The Fijian Drua extended their remarkable winning streak at Churchill Park to eight matches with a commanding 28-14 victory over the NSW Waratahs on Saturday, exposing the visitors’ growing vulnerability away from home.
Key moments:
3′ – Armstrong-Ravula penalty for Drua (3-0)
13′ – Armstrong-Ravula penalty extends lead (6-0)
22′ – Motikiai Murray scores first try for Drua (13-0)
25′ – Langi Gleeson responds with try for Waratahs (13-7)
39′ – Ponipate Loganimasi crosses for Drua’s second try (18-7 at half-time)
50′ – Armstrong-Ravula penalty pushes Drua further ahead (21-7)
57′ – Julian Heaven scores for Waratahs to narrow gap (21-14)
81′ – Penalty try awarded to Drua after Suaalii infringement (28-14)
In conditions that tested the resolve of both sides, with stifling heat and humidity forcing a drinks break at the hour mark, the Drua’s physicality and control of possession proved decisive factors in a match that saw the Waratahs slump to their ninth consecutive away defeat – their worst run on the road since 1996-97.
The home side established their authority early through Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula’s boot, slotting two penalties to build a 6-0 lead by the 13th minute. The Drua’s territorial dominance and superior handling in the humid conditions kept pressure on a Waratahs defence that would crack repeatedly throughout the afternoon.
Flanker Motikiai Murray delivered the first try in the 22nd minute with a devastating burst through the Waratahs’ defensive line. Identifying a gap between Jamie Adamson and replacement lock Miles Amatosero, Murray accelerated into space, brushing aside feeble tackle attempts with a combination of strength and nimble footwork. Armstrong-Ravula’s conversion extended the lead to 13-0, sending the passionate Lautoka crowd into raptures.
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The Waratahs, already hampered by the absence of rested stars Angus Bell, Rob Leota and Taniela Tupou, suffered further blows when lock Ben Grant departed with an ankle injury after just 10 minutes, followed by flanker Charlie Gamble limping off at the 20-minute mark. These disruptions forced an early reshuffle, with Langi Gleeson entering proceedings sooner than planned.
Gleeson made an immediate impact, providing the visitors’ response just three minutes after Murray’s score. Following a rare foray into Drua territory, Jack Grant delivered quick ball from a ruck five metres out, and Gleeson showed tremendous power to drive through three defenders and plant the ball over the line. Lawson Creighton’s conversion trimmed the deficit to 13-7.
The Drua, however, landed a psychological blow just before half-time through winger Ponipate Loganimasi. The sequence began with an incisive break from Elia Canakaivata, who offloaded superbly to Etonia Waqa. The ball moved quickly through four pairs of hands before reaching Loganimasi on the left wing, who executed a devastating step inside that left both Andrew Kellaway and Adamson grasping at air before accelerating to score. The unsuccessful conversion attempt still left the Drua with a comfortable 18-7 advantage at the interval.
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First-half statistics told a damning story for the visitors – the Drua enjoyed 66% possession while the Waratahs missed a whopping 24 tackles compared to the home side’s mere three. NSW managed just 38 metres with the ball in hand, with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s 29 metres representing their highest individual contribution.
Armstrong-Ravula added another penalty early in the second half to push the lead to 21-7 before the Waratahs mounted a comeback. Replacement hooker Julian Heaven sparked hope for NSW with a determined close-range try in the 56th minute. After Suaalii made good ground down the left edge, the Waratahs recycled quickly before Heaven picked and drove from close range, powering through two tacklers to reach the line. Tane Edmed’s conversion narrowed the gap to seven points with just over 20 minutes remaining.
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The remainder of the match became a test of Drua’s defensive resilience as a depleted Waratahs side mounted sustained pressure in search of an equaliser. Gleeson continued to stand out with powerful carries, while captain Hugh Sinclair came agonisingly close to scoring with 15 minutes remaining, only to be bundled into touch centimetres from the try line by three Drua defenders combining in a last-ditch effort.
The most dramatic moment came after the final siren with the Drua still leading 21-14. Following Kemu Valetini’s missed penalty attempt, the Waratahs attempted a high-risk strategy of running the ball out from their own in-goal area. This backfired when the ball was fumbled twice in quick succession before Suaalii illegally played it from an offside position. Referee Paul Williams immediately showed a yellow card and awarded a penalty try, ruling that a score would likely have resulted without the infringement. This crushing final blow denied the Waratahs even a losing bonus point.
“It’s a tough place to play footy isn’t it, but it’s awesome with the crowd,” Waratahs captain Hugh Sinclair reflected afterwards. “Disappointed to not even come away with a point there. Not really sure what happened.”
“We put ourselves in a position in the second half [to win] but they were too good. They played the conditions well. We fell off too many tackles in the first half. We just couldn’t claw it back.”
Waratahs coach Dan McKellar, who had demanded a shift in mindset and improved physicality following earlier away defeats to the Hurricanes and Moana Pasifika, will again be left lamenting his side’s inability to match the opposition in the collision area. The loss of starting halfback Teddy Wilson at halftime further complicated matters for a team already missing injured captain Jake Gordon.
For the Drua, the victory reinforces their status as one of the competition’s most formidable home propositions. Despite sitting toward the lower end of the table, their dominance in the collision area, superior ball handling in difficult conditions, and clinical finishing at Churchill Park suggests they remain a dangerous opponent capable of upsetting any visiting team.
The result leaves the Waratahs with a 5-4 record heading into their bye week. Their Jekyll-and-Hyde performances – unbeaten in five matches at Allianz Stadium, including last week’s impressive win over the table-topping Chiefs, yet winless away from home – raise serious questions about their title credentials. Currently sitting fifth on 21 points, they could fall out of the top six during their bye, adding urgency to their need to address these travel troubles if they are to be considered genuine contenders rather than pretenders in the 2025 title race.
The Drua, meanwhile, remain 11th on 11 points, but this morale-boosting victory keeps alive their slim hopes of making a late-season charge toward playoff contention, while further cementing Churchill Park’s reputation as one of Super Rugby’s most intimidating venues for visiting teams.
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