A SMALL crowd witnessed the Fijian Drua play take a critical 24-14 win against the Otago Highlanders at the Four R Stadium in Ba this afternoon.
The home side’s solid defence was key to the win.
Tuidraki Samusamuvodre and Virimi Vakatawa were lethal in the midfield and Samusamuvodre’s interception in the ninth minute allowed Vakatawa to score the first try and set the tone for the match.
The centre pairing also did great to neutralise the Highlanders’ strong inside centre, Timoci Tavatavanawai, who is known for his bulldozing runs.
Isikeli Rabitu was in top form in his return at the starting fullback position, scoring two tries with his elusive running and counter attacking in open space.
But it was the Drua loose forwards who made the biggest positive impact. Blindside flanker Josefa Tamani covered so many metres with ball in hand. Openside flanker Kitione Salawa and number eight Elia Canakaivata made significant turnovers.
They dominated the breakdowns and were rugged with their tackles to save the Drua from the Highlanders’ pick and drive forward pack.
Issak Fines-Leleiwasa showed huge improvement with his tackles. The halfback was also quick to pounce on loose balls around the ruck areas. He could have opted to spread the ball more instead of kicking valuable possession away as the Highlanders withered in the heat.
On the down side, hooker Zuriel Togiatama was not accurate with his lineout throws. Even his replacement, Kaiava Tagivetaua, blundered his throws when he was subbed into the game.
The Drua must fix this lineout problem if they want a top six berth.
Frank Lomani was shaky on the right wing. He showed grit in defence but his attack from broken play lacked the confidence. The Drua missed a couple of try scoring opportunities due to Lomani’s mistakes, although to be fair a mid-season adjustment is not easy.
The temperature in Ba today was at 29°C with high humidity that seemed to take a toll on the visitors from Otago. Luckily the heat regulations were in place to give the players some rest.
Gaps appeared in the Highlanders’ defensive line as they wilted in the heat but they had enough strength to use the rolling maul and competed despite the conditions.
At half-time the score was, Drua 12 Highlanders 14.
The Drua defence rose a notch in the second half and the tight-five worked hard making huge tackles through Isoa Nasilasila and Temo Mayanavanua.
They were up two converted tries in the 60th minute and were looking to finish the game off but handling errors prevented further tries from both sides.
The Drua hung on in the final quarter to take the match 24–14.
