Referee Ben O'Keeffe during the Super Rugby Pacific match, Moana Pasifika v Highlanders. Photo: ActionPress
Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea says the team needs to start looking at ways they must win games, with 13 more rounds to go in the Super Rugby Pacific competition.
He made the comments during the post-match conference on Friday night, following the team's close 31-29 loss to the Highlanders.
The round 3 clash was for Moana Pasifika's taking, after they had dominated in almost all phases of the game, except on the scoreboard, where it mattered the most.
Savea, who scored a try in the second spell as he led the team's fight back from being 31-10 down at half-time, said it was disappointing in the end.
Although he praised the team's warrior spirit to fight back from being 21 points down after the first 40 minutes of action, he said it is critical to start winning games.
"For me, at the end of the day, I gotta win games, and as much as there were great moments for our team, we still lost and for this team, we want to win games," Savea told reporters.
"We have got to find ways to do that. We don't help ourselves, we have to be better.
"There's moments there that the boys fronted up, nailed the next task. We were down 21 and we got back within the game, those are the those are the moments where the boys show tika.
"Just we got to stop putting ourselves in those positions. And whether that's the mental game, whether that's nailing our next moment, whether that's we switch off, we've got to find answers quickly. And that's, that's something that we need to promote."
The All Blacks tough man said the players will have a lot of soul searching this week ahead of Saturday's round 4 clash against his former club, the Hurricanes, who they play at home again.
Savea said playing at the right side of the field has seen the side really do well, something they have witnessed as being consistent from their round one loss to Western Force, the defeat to the Reds and then Friday's tough loss to the Highlanders.
"When we play in the right areas of the field, things are a lot easier," he said.
"We trust our forwards to play the power game and we've got some amazing ball carriers, some power athletes.
"It's when we kind of get stuck in our half or in our 22 and we let teams through our errors. That's when we're in trouble."
Ardies Savea meeting young fans after the game on Saturday. Photo: ActionPress
The same sentiments were shared by head coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga, who added there is no one else but the players themselves who will have to find the answers.
Umaga said errors continued to cripple the side's campaign so far and the players will need to front up and cut those if they are to start winning matches.
"We just made errors, and at this level, you make those kind of errors with the capabilities of the players the teams have, they just capitalize on it for us," Umaga said.
"It's us, you know, we made a lot of errors in that first 20 minutes that gave them those opportunities to get points up on us. So it's only us that can cure what's happening to us.
"I suppose that's a positive for us, we just got to keep looking at ourselves and stop making it hard for ourselves in these games. We need to be clinical in those moments when we're down there, our forwards are doing great work again. We just got to compliment that, you know, in terms of what we're doing after it."
Moana Pasifika's William Havili celebrates a try with teammate Kyren Taumoefolau. Photo: Paul Taylor/ActionPress
Both Savea and Umaga, who used to play for Wellington, are excited about meeting the Hurricanes this weekend in their fourth round game.
Umaga said they can't dwell on what has happened but look forward to what's ahead, and use the lessons learned to get better.
"We can't get away from the fact that we've lost three in a row now, but we can't dwell on it," he said.
"We know we need to address the issues that we've got and we know we've got the heart to do it. We know we've got the capability to do it. It's just, stacking moments together, instead of doing something real well, and then all of a sudden, we let them back in, straight away."
Savea said he knows there will be a mark on his head when the two teams square off on Saturday night but he was looking forward to the clash.
"You know, we got really close boys in that team, but I know once we cross the line, it's gonna be war," Savea said
"So yes, it's gonna be good."
Drua mentality test
Meanwhile, Fijian Drua captain Tevita Ikanivere believes the players are being mentally being every weekend, with the home-and-away games schedule they have played so far in the competition.
Ikanivere finished disappointed again in Sydney on Friday night, as his side suffered their third consecutive loss in the competition, going down to the Waratahs, 29-24, in the last five minutes of the game.
The Waratahs were awarded a penalty try three minutes from the end of the match after flanker Kitione Salawa was ruled to have collapsed the Waratahs' driving maul on the Fijian line, as Fiji led 24-22.
Ikanivere told the media after the game a shift in mentality about playing home and away matches is helping the team play better, even though they have lost all their three games so far.
He said previously the players looked at their matches as home and away games.
"I think the mentality is there, no home or away games it's just rugby," he said,
"It's a talent God has given us. So we've taken away that mindset of home and away games and just come and play rugby. That's out job and we need to do it better."
NSW's Fiji-raised back-rower Langi Gleeson helped the Waratahs win, with two tries in the match.
He helped hold up Drua ball carriers twice also over the line during the clash.
"(This) means everything. It's special to play against the Fijian brothers," Gleeson told Stan Sport.
"It's always tough on the field but afterwards we can have a laugh.
"A special shout-out to the boys that came off the bench. They worked really hard for us. And Drua, it's always hard to play them whether it's their turf or ours."
Drua had taken the lead in the game after Meli Derenalagi pounced on a loose ball and sent winger Ponipate Loganimasi for the line.
The Waratahs bounced back to level up immediately when Gleeson crashed over off a short ball from Jake Gordon.
And the frenzy continued when the Drua opened up the NSW defence before Vuate Karawalevu dived over in the right corner.
The Waratahs began to strengthen their grip on the game, and led 17-12 at halftime.
In other Super Rugby Pacific results - Chiefs 49 Brumbies 34, Blues 33 Hurricanes 29, Reds 28 Western Force 24.
Fijiana claim first win in 2025
In the women's Super W competition, the Fijian Drua started their campaign on a high, defeating the defending champions, Waratahs in Sydney on Friday night.
The side won 23-17.
Vitalina Naikore made history in the match, scoring the fastest try in Super W just 10 seconds into the match.
She played an outstanding game as well to be named Player of the Match in the end.
Debutant Josivini Naihamu added another try in the 27th minute, while Luisa Tisolo's three penalties and a conversion kept the scoreboard ticking.
The Drua dominated the first half and led 20-5 halfway through the game.
Fullback Luisa Tisolo was spot on with her kicks.
Head coach Ifereimi Rawaqa said he was proud of the team's performance, adding they showed up and did the work required of them.
And he praised the debutants.
"You really showed up," he said.
Assistant coach Kele Leawere thanked the players for staying in the game and winning.
The Drua women will face the Reds this weekend at Churchill Park in Lautoka for round 2 of the 2025 Super W season.
