The Fijian Drua’s long wait for a win on the road is finally over, the side stunning the ACT Brumbies 33-28 in Canberra.
The result sees the Drua net just their second away win in 34 matches, but it will go down as one of their most important, the result turning the Super Rugby Pacific competition on its head.
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The Fijians dominated the first half, punishing an ill-disciplined Brumbies through a double to Manasa Mataele and a third try to Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, the side leading 22-7 at halftime.
The Brumbies regained their composure to score three tries of their own in the second half to Ollie Sapford, Tane Edmed and Corey Toole, but a fourth Fijian try to Simione Kuruvoli and a strong night off the boot by Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula saw the visitors hold on.
So, what did we learn?
For the first time since round one of 2023 (when they won 36-34 over Moana Pasifika in Auckland), the Drua have won outside of Fiji.
While the Brumbies faithful will depart GIO Stadium disappointed, the reality is that while the Brumbies played below their usual standard, the Drua were deserved winners, outmanoeuvring the hosts at their own game.
The visitors were composed and clinical, brilliantly targeting the ruck and disrupting the Brumbies’ momentum early on.
The side then engaged in excellent game management, taking points when on offer and keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
With the pressure building on the hosts, the door opened for the Fijians to play their natural game of fast-flowing rugby - and that they did, with Manasa Mataele’s two tries and Simione Kuruvoli’s second-half score the best of Fijian flair.
On the flipside, the Brumbies will need to go back to the drawing board after their loss in Canberra, their first-half performance a contender for one of their worst in recent memory.
Making ten handling errors inside the first 35 minutes, the hosts were punished for their mistakes, struggling to compose themselves after a strong opening to the match that saw Nick Frost score in the 13th minute.
The side conceded double the amount of penalties the Drua did, with their defensive lapses copping the brunt of James Doleman’s whistle.
Ultimately, while the half-time break saw some much-needed composure return, the gap that had opened up proved a bridge too far that ultimately cost the hosts the game.
There were many things to like about the Drua’s performance, but the most notable facet of all was their patience.
The side didn’t look to go for the miracle try on every occasion, squeezing the Brumbies when they needed to and taking the points when on offer.
Of particular note in this regard was Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, whose three penalties came at critical points in the game to stifle the Brumbies’ growing momentum.
It is a strategy that could yield a lot more success for the Drua, and allow the side to finally crack the code of how to win on the road.
One of the bright sparks for the Brumbies on a dour night, Tom Wright finally made his return after nine months on the sidelines following his ACL injury against the Springboks in 2025.
The fullback had glimpses of his best, beating two defenders, earning two try assists and managing the Brumbies’ kicking game well in the back three.
With Wallaby calculations now firmly in the picture, the fullback will need to keep his form going to regain his ironclad grasp on the Wallaby 15 jersey.
On a difficult night for the men from Canberra, his performance should give confidence to Aussie fans that his best is not far away.
If there was any passage that summed up the night for the ACT Brumbies, it was in the 54th minute when a well-worked play saw Ollie Sapford fall short of the line, only for his pass to Declan Meredith to miss its mark with the try line beckoning.
The ugly finish capped off a night where execution by the Brumbies left a lot to be desired, and mistakes were well punished by the opposition.
With his side now at risk of slipping out of the top four, head coach Stephen Larkham will have to find some answers to get his side back to their pressure-building, clinical best from early in the season.
With the Brumbies set to face the in-form Hurricanes next week in Super Round, those answers are going to have to come quickly if they want to be serious title contenders.
