The National Rugby Championship’s fifth end-of-season decider is here, and we could either finish with a maiden title for the Fijian Drua, or a second consecutive crown for Queensland Country.
It’s fitting that the best two teams throughout the 2018 season have won through to the final. Fiji’s only loss this season came against the Queenslanders, while Country fought back from two narrow mid-season losses to entrench themselves in the top two.
Interestingly, this is only the third final that will feature the top two sides of that season, though it is the fourth time the minor premiers have hosted the decider. And on that front, the last two minor premiers to host – Canberra and NSW Country – lost the Final.
I’ve outlined over the last week or so how close the two sides are in plenty of aspects of the game, with the obvious exception being the Drua’s incredible offload tally this NRC season. Though I will admit to being surprised at the efficiency of Country’s offload efficiency, as revealed this week.
Mosese Voka of the Fijian Drua (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
So here’s another surprise that I wasn’t expecting: Fiji have conceded nearly 50 per cent more turnovers than Queensland Country. It means on average, the Drua will give up six more turnover opportunities per game than Country will concede themselves. That’s significant.
But, all these little factoids won’t count for much once the two sides take the field on Saturday afternoon in Lautoka. That’s where the key match-ups take over.
To begin with, I’ll be really interesting to see the battle between respective locks Albert Tuisue and Angus Blyth. Two very different players and two very different methods of operation.
Tuisue really got the Drua back in their semi-final in the second half last weekend against Canberra, when after coming back from the sin bin, he upped the physicality and just started knocking Vikings over for fun. When the Drua need something big from their pack, it’s usually been Tuisue delivering the bigness.
Blyth on the other hand, is already developing nicely as a set piece specialist, and he was responsible for picking off the Western Force lineout in the rain on the Gold Coast. And with the Drua preferring anything but a set piece game, Blyth’s ability will certainly present another opportunity.
In the backrow, Mosese Voka and Angus Scott-Young are the guys getting it done in the tight stuff, and both have had really strong seasons for the respective sides. Voka has led the competition for ball carries, while Scott-Young has been impressively busy in defence.
They do different jobs for their sides, but both will be crucial to either side coming out on top.
At flyhalf, again it’s a contrasting battle between the promising Hamish Stewart, and the incredible Alivereti Veitokani.
While Veitokani has been the spark in everything the Drua have done in attack, Stewart has been instrumental in steering Country around the park, getting them to where they want to be before unleashing the fast men outside. Veitokani leads his fast men straight up through the middle, and from there they wreak havoc to just about anywhere on the field.
Izaia Perese of Queensland Country (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
There’s no question this will be an integral contest within the match itself. Whichever flyhalf comes out on top, their team probably lifts the NRC toast-rack trophy.
Out wide, there probably isn’t a more mouth-watering face-off than Filipo Daugunu and Apisalome Waqatabu.
Both have that unbelievable knack of being in the right place at the right time when a ball is about to emerge via offload, with Daugunu the one making the metres and Waqatabu scoring the tries.
If they happen to get into a foot race in open space, it will make tuning into the Final completely worthwhile.
National Rugby Championship Final, Saturday
Fijian Drua (1st) v Queensland Country (2nd) – Churchill Park, Lautoka, Fiji; 3.30pm FST/ 2.30pm AEDT, LIVE on FOX SPORTS
TIP
Where as last week I found nearly impossible to tip, all this week I’ve had the thought in the back of my mind that Queensland Country are better equipped than ay other team to beat Fiji in Fiji and take back-to-back NRC titles.
Country have just the right balance between defence, set piece, attack, and turnover transition to cause trouble for the Drua, and they’ve already proved that once this season, albeit in Queensland.
It would be wonderful if the Drua claimed a maiden title in their first ever NRC Final, and in only their second season. It really would. But I just have this hunch Country will make it a fourth NRC title for Queensland in five seasons.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
G'day Brett, I guess your heart was beating with dreams of a Qld vs Vikings Final before those huge fast offloading beasts tore the hell out of the Norsemen from Canberra. Anyways for what it's worth it was a great game, and aren't the Drua a joy to watch. Great to see their #10 Alivereti Veitokani won the Rising Star award. This bloke is one seriously good player. And if the flying Fijians can play like this in the RWC2019, they just may sneak in a quarter final. I hope so. 10 minutes to go here and its a huge crowd to cheer on their heroes. Could be a rip-snorter of a game. A nice article again here and many thanks for flying the NRC flag on ARU and Roar sites. Keep up the good work. :)
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
If Wales get to the RWC final, no-one would expect Nigel Owens to be asked to take up the whistle. It doesn't matter how good a ref he is, there is the potential for bias (or reverse bias, in order to make sure that there was no unconscious bias). Surely it's better to removal any requirement from any of the refs to demonstrate they have no bias, by simply selecting refs from neither Queensland nor Fiji.
DaniE
Roar Guru
My heart says Drua, and my head says Drua, and yet knowing my luck, it's going to be QLD Country. It will all be about the Drua's ability to hold on to their nerve in front of a passionate home crowd. It's been pleasing to see how they've kept their discipline, but I'm a bit chary of the fact that their game control happen in bursts of momentum, rather than a sturdy burn through a match. Anyway, making a big call and saying the Luke Tagi will be the man of the match and the fella who passes the winning offload for the Drua. That man's offload last week was as smooth as butter. Bit of a crush happening here.
eeds
Roar Rookie
Backrow, prop, flyhalf and back three/centre is what I read. I think their back three is pretty stacked to be fair. As is their midfield. It will be super interesting to see where they pull a flyhalf from. I’d love to see that North Queensland flyhalf (moderately drunk, forgot name) playing back up to Foley/Hegarty at the tahs head to the reds and him and Stewart battle it out for top spot this season. I think he would fit in quite nicely with what they are trying to accomplish up there from what I’ve seen. Offers something different from Stewart but has the attitude Thorne seems to like....
Brett McKay
Expert
Goodness, are perceptions of referees now so bad that a referee from Queensland but with *absolutely no link* to Queensland Country in the NRC can't referee the Final?!? Honestly, this is ridiculous. Aside from Angus Gardner, Nic Berry is the best referee in Australia. It'd be a travesty if he *wasn't* refereeing the Final...
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Agree, Sheikh, that is not a good look......unless the powers that decide these panels reckon Brisbane refs will hate Qld. Country, and that will mean the Drua are now favoured ??? No, not a serious comment.
Dave_S
Roar Rookie
Agree mz, Country looked pretty comfortable in the wet, and it was WET!
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
I'm slightly concerned by the reported referee panel for the final: Ref: Nic Berry (Brisbane) Asst: Jordan Way (Brisbane) Asst: Aaron Pook (Gold Coast) If that report is correct, and even if these were the three best performing refs in the NRC (I'm not sure they are), surely there's a conflict of interest there. The RA could have found 3 refs not from Queensland to officiate a Fiji vs Queensland final; I mean: Will Houston, Andrew Lees, Graham Cooper, James Leckie, Ed Martin, Amy Perrett - off the top of my head, that's two crews of decent officials who could be picked with no hint of a conflict of interest.
Feff
Guest
" That individuals stupidity is another’s opportunity." What or who are you referring to ?
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Would be great for the country too. Not as big as the Olympic sevens, obviously, but great for morale nationwide. No, even as a Queenslander, I would be quite something to see the Drua win.
Craig
Guest
Oh how about the Wallaby eligible player of the tournament , better now ?
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Lautoka weather forecast for Sat afternoon: 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms. The way Qld. Country played in the wet on the Gold Coast last weekend, such conditions would not hurt them. But Stewart could not afford to miss as many kicks this weekend, I would think. Very tight game indeed, but the greater experience and level of achievement of the Qld. team should give them an edge. I do a lot of tipping via Superbru, and for this one have gone for a Country win by 8 points.
Brett McKay
Expert
oh, it'd be fantastic, Fionn, no doubt!
Brett McKay
Expert
They have backrow, flyhalf, and back three spots still listed as TBA, so fingers crossed...
Brett McKay
Expert
try https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/nrc - but I'm not sure if the full replays are similarly locked..
Brett McKay
Expert
"..demonstrate that only really have it so other people can’t sort of. " Eeds, to reiterate Boris' point, if Fox didn't have (and pay for the rights for) the NRC, neither would we. Streaming issues notwithstanding this season (which I note have continued to plague FOX in the WNBL), the competition literally doesn't exist without their paying for the rights...
eeds
Roar Rookie
I’m hopeful they resign gill or sign up McMahon in that spot personally. I think by far the more interesting vacancy is that no 10 spot up for grabs....
eeds
Roar Rookie
Didn’t know that was a thing and I will certainly be watching last weeks games and the final this way but regardless it would be nice to watch the game live.
eeds
Roar Rookie
I understand that but I don’t think it adds much value to them really. I think the broadcast issues and the scheduling demonstrate that only really have it so other people can’t sort of. It’s just a shame that rugby lovers in this country are constantly blocked out of viewing live games unless they buy a movie and sport package or whatever it is with fox. I get around this super rugby time by paying for a VPN and rugby pass but they don’t have the nrc on it unfortunately.
cookie
Roar Guru
I did but must have scrolled past the timing bit.... I'm looking forward to watching this more than the dead rubber. Go Drua!