TAILEVU fans, with their green flags and Push Tailevu banners, are expected to flood the Jet Set town of Nadi tomorrow to add a vital component that could bring victory in the Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy challenge.
Pressure rugby is how Tailevu ended Nadroga's unbeaten run last April and they are expected to pick up their game at Prince Charles Park in Nadi from where they left off at Ratu Cakobau Park.
Nadroga fans have recently been selective of teams to watch and against Tailevu at Ratu Cakobau Park, Tailevu fans out roared the visitors and it can have a devastating effect if players are not used to it.
In French rugby and all spectator sports, including tennis, see fans bring brass bands to make noise and create confusion all throughout the game. In 1999 this was the situation which saw the referee lose control of Fiji's game against France in Toulouse.
Fans can influence the outcome of the game just with their cheering and noise making and Nadroga fans do so especially when they do not have the trophy and they travel to challenge the holders whether it is in Nadi, Nausori or Suva.
They do not as much travel in many bus loads during defences or round robin matches.
But with Tailevu being a threat, it could be a case of who out roars each other at Prince Charles Park.
Tailevu fans still feel cheated in the loss against Naitasiri and believe that the players had let their guards down and they are expected to rise to the occasion when they are required to do so at a crucial game like the Faberother-Sullivan Trophy challenge.
To apply pressure rugby means that tackles will be made on the spot that the ball is received and the Tailevu defence will have to stand up straight in the face of Nadroga's sweeping defence.
It will also mean not letting ace kicker Jonetani Ralulu get away with those big line kicks. Because he adds a lot of power into his boots, he takes a bit of time to make his big swing.
Likewise Nadroga will have to put pressure on the Tailevu kickers at all times.
Continuous pressure forces errors and the kickers Jonetani Ralulu for Nadroga and Tailevu's Jaoji Dakuvula have boots that have won matches.
Dakuvula kicked most of the points in Tailevu's 15-14 win and Ralulu is the country's most consistent goalkicker.
Nadroga runs the ball from all over the paddock and any well-prepared team can turn this strength into weakness as Tailevu showed. The hosts adapted to their wet ground conditions while Nadroga opted to entertain and play their quick passing and open rugby style which saw them continually losing and spilling over possession.
It will be a different ball game altogether at Nadi where it is expected to be very dry and hot.
Last week Nadroga played almost faultless as far as dropped balls go.
Dropped balls kill the flow and momentum of their game and last week the trainers did their homework as far as recovery goes and ice towels were applied throughout the game.
In April, Tailevu played their game in Nadroga's half and when Nadroga were in possession they pressured them into making mistakes and used their bigger forwards to screw down the lid on the pressure-cooker.
Tailevu's experienced players led by skipper and number eight Eseria Vueti, Jeke Lalai, Jo Dakuitoga, livewire hooker Tevita Rabukawaqa, Mosese Vasuitoga and Aminiasi Nava held the fort well and the goalkicking of Jaoji Dakuvula turned Nadroga's mistakes into points.
Big lock Leone Nakarawa, who missed Tailevu's game against Nadroga in April because of the Fiji participation in the Pacifc Nations Cup in Japan, will be expected to disrupt the Nadroga lineouts.
He faces his Fiji team locking partner Sekonaia Kalou in the battle for the lineouts and he is a hard man to stop as he gets away with all sort of things against his tauvu.
Last week, Naitasiri found holes in the Nadroga defence on the flanks catching the cover napping twice leading to well-deserved tries.
If Tailevu has to win then they will have to kick off with a flying start like Naitasiri did and maintain pressure, not for 60 minutes, but for the full 80 minutes.