THE best way to impress your fans is to knock over a top four side in the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific, especially when you’re under all sorts of pressure at the business end of the season.
The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua showed again last Saturday what they’re capable of when they go the full 80. If they’d done that in the first three weeks of the season it would have been a different situation they find themselves in.
They’d be sitting in fifth spot now if they closed out the early games against the Brumbies in Suva, Hurricanes in Napier and Waratahs in Sydney.
But that’s all in the past. Now I hope the Drua can finish the regular season on a high and make their fans proud.
Like head coach Glen Jackson, I’m keeping the calculator handy in case the Drua win their remaining games and other results favour them. But making the play-offs for a third straight year is a long shot.
The Drua have never finished any higher than seventh and when you see the defending champion the Blues in seventh spot now, it just proves how tough this competition is nowadays.
There are no easy games, and any team can win on their day.
I hope Suva fans get out to the stadium tonight to support the Drua in what will be their last game in the Capital City this year.
Their record under lights is not good, so they need a big crowd to lift them.
It’s a first visit to Suva for the Blues and unlike the Reds, Vern Cotter’s men have tasted success on Fiji soil.
The Blues and Chiefs are the only visiting teams to win in Lautoka and they’ll enjoy playing at night rather than on a hot afternoon.
The men from Auckland have won all four games against the Drua and their average winning margin is 22 points.
When they tasted victory in Lautoka two seasons ago they won by 16, which is the closest margin for Jackson’s men.
The Drua are now one from three in Suva this season and while they’re coming off a win over the Reds, I’d like to see them improve their defensive effort.
They’ve conceded over 30 points in each game in Suva, and you don’t want to be chasing the scoreboard against a side like the Blues.
The Drua need to dominate possession because the Blues came up with 26 tackle breaks last week, running in six tries and picking up a bonus point.
There’s no Mark Tele’a this week because of suspension but they still have many strike weapons out wide.
The Aucklanders have lost their last three games away from Eden Park, but in last week’s win over the Force at home I saw a lot of the form that swept them to last year’s title.
They hope last week was the start of a successful run to the play-offs.
There are two changes to the starting side that ran on against the Force with Corey Evans named at fullback and AJ Lam on the left wing.
The Blues are chasing consistency now as they look to win their three remaining games.
After today’s clash they head across the Harbour Bridge next week to play Moana Pasifika and they host the Waratahs at Eden Park in the final round, fresh from a bye. Three wins should be enough to qualify for the play-offs.
So, it’s all to play for in Suva tonight but Vern Cotter knows it won’t be easy against a Drua side that is also looking for a big finish to the regular season.
Jackson has also made some changes and a key positional switch.
Star back rower Etonia Waqa is injured and replaced by Jo Tamani. Loosehead prop Haereiti Hetet swaps with Peni Ravai who drops back to the bench.
Selestino Ravutaumada moves from wing to fullback so Ponipate Loganimasi can return to the wing after a week off.
Ponipati has made a wonderful switch from the Fiji 7s to the Drua.
I’d like to see others like Joji Nasova have a crack at some stage.
His great form has been rewarded with a spot in the World Series 7s Dream Team after finishing top points scorer and equal top try scorer.
But tonight it’s all about the Drua and the Blues in Suva.
I’ll be calling tonight’s action with Sam Wykes and Nemani Kuridrani.
As the Flying Fijian legend explained on Drua Talk this week, he’s reverted back to Kuridrani from Nadolo.
It’ll take some getting used to, but the big man is happy with the switch.
I hope there are many happy Fijians after tonight’s clash.
Or will All Black great Beauden Barrett direct the traffic and control the game for the Blues as they attempt to spoil the party in the capital?
Bring it on.
Toso Drua toso.
