The undermanned ACT Brumbies have suffered their first-ever loss to the Fijian Drua, beaten 42-27 in their second-straight Super Rugby Pacific defeat.
Coach Stephen Larkham made 10 changes to his squad that copped the heartbreaking, last-gasp 34-31 loss to the Queensland Reds because of player management protocols and injuries.
Watch every second of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season live and on demand via Stan Sport.
His heavily-rotated team not only had to battle the lively Drua, fresh from a bye and in front of a raucous home crowd, but also the wet, sultry conditions engulfing Four R Stadium at Ba in Fiji on Saturday.
After a back-and-forth first half, the home team had a 20-12 lead at the main break, the Drua put the pressure on the visitors to create a 20-point deficit with less than 30 minutes remaining.
Although the Brumbies found three five-pointers, the Drua held strong to dash the Canberrans' hopes of retaking top spot on the ladder.
It was the Drua's second win against a top-two opponent this season, having beaten the ladder-leading Hurricanes 25-20 on February 28 at home.
For the Brumbies, they can take confidence from the performance of 21-year-old back-rower Toby Macpherson who scored a double in his first start while fullback Andy Muirhead ran for 127 metres.
Wallabies star Rob Valetini made 17 tackles and 44m is a typically busy display but had to cop a loss in his 100th Super Rugby game.
Fiji dominated the early stages, but it was Hudson Creighton who crossed first after Kye Oates slipped through the Drua's defence before handing it to Klayton Thorn, who grubbered it to the diving centre.
The Drua responded immediately when flanker Etonia Waqa stormed down the right side and planted the ball over the line.
After prop Mesake Doge was handed a yellow card, MacPherson crashed over in the 25th minute, but the Drua flicked a switch as Elia Canakaivata scored to extend their advantage before halftime.
After the break, Sairusi Ravudi secured a try on his debut for the Drua before a flying Ilasia Droasese caught a flick pass to cross in the 51st minute.
Macpherson scored his second when he found himself on top of a loose ball before Ryan Lonergan and Creighton linked up to cut the deficit to 10 points.
Although Muirhead found a five-pointer in the 80th minute, it came as a consolation after Droasese's crossed in the 70th minute.
