GIANT killer Emosi Mulevoro will have to dig deep into his arsenal of weapons this weekend as Suva defend the Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy against Naitasiri at Churchill Park.
Mulevoro, a newcomer to top level rugby scene, faces one of the country's most outstanding first-fives and seasoned campaigner in Naitasiri's Kolinio Vunaki.
While the forward battle is expected to be ferocious, the two men hold the key to the final outcome of the game because of their kicking skills.
Last week, Mulevoro scored 10 points from two conversions and two penalties and missed with two drop goal attempts as Suva shocked Nadroga 20-17 to wrest the coveted trophy.
While he was the surprise package and secret weapon against Nadroga last week, he will have to be prepared to receive extra attention from the hillmen this week. How he survives and withstands the onslaught will decide both the outcome of the game and his future in top level rugby.
At the moment he is the new kid on the block just beginning the initiation process in perhaps the most important position in a team and the most dangerous.
The Naitasiri forwards are expected to give him a tough time but he has survived many such pressure in local club games and he has the fitness and guts typical of a Kadavu man known what is traditionally called a 'manu dui tagi' attitude.
It means they have no respect for anybody else except their own chief. So whatever Naitasiri dishes out today, don't expect the youngster to just lay down and succumb. On the other hand he has got two tauvus at inside and outside centre in Levula and Josaia Lotawa and if he fails to perform he is bound to receive some strong motivational remarks.
Fellow Kadavu man Samu Bola will be at flanker and another tauvu from Nadi, James Brown, at number eight will be keeping a close watch over the jewel in the Suva crown.
Naitasiri's Vunaki has a few debts to settle following his goalkicking misses against Nadroga in the Digicel Cup final at Lawaqa Park.
While Suva will be without a number of players now in the national sevens team, Naitasiri will be in full strength and as none of their players are also in the Fiji touring squad, they are not expected to reserve themselves in case they miss the tour because of injury.
Also this week we would like to correct some mistakes made last week referring to Fiji and Nadroga flanker Iliesa Ratuva as having been dropped from the Fiji tour squad and that Suva's Samu Bola was in.
In fact it was the other way around so we apologise for any inconvenience it may have caused.
The 'Spoiler' passes on
Meanwhile, as the rugby focus for today will be at Churchill Park, families and friends will be converging on the chiefly village of Cuvu in Nadroga to pay their last respect to another member of the 1977 Lion Tamers team member in Rupeni Qaraniqio, better known as the 'Spoiler'.
Qaraniqio was at flanker with Vuata Narisia in that 1977 team that beat the British Lions 25-21 at Buckhurst Park and Viliame Ratudradra at number eight.
He made his Test debut for Fiji against Australia in Suva, September 19, 1972 and his last Test against Tonga at Nuku A'lofa, Aug 27, 1981.
Qaraniqio was a total footballer and thinking player. Apart from his exploits with the national team he was a member of the powerful champion Nadroga side.
He was the top openside flanker and backbone to Nadroga's nine-year Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy reign from 1971 to 1979.
Qaraniqio continued to coach and manage and be a committee member of the Cuvu club and Nadroga rugby team after he retired from playing the game.
He was one of the two rugby stars from the chiefly village of Cuvu, who were household names not only in Nadroga rugby but at national level over the seventies and eighties. The other was the dazzling five eigth, Wame Gavidi, who also passed away a couple of months back.
While Qaraniqio was nicknamed the 'Spoiler' he was fondly called Quran by friends and relatives and he was the total gentleman off the field, cool and collected.
His passing has left giant footprints in the sands of time that no dwarf will be able to emulate.
From the thousands of his rugby fans all over the country we say 'So long and farewell Mr Spoiler'.
Thanks for the memories.