“We finally managed to get it done”: Drua keep perfect record at Churchill Park

The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua sent off four of their key players in style on Saturday afternoon, storming to a 38-7 victory over the Western Force in their final home game of the Super Rugby Pacific season at Churchill Park.

Force centre Sio Tomkinson opened the scoring inside three minutes, but it was all Drua from there, as the home side piled on five unanswered tries to stretch their unbeaten streak at Churchill Park to nine straight games.

Number eight Elia Canakaivata was the star of the show, crossing the line twice and powering through the Force defence all afternoon, while flyhalf Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula delivered his sharpest performance of the season, setting up tries and dictating play with precision.

“Was a great game. I thank the boys for getting the job done,” Drua captian Tevita Ikanivere said who, along with Caleb Muntz, Selestino Ravutaumada and Iosefo Masi, played his final home match for the team.

“It was a tough one but we finally managed to get it done in the end.”

Head coach Glen Jackson said the focus had been on delivering a win for the fans and the departing players.

The Force started strong and looked promising in the opening quarter.

Their early pressure forced a Drua error, which saw Mac Grealy scoop up a loose ball and break downfield. Henry Robertson then set up a clean finish for Tomkinson to crash over under the posts.

But the visitors’ momentum was quickly derailed when Robertson was shown a yellow card in the 17th minute for a cynical foul on his opposite number Philip Baselala.

The Drua struck soon after through Baselala himself, who finished off a dazzling sequence started by Iosefo Masi and Ponipate Loganimasi with an inside ball that left the Force defence flailing.

Armstrong-Ravula then took centre stage, launching a speculative chip under penalty advantage that bounced perfectly for Masi to gather and score untouched. The flyhalf then added a penalty on the stroke of half-time to give the Drua a 17-7 lead at the break.

The second half was one-way traffic.

Taniela Rakuro sparked the Drua’s third try with a blistering run from inside his own 22, feeding Canakaivata who powered over. The number eight was over again minutes later from close range, pushing the score to 31-7 with 14 minutes left.

The final nail came in the 72nd minute when Selestino Ravutaumada crashed over after a sustained attacking wave, converted by Muntz to complete the 38-7 rout.

Force captain Jeremy Williams admitted his side couldn’t cope with the Drua’s resurgence.

“I thought we started the first half really well and then they gained that momentum and we couldn’t really get it back,” Williams said during the post-match conference.

“We had poor discipline and probably turned the ball over too easily and that’s the second week in a row we’ve done those things. Against a quality side like the Drua, you’re going to pay and we did.”

The win lifted the Drua to 10th place on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder, moving them off the bottom with a crucial point advantage over the Highlanders. Meanwhile, the Force remain in ninth position.

The Drua now prepare for a bye week before finishing the season with an away game against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on May 31. The Force will face the Waratahs on May 24.