The Vinod Patel Ba Rugby Union side is confident of causing an upset against Suva this weekend in their Skipper Cup round 1 match.
Captain Malakai Vukinavanua says they have been training hard in the off-season and pre-season, and they are confident of a win.
He says it will be a close encounter and they are ready for battle.
BRU Secretary Gabrieli Kautoga says it has been a long time coming for them and they are excited about their first game back in the major competition after 26 years.
Kautoga says they faced a lot of challenges preparing for this season and one of them was getting the players to train so they had to assemble the players and camp since most of them live in the interior of Ba.
He says they are ready to battle this weekend against Suva.
Suva Rugby Union captain Enele Malele says they are expecting a tough battle against Ba this weekend.
He says every team that is participating in the Skipper Cup competition are tough and they know Ba will want to upset them on their home ground.
Malele adds they are preparing really well for whatever Ba throws at them and they will be looking to give Ba a good run for their money.
He further says they will also be relying on the young players that are in the squad to stamp their mark in this year’s competition.
Suva will host Ba this Saturday at the HFC Bank Stadium.
In other matches this weekend, Nadi will take on Lautoka, Yasawa will play Naitasiri, Macuata will play Nadroga and Namosi will take on Tailevu.
