Isikeli Rabitu of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua fought through a defiant Queensland Reds in the dying seconds of the match to help his side win 36-33 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva yesterday.
The win sees them place a third victory out of 12 appearances in the Super Rugby Pacific competition this season.
The Drua were trailing behind the Reds and an opportunity for the home side at the expense of the visitors saw them power through to seal the Drua’s victory in Suva for the first time this season.
Speaking to the media after the match, he said the team obtained the hard-earned victory by addressing the challenges the team faced.
“The only thing I told myself was to go in, do the work to the best of my ability and role, and it ended up in the team getting the win today,” Rabitu said.
As the win proved timely for the many fans that turned out to support the home team, he acknowledged their presence as well.
“I would like to thank all of you that turned up in numbers to watch us play and all the glory and praise goes back to the Lord,” he said.
Meanwhile, Drua captain Mesake Doge shared his sentiments after the match.
“It’s been a hard week for us as a club,” Doge said in a post-match interview on the field.
“And I know it’s not easy and you can see that in the last 10 seconds of that game; these boys came out fighting.”
Doge said to the Drua’s winning scoresheet in the first half, scoring an unconverted try in the 15th minute.
Meanwhile, Reds head coach Les Kiss told the media in a post-match conference that his side knew how formidable the Drua would be.
“We knew that if they got the game going, they can be dangerous,” Kiss stated.
“I think the Drua certainly won enough of their contact areas to give themselves the momentum they required.”
The Drua will now face the Blues at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva on Friday.
