AT one stage in the second half in Auckland last week, I dared to dream. When the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua hit the front against the Blues, I was hoping the long run of consecutive losses on the road might be about to end. It wasn’t to be.
The Drua threw everything at the Blues, but when the Vern Cotter coached side moved up a gear in the second half the Drua couldn’t stay with them. It’s like a recurring nightmare away from home. We’ve seen it all before. It’s not just the team of 2026 that has had issues winning away from home. The last away victory against Moana Pasifika in week one back in 2023 is a very long time ago,
25 away games to be precise. Eight losses in both 2023 and 2024, seven in 2025 and 2 so far this season.
Drua head coach Glen Jackson thought his side played their best half of rugby in a long time in the first half last week, but the Blues are a side with a lot of size and power, bonus point victory.
When you read the match stats, you’d think that the Drua was the dominant side. They had more possession and territory, carries, carry metres, tackle breaks, line breaks and offloads. Unfortunately, they didn’t win the stat that mattered, points on the scoreboard.
The Joeli Vidiri Trophy stays in Auckland and now the Drua is not only coming to terms with another loss on the road, but they are also preparing for the rest of the season without a couple of stars. Wingers Epeli Momo (knee) and Ponipate Loganimasi (arm) have season ending injuries. Manasa Mataele and Jojo Nasova will come into the starting team to replace them this week.
Scrumhalf Frank Lomani will also be sidelined for up to three weeks and he’s replaced by Issak Fines-Leleiwasa. At the halfway stage of Super Rugby Pacific, the Drua are in 9th place on 8 points, still six behind the 6th placed Crusaders. But the Drua will play five of their last eight games away from Fiji, four of which are against teams currently sitting in the Top Six. So not a lot has changed since last week. It will be a tough second half of the season.
The Drua stayed in New Zealand after the loss to the Blues and travelled to Christchurch on Wednesday to finalise preparations for the Good Friday clash against the Crusaders. It’ll be an emotional occasion for the locals as it’s the final game at the venue before the Crusaders move to the new Christchurch Stadium.
It’s been the scene of so many wonderful victories for the Crusaders over the last 15 years or so and the defending champions will want to say goodbye with another win. Adding to the motivation is the fact that All Black hooker Codie Taylor is playing his 150th game for the Crusaders.
Glen Jackson rates the Crusaders very highly and rightly so. They’ll be fresh following a bye week and after a slow start to the season that saw them lose to the Highlanders and Brumbies, they’ve won three of their
last four games including the away win over the Chiefs.
The Rob Penney-coached Crusaders have All Blacks all over the park and Glen Jackson rates the captain, Will Jordan, as world class. There’s also a Fijian influence with Sevu Reece and Chay Fihaki starting on the wings and George Bower in the front row.
They’ll be looking forward to taking on their Fijian brothers. Congratulations to lock Isoa Nasilasila who has been named Drua captain in the absence of injured pair Frank Lomani and Temo Mayanavanua.
The Drua’s most capped player has earned the honour. He has a new locking partner in Joseva Tamani this week. Mesake Vocevoce has been rotated to the bench. It’s the same front row of Haereiti Hetet, Zuriel
Togiatama and Mesake Doge, and the impressive Etonia Waqa, Kitione Salawa and Elia Canakaivata get to start in the back row again.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the new look backline performs, with Fines-Leleiwasa teaming up with Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula in the halves. Iosefo Namoce has been rewarded for his efforts last week when he beat seven defenders and made an equal team high 12 tackles. He retains his spot in the centres where he’ll partner veteran Virimi Vakatawa.
Inform fullback Ilaisa Droasese will link up with wingers Nasova and Mataele to form a potent back three. Mataele has played for the Crusaders so that experience should benefit the Drua. It’s a standard 5-3 split on the bench again.
In the two games played so far in Christchurch in 2022 and 2023, the Crusaders have outscored the Drua 110 to 11 overall. Once again, this week the odds are stacked against the Drua, and they can’t afford to clock off around the 50-minute mark like last week.
There are just three games this Easter weekend with the top three, Hurricanes, Blues and Brumbies all having byes.
Bottom placed Moana is also having the week off, so an upset victory for the Drua will keep them in the race for 6th spot and move them further away from the dreaded wooden spoon position.
The Drua will do themselves, the Coaching staff and more importantly their loyal fans a huge favour if they can play for the full 80 and beat the Crusaders for the third time overall, but for the first time in Christchurch.
Toso Drua toso.
