'Pool of Death is alive and well', says Australian head coach after tough opening games
The second day of the International Defence Rugby Competition delivered an exciting and explosive level of rugby which will give the teams a lot to contemplate going forward into the tournament.
The Australians are one team that walked away disappointed after a closely fought game against France, which saw them end up on the wrong side of the scoreboard with a 22-17 loss.
That game was followed by a thumping victory for Fiji after running home 80-12 against the Vodafone LooseHeadz.
The IDRC's Pool B has been appropriately nicknamed 'The Pool of Death', due to the highly competitive teams that have ended up in that group.
Reflecting on the day's result, Australian head coach Lieutenant Commander Rob Drinkwater told BFBS Sport that his team has a "tough assignment".
"The pool of death is alive and well," he said. "They're two formidable teams, Fiji – size, strength, power, skill, which we always know and expect from Fiji.
"The LooseHeadz team are here to play some games as well, so we've got a tough assignment.
"I'm glad that France are playing Fiji next up on Friday, and they can sort each other out, and then we'll take over Fiji a few days after that."
On their disappointing result against France, Lt Cdr Drinkwater is still positive about the team's competitiveness against the reigning champions.
He said: "We had some opportunities which we didn't take, and I think the girls are disappointed.
"They know that they were in it with the world champions, so the fact that we're able to compete with the world champions, the current title holders, is great for us.
"We've got some work to do and hopefully some simple things to work on, and then it's LooseHeadz on Friday."
Find out how you can watch the 2025 International Defence Rugby Competition on BFBS live and on demand here.
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