BRISBANE City coach Mick Heenan believes the inclusion of the Fiji Airways Drua has given a new dimension to the National Rugby Championship with the different pattern of the game play.
The Brisbane City arrived in the country yesterday and will face Fiji Drua in the second round of the NRC at Churchill Park in Lautoka this afternoon.
City went downed to a well-polished Western Force unit by 18 points last week in the opening round of the NRC last week.
Heenan said they expected the Fiji Drua to give them a tough challenge.
“We had very less preparation time for the opening game and played against a team that was very well organised,” he said.
“They had played eight games together. It was a tough start for the season for us but we showed some great potential in our attack. We just did not make the Force work hard for their points.”
Former Wallaby Quade Cooper is part of the City squad along with rising star Emori Waqa and Mosese Sorovi.
Heenan said they had a couple of guys in the team who had good vision to direct the players around the park.
He said Waqa had stepped up during the club games this season.
“Emori featured very well in the club competition this season in Brisbane,” Heenan said.
“He has been the leading try scorer in the club competition and has had a great year. We did not really give him the opportunities last Sunday but he will get it more this weekend.
“The Fiji Drua has many attacking players. They are big guys and physical as well. If we give them the ball then they will make us pay so we are expecting a tough game.
“It is fantastic to have a Fijian team in the NRC because we experience different styles of play. The Australian teams are slight different. They play similar style of footy while here it is a completely differently style of play. It is great to force the guys to adapt to that style of rugby. There are many players in the NRC who have the potential to go on to Super Rugby but the first thing is that you need to have a successful team.”
