KUALA LUMPUR: Old friendships will be cast aside as former PDRM rugby squad members, now part of Terengganu's team, prepare to clash in the high-stakes Piala Agong 2024 semi-final next week.
PDRM rugby team manager Assistant Commissioner Nasri Mansor said despite deep mutual respect off the field, there would be no mercy once the whistle blew.
"In the field, there's no respect. We have to do more to defend last year's championship, and that means showing no mercy," he told the 'New Straits Times' at the Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz stadium.
Despite Terengganu's formidable reputation as former Piala Agong champions, Nasri believes PDRM has the right strategy and preparations in place.
"We are constantly improving our tactics. We can't be complacent, we have to work harder to face Terengganu in the semi-final. God willing, we hope to reach the final again this year.
"They are still like family to me outside the field, but inside, it's all about the competition. We're going in it to win it, nothing less."
Yesterday, PDRM won against Perlis in the quarter-finals with a score of 29 to 10 at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol).
On the team's journey to the semi-final, Nasri said, "We played four times in the group stages and won big, even against strong teams like Selangor, ATM and Perak.
"Our match against Perlis was tough, especially with the weather conditions, but our performance has been consistently strong, and we're ready to face Terengganu.
"Unfortunately, one of our key players was shown a red card in the quarter-final, but we are still in good shape and confident about progressing to the final, just like last year."
The team's vice-captain, Inspector Zulkiflee Azmi from Bukit Aman, echoed this sentiment, though he admitted the team's performance in the quarter-final left room for improvement.
"Our game yesterday wasn't the best, but Alhamdulillah, we still won. We identified some weaknesses that we'll work on for the semi-final.
"The weather wasn't great — everything started fine, but then it rained, which could've affected our performance.
"But overall, I'm confident in my teammates, and I believe we can perform better," he said.