues losing both starting props – Alex Hodgman and James Lay – to injury inside the opening quarter hour. They then lost one of their replacement props – yellow-carded for a cynical infringement on the goal-line.

So the World Rugby Law 3.18 states: “Only when no replacement front-row player is available is any other player permitted to play in the front row” – the Blues had to inject reserve Hooker Kurt Eklund into the game, because, even though he is not a prop, he is at least a front-rower.

They then had to drop another player to accommodate that, with blindside flanker Cameron Suafoa the unlucky man.

But here’s where things get tricky - there is a quirk in the law whereby a team forcing uncontested scrums must be ‘punished’ for doing so by losing another player.

This law was introduced following a controversial Wales v Georgia Test in 2017.

This situation also arose in round two in Melbourne, where the Fijian Drua were forced to 13 players in their 46-17 loss to the Waratahs.

So the Blues opted to take off fullback Stephen Perofeta, and with law 3.15 stating: “Uncontested scrums as a result of a sending off, temporary suspension or injury must be played with eight players per side in the forwards”, the Blues were on a hiding to nothing trying to defend with only five backs.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders produced a final quarter surge to claim their first win of the Super Rugby season 43-17 against the Force, but a growing injury list and a misfiring attack means they have a lot of work to do.

In a scrappy, error-riddled game dominated by kicking, the Highlanders’ attack again struggled to get going for long periods.

They host the Fijian Drua in Dunedin this Saturday in what could be a real ding dong battle – guaranteed, the Fijian Drua will be much more dangerous with ball in hand than the Force.

Finally in my rugby podcast today - the New Zealand Rugby Football Union has confirmed Scott “Razor” Robertson as the All Blacks Head Coach from 2024, ending a chaotic search that can still derail their Rugby World Cup campaign this year.

Razor has been appointed through to the end of the 2027 RWC in Australia.

Bula Razor, so what happened to Fiji?

The BIG conspiracy theory doing the rounds is that the former interim CEO Tevita Tuiloa had really connected with Razor and was building up a strong working relationship with the Super Rugby Champion Coach to lead the Flying Fijians to the RWC2023.

However, the now former Chairman, Fiji Navy Commander, Humphrey Tawake pushed for the somewhat rushed announcement of Simon Raiwalui ahead of Razor when they could have waited a couple more weeks and Razor could have possibly been named as the Flying Fijians Head Coach to RWC2023.

A short time later, Tawake also announced that Tuiloa was gone – giving three reasons for his departure after Tuiloa revealed that Fiji rugby 7s legend, Jerry Tuiwai was still waiting for the $30,000 for his new home, promised by fomer PM Bainimarama immediately after the Tokyo Olympics gold medal win in 2021.

Thankfully, Fijian Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka stepped up and named his own nominee to the FRU Board, instantly replacing former PM Bainimarama’s nominee – Tawake.

Tit for tat – whatever, that’s the big conspiracy theory anyway.

For TEIVOVOrugby, I’m Culden Kamea.

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Talofa lava, Malo lelei’i Bula vinaka and welcome to TEIVOVOrugby’s Super Rugby podcast Season One episode 02 – I’m Culden Kamea. This is my weekly podcast on the Fijian Drua, Moana Pasifika and other teams in the Super Rugby Pacific 2023 competition, plus Team Fijiana of course when they start defending their Super W title in Australia this year.

One game made Super Rugby Round 3: The Fijian Drua was absolutely brilliant crunching the Crusaders 24-25 at home in Lautoka, Fiji on Saturday.

Willed on by a loud, proud and colourful capacity crowd, they played scintillating, open-running rugby, with their special mix of speed, handling skills and power, prevailing over the structured style of the Kiwis.

Recounting the last 10 minutes of the game; the Fijian Drua was leading 22-12 when flying Wing, Selestino Ravatumada made another rash tackle of an opposition player in the air – the same error that he committed last week against the Tahs in Melbourne where he got a yellow card, and he was lucky to remain on the field here.

Anyway, the Crusaders kicked the resulting penalty deep into the Fijian Drua red zone from where the Drua hold out two Crusaders lineout drives.

However, under sustained Crusaders pressure now, from the 73rd minute, Sevu Reece was very noticeable in the buildup to his try, first attacking in midfield where he was manhandled and turned back.

Reece then joined the ruck to protect the ball and then runs around left to receive the ball and scores a crucial try to get the Crusaders back in the game at 22-17.

Talk about leadership!

A 75th minute penalty against the Fijian Drua live wire flanker, Salawa at the ruck from kick off allows the Crusaders to again kick for touch and drive over halfway from the lineout.

They then attack down the right hand blindside, led by who else – Sevu Reece with a 10M dab and a deft kick which bounced close to the Drua try line, with one of the retiring Drua players touching the ball in an offside position.

From the ensuing penalty, the Crusaders execute another 5M lineout drive and score a try at 77minutes and 28 seconds to draw level 22-22.

Under immense pressure at 78.38, with the crowd loudly jeering, young Crusader Fergus Burke sloted home the conversion for a 24-22 lead.

The Fijian Drua kicked-off at 79.05 and it’s a little too deep but high and into the sun, a Crusader player knocking it on for a scrum.
It’s 80.03 and from a solid scrum just outside the Crusaders 22M and to the right of the posts, replacement Fijian Drua Halfback, Matawalu darts right and passes to Fullback Droasese who goes to ground out wide.

A wild pass from the ruck is recovered by replacement inside Centre, Ravouvou who drives forward, gaining good ground.

At 80.45 with the ruck in motion, Halfback Matawalu called the Ref’s attention to the Crusaders infringing and he signals advantage to the Fijian Drua, who smartly attempt a drop goal, but replacement flyhalf, Lemeki Valetini on the field for only a few minutes, narrowly misses.

At 82.09 Lemeki Valetini converts the penalty advantage and the crowd goes absolutely nuts, as only a Fiji rugby crowd can!

As the TV commentator said, “What a finish, its only Round 3 but it’s like a grand final.”

What a win. All the Crusaders were gracious in defeat, they knew they had lost one hell of a game – no excuses – the Fijian Drua had beaten them hands down.

Fiji-born All Blacks, Sevu Reece and George Bower were outstanding for the Crusaders in front of family and friends.

Last time they played, in 2022 in Christchurch, the Crusaders crushed the Fijian Drua 61-3, so what a turnaround.

There were a number of standout players for the Fijian Drua who put their hand up for MVP - midfielders, Apisai Vota and Iosefo Masi, plus Eroni Sau on the left Wing.

Loose forward “Smokin’ Joe” Joseva Tamani also put in a big shift, but sparkling Halfback, Frank Lomani was the best on the day with his crisp service, clean passing and inspiring general play.

In other Super Rugby Round 3 games: the Blues 25-19 Hurricanes, the Reds 17-23 Brumbies and Moana Pasifika 18-21 Western Force.

In Super Rugby Round 4 this weekend - starting Friday – the Hurricanes host the Tahs. On Saturday the Chiefs versus the Rebels in Hamilton and the Blues take on the Crusaders in Auckland, followed by the Brumbies against Moana Pasifika in Canberra.

On Sunday, the Highlanders host the Force down South and the Queensland Reds tackle the mighty Fijian Drua in Brisbane.

For TEIVOVOrugby, I’m Culden Kamea.

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15-03-2023 TEIVOVO Super Rugby Pacific Podcast S01E03 #SuperRugbyPacific #SuperRugby #TEIVOVOsports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #FijianDrua

Talofa lava, Malo lelei’i Bula vinaka and welcome to TEIVOVOrugby – I’m Culden Kamea. This is my weekly podcast on the Fijian Drua, Moana Pasifika and other teams in the Super Rugby Pacific 2023 competition, plus Team Fijiana of course when they start defending their Super W title in Australia this year.

Super Rugby Super Round 2 at AAAMI Park in Melbourne is all done and dusted and to be honest, I think all teams still have a ways to go before one can honestly say they are playing serious super rugby.

The Crusaders smacked the Highlanders silly 52-15 with a couple of tries from 5M lineout drives – which is allowable in my book of rugby sins and a brilliant length-of-the-field breakout try sparked by Richie Rich Mo’unga!

It wasn’t until Highlanders replacement All Blacks halfback, Fakatava came on in the second half did the Highlanders score a couple of Tries to save face.

The Chiefs started in spectacular style against Moana Pasifika, scoring directly from the kick-off in under 10 seconds, followed by a rampaging run by big Number 8, Pita Gus Sowakula for their second, and it was pretty much all one way traffic with Shaun Stevenson, Damian McKenzie and Brad Webber also scoring for a 38-3 halftime lead.

As expected, Moana Pasifika did fight back to 22-45 but Shaun Stevenson got his third try and it ended 52-29 in the end.

The Fijian Drua versus New South Wales Waratahs clash was a game of two halves, with the lead changing hands a number of times in a keenly contested game which was locked 10-10 at halftime.

Jone Tiko was unlucky to be Yellow-carded for attempting a low tackle. I thought that he was bringing his arms into it, before a heavy knock to his head by the ball-carrier’s knee, put an end to that.

Fijian Drua Captain fantastic, Tevita Ikanivere scored again off a perfectly set-up 5M line out drive, which gave them the lead again 17-10.

The Tahs came fighting back of course and snatched the lead back, setting up a big final quarter, which sadly was never to be; after the contest was taken out of the game with another Yellow card against the Fijian Drua leaving 13 men against 15 and no pushing in the scrums. The game dwindled down to a non-event at 46-17 to the Tahs.

Another team of interest for the Wallabies new Head Coach, Eddie Jones was the Queensland Reds. He was spied hiding among the Fijian Drua fans with writing pad in hand, which some nosey parker snapped and uploaded on social media – what else?

Anyway, apart from the Reds absolutely caning the Force 20-71, Fast Eddie would have been impressed by the raw speed of Filipo Daugunu, who scampered in for two tries, and the not so fast, Suliasi Vunivalu who was caught from behind right on the try line, after an intercept and length of the field dash with a burst of cramps right at the end!

The key takeaway for me from Round 2 was the importance of kickers. If you want to win games consistently in this comp, your kickers must be consistently very good.

To Round 3 and Fiji-born All Blacks, Sevu Reece and George Bower are expected to start for the Crusaders against their fellow countrymen this weekend, when the champions take on the Fijian Drua on Saturday at Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji.

Last time they played, in 2022 in Christchurch, the Crusaders crushed the Fijian Drua 61-3 scoring nine tries mainly out wide on the left wing, after building pressure inside through their forwards.

Can we expect much the same from Scott Robertson this time?

Probably – the Crusaders will stick to their structured game and systems, making it very tough for the Drua.

Having said that, the crazy home fans support, the burning western heat, and a rampaging Fijian Drua side will no doubt have a big say in the outcome of this game.

For TEIVOVOrugby, I’m Culden Kamea.

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Talofa lava, Malo lelei’i Bula vinaka and welcome to TEIVOVOrugby – I’m Culden Kamea and this is the very first of my weekly podcasts on the Fijian Drua, Moana Pasifika and other teams in the Super Rugby Pacific 2023 competition, plus Team Fijiana as they defend their Super W title in Australia this year.

I generally don’t bother watching all round one games, because the teams are not at their best and the players are usually warming to the task!

But with the Fijian Drua playing Moana Pasifika in Auckland last Saturday, of course I had to make an exception.

And wow what a game from both sides – very impressive scoring 70 points in total and @ NZ$500 a pop, generating NZ$35,000 for charity in New Zealand – so well done boys!

The game was outstanding on so many levels, especially the spirit in which it was played – as hard and physically tough as it was, the game was clean with all players showing big respect for each other.

Another outstanding aspect were the respective Captain’s calls not to kick for goal despite maybe nearly ten very kickable penalties, all turned down for good old fashion tap and charge or a kick for the 5M lineout and drive.

OK got to get this off my chest – like Black Ferns Coach, Wayne Smith who has called on World Rugby for an outright ban, I am NOT a fan of the lineout drive.

The highly respected rugby thinker – Smith, says it is simply not rugby and I could not agree more and besides it is boring and killing fan interest.

Many people aren’t aware, but last time I checked, in a typical game of rugby the ball is only in play for a tick over 24 minutes!

Yes that’s right, out of 80 minutes in a full game, the ball is dead or out of play for most of the game!

Anyway, having said that, both Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua had a couple of goes at the lineout drive and scored.

I guess they have to do it because they are mainly coached by expats and I understand that they must also do it in training to counter opponents using it more often, like the Brumbies who really have no shame executing lineout drive after lineout drive as one of their key attacking weapons – which really is killing rugby.

Maybe lineout drives can be restricted to just 5M out from the try line so it does not become a 30M boring mess of a rumble.

But I digress – back to the game; it wasn’t until the 68th minute that one of the team’s actually took a penalty shot at goal – maybe that can be another rule change – you can only kick penalties for goal after say 60 minutes.

The lead changed hands many times in an exciting and entertaining spectacle which sadly only very few Kiwi-Pasifika fans were there to see.

OK I understand Auckland has suffered some pretty horrendous weather lately and people are feeling a bit down with thousands of families impacted with very hard times ahead.

Time will tell however, I still feel deep down inside that the Pasifika communities have not bought into this Moana Pasifika team because the players are NOT genuinely from their islands – most are New Zealand-based and so the real rugby impact back in Samoa, Tonga and Fiji is negligible.

You may say I am biased and I apologise to all the hard working people behind the Moana Pasifika franchise like Sir Bryan Williams and Sir Michael Jones, and CEO Pelenato Sakalia, but I think the New Zealand Rugby Football Union should have decided on a Pasifika team based in Fiji, playing in Apia and Nukualofa with rugby academies running fulltime in each country feeding the best young players in our islands into Super Rugby.

Can you imagine a Pasifika squad of 30 players made up of the best 10 young talent out of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji playing in Super Rugby?

Can you imagine the crazy crowd if that game was played here in Fiji last Saturday?

Watch out for Super Rugby Super Round at AAMI Park in Melbourne starting tonight where the Champion Crusaders-Highlanders followed by the Rebels-Hurricanes, on Saturday Moana Pasifika-Chiefs and the Fijian Drua-Waratahs.

On Sunday the Blues-Brumbies and Western Force-Reds.

For TEIVOVOrugby, I’m Culden Kamea.

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