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Fijian Drua claim first Super Rugby Pacific victory
By AAP
Fijian Drua have trampled the Melbourne Rebels’ season further into the ground, coming from behind to claim their first Super Rugby Pacific victory.
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The newcomers trailed 14-0 and were a man down thanks to a yellow card before turning it on at Sunshine Coast Stadium in an historic 31-26 win.
Missing 14 men through injury and suspension, it was the biggest blow yet in a horror 0-3 start for Kevin Foote’s Rebels.
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The Drua made the most of it, overpowering the visitors and then adding some flair with three long-range tries either side of halftime.
Melbourne’s Ray Nu’u scored their fourth try on the buzzer, but four second-half penalties to replacement five-eighth Teti Tela took the Drua to safety.
Young Tonumaipea had a double for the Rebels but they were unable to exploit the Drua’s shaky lineout, dropping too much ball and falling off tackles as the Fijians ran hard.
Onisi Ratave scored his side’s first after Caleb Munz’s chip kick from broken pl ay, before Vilive Miramira streaked away from a contest for a match-turning try.
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The @Fijian_Drua are on the board ? #SuperRugbyPacific #DRUvREB pic.twitter.com/bDDcPDXfed
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 4, 2022
Their confidence soared after that and a quick tap finally paid off for Peni Matawalu, who broke the line then offloaded for Apisalome Vota to score.
A fumble let Tonumaipea in for a second but the Drua kept their cool, three penalties inside kicking distance giving them breathing space.
“They played like a 15s team – it wasn’t sevens stuff,” former Wallaby Morgan Turinui said.
“From the 35th to 79th minute they dominated that game.
“Look at the Kings, Cheetahs, Rebels, Force, Sunwolves; any team that’s entered, nobody’s done it as well as the Drua have.”
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The win came with a majority of the squad in just their third Super Rugby game, and after two lop-sided losses to the NSW Waratahs and Brumbies for the Lennox Heads-based outfit.
And they had to go the long way to even get to their relocated home game on the Sunshine Coast after floods forced them out of Suncor p Stadium.
“Considering the impact that Fijian players have had on Australian rugby … I don’t think w e’ve sort of conceptualised how important that is for the game over there and for here,” former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said on Stan Sport.
Teti Tela and Frank Lomani if they can build on their combination from the Barbarians match in 2019 in this year's super rugby, Volavola (poor boot) might play second fiddle or miss out all together in Bolaca and Tuidraki can step up and show what they have. Tela's ability to manage the game which he did superbly until the 79min will only improve and he rightfully should get plenty of game time in the coming months. Drua starting to come together. Still early days but if they continue in this path, they should be primed up from round 5 or 6 onwards barring injuries
Kaliopasi Uluilakepa, if he improves just another 30 percent, he could be the next Taniela Tupou
Good performance Drua. Well Done boys..Keep improving and move on.