Bottom-placed Fijian Drua continued their role as Super Rugby Pacific spoilers, upsetting the Queensland Reds 36-33 in a thrilling try-fest at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva on Saturday. Inspired replacement Isikeli Rabitu surged over for the winner with just 52 seconds left on the clock, breaking Queensland hearts and extending the Reds’ winless streak on Fijian soil.
Key moments:
5′ – Taniela Rakuro finishes off Fijian passing movement with timed assist from Vuate Karawalevu (5-0)
17′ – Jock Campbell races away to score after receiving one-handed offload from Seru Uru (5-7)
25′ – Mesake Doge falls over tryline after Simione Kuruvoli releases ball from breakdown (10-7)
29′ – Etonia Waqa side-steps Tim Ryan before diving over near corner flag (15-7)
33′ – Richie Asiata scores his fifth try in six games from close range (15-14)
36′ – Seru Uru strolls over down left wing to give Reds halftime advantage (15-19)
45′ – Mesake Vocevoce carries defenders over line for his first Super Rugby try (22-19)
50′ – Isoa Tuwai dives across after sustained period of Drua pressure (29-19)
61′ – Jeffery Toomaga-Allen plunges over on pick-and-go play (29-26)
72′ – Max Craig scores on Super Rugby debut from rolling maul (29-33)
79′ – Isikeli Rabitu pounces on loose ball after Uru spill to score match-winner (36-33)
The seesawing contest, which saw the lead change hands seven times throughout a bruising 80 minutes, was ultimately decided in the most dramatic fashion after Reds co-captain Fraser McReight was yellow-carded, leaving his side a man short for the crucial final 90 seconds. It was all the time the Drua needed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, as fullback Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula added the decisive conversion to send the passionate home crowd into raptures.
For Reds mentor Les Kiss, recently confirmed as the next Wallabies coach, the defeat was particularly bitter. He had billed the match as “must win” for his fourth-placed side as they chase a top-three finals berth and crucial home playoff advantage, and cut an anxious figure throughout as he paced the coaches’ box during the back-and-forth encounter.
The spectacle began with the hosts drawing first blood, as winger Taniela Rakuro finished off a slick Fijian passing movement in the fifth minute, sliding inside the corner post after receiving a perfectly timed pass from Vuate Karawalevu. The conversion attempt drifted wide, but the Drua had established an early 5-0 advantage.
The Reds responded quickly, with fullback Jock Campbell racing away to score after receiving a sublime one-handed offload from Seru Uru. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips added the extras to put the visitors ahead 7-5, setting the tone for a match that would swing back and forth throughout.
The Drua regained the lead through captain Mesake Doge, who crossed for his team’s second try after halfback Simione Kuruvoli released the ball from a breakdown just metres from the Reds’ line. The prop had only to fall over the tryline to claim his second Super Rugby Pacific try, extending the Drua’s advantage to 10-7.
Flanker Etonia Waqa added a third try for the home side, catching Tim Ryan napping on the short side before side-stepping the Reds winger and diving over near the corner flag. Again, the conversion was missed, leaving the Drua 15-7 ahead.
Queensland fought back through hooker Richie Asiata, who was filling in for injured Wallabies hooker Matt Faessler. Asiata’s fifth try in six games came from close range, narrowing the deficit to just one point at 15-14.
The Reds completed their first-half comeback when Fijian-born flanker Seru Uru strolled over down the left wing. A skilful build-up involving Lachie Anderson, who had taken the ball up strongly on the right wing before shifting to the left edge to deliver an excellent final pass, allowed Uru to score against his homeland. This gave the visitors a 19-15 halftime lead.
As the second half began, the Drua emerged rejuvenated, with lock Mesake Vocevoce carrying defenders over the line to register his first-ever Super Rugby try. The score came from a lineout take, which the forwards drove forward before a series of pick-and-drives towards the Reds line. Vocevoce was on hand to take the pass and power through the Queensland defensive line, putting the hosts back in front at 22-19.
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Flanker Isoa Tuwai extended the Drua’s advantage soon after, diving across the line following a movement inspired by replacements Elia Canakaivata and Tevita Ikanivere. The try gave the hosts a 29-19 lead and appeared to have put them in the driving seat.
But the Reds refused to capitulate. Former All Black prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen sparked their comeback, plunging over from a pick-and-go play after textbook build-up work from reserve halfback Kalani Thomas, who had kicked deep into the Fijian quarter. The pressure told with a crooked Drua lineout throw, providing the platform for Toomaga-Allen’s try.
The visitors’ resurgence continued when replacement hooker Max Craig, making his Super Rugby Pacific debut, crossed from a well-executed rolling maul in the 72nd minute. The conversion gave the Reds a 33-29 lead, and with time running out, it appeared they might finally break their Suva hoodoo.
However, the drama was far from over. With minutes remaining, McReight was yellow-carded for repeated infringements at the breakdown, giving the Drua one last opportunity with a numerical advantage. Initially, it seemed the Reds might hang on when Uru forced a turnover on his own tryline, but he spilled the ball forward immediately after, presenting Rabitu with the chance to pounce for the match-winning score.
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The Drua’s victory marks their second consecutive home triumph against Australian opposition, following their win over the Waratahs in Lautoka on April 19. They host the Blues at HFC Stadium next Friday in what looms as another must-win fixture if they are to sustain their unlikely push for playoff contention.
In crossing for six tries to five but missing four conversions, the Drua probably deserved their victory. But it required a frenetic finish and a yellow card to the opposition to finally secure the win. Little wonder that Drua fans celebrated wildly at the final whistle, acknowledging a performance that encapsulated everything that makes their team such a dangerous proposition on home soil.
The result significantly impacts the Super Rugby Pacific standings. While the Drua remain at the bottom of the table, they have cut the gap to sixth place to just seven points, keeping their finals hopes flickering. For the Reds, who claimed a solitary bonus point from the defeat, the loss sees them remain fourth on 28 points but now facing a crucial fortnight of away derbies against the seventh-placed Waratahs and third-placed Brumbies.
“We missed too many tackles,” reflected Reds captain Tate McDermott, who was celebrating his 100th Super Rugby appearance. “Obviously a disappointing way to lose but we got the bonus point. We’re not happy with that but it’s better than nothing.”
“We let them score too easily, too many times,” added McDermott. “Against a team like the Drua, if you give them that much time and space to do whatever they want with the ball, they’re going to make you pay.”
Despite the defeat, the Reds captain attempted to maintain perspective: “We’ll take our lessons. It’s not all doom and gloom. We’ve got an important game next week against the Waratahs and then against the Brumbies, but we’ll take it one week at a time.”
Drua captain Doge paid tribute to his team’s resilience and the vociferous home support: “It’s been a hard week for us as a club. And these boys have fought hard this week, and I know it is not easy. And you can see in that last 10 seconds of the game, these boys came out fighting. That shows our spirit as a nation.”
“Thank God, it has been a while and we get a win here in Suva,” Doge concluded. “I would like to thank the fans. Thank you for coming out today. We know you are always faithful and like I always say, this team is yours and not only ours.”
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