Fijian Drua lost to Brumbies in Round 8 of the Super Rugby Pacific competition at the GIO Stadium in Canberra on 14 April 2023. Photo: Fijian Drua
The Fijian Drua gave the Brumbies a scare before ultimately going down 43-28 at GIO Stadium, Canberra in the Super Rugby Pacific contest on Friday.
The fast-improving Drua traded blows with the competition's best Australian side but could not find a go-ahead try in a last stand on the Brumbies' line late in the match.
The home side sealed the win after a strong display from their forward pack, using their trademark rolling maul to produce a penalty try seven minutes from the end to finally break 10 points clear.
Winger Ben O'Donnell completed a hat-trick of tries in the dying stages to flatter the scoreline, although the 15-point margin perhaps embellished the Brumbies after a thrilling second half.
But it was far from their most convincing display, routinely challenged after a strong start with a lack of attacking structure hurting them as the Drua came back at them.
It was Brumbies seventh win in the competition, having lost only to the Crusaders in round 5, and elevated then to the top of the table.
What looked set to be a machine-like Brumbies win was turned on its head with a Drua double blow on the stroke of halftime.
Possession was vital through the first half-hour, and the visitors were denied the ball as the hosts romped to a 19-0 lead highlighted by a 14-minute double for O'Donnell.
However, after Brumbies lock Darcy Swain was sin-binned for an intentional foul, the Drua powered over via halfback Peni Matawalu in their first sustained stint on attack.
And they were right back in the contest on halftime with Brumbies winger Andy Muirhead was sent to the bin for a cynical play before in-form Drua five-eighth Teti Tela bounced through contact and scored under the posts to make it 19-14 at halftime.
In the second, half each time the Brumbies stepped it up the Fijians had an answer; a remarkable try for Iosefa Masi scoring from a Tela cross-field kick before a rolling maul effort from a sweeping team move was capped by the powerful Kalaveti Ravouvou try to get them back within three points 24-21.
Drua looked to have hit the front on 67 minutes only for a try to be denied by the TMO.
The Brumbies then survived a lengthy period on their own line before their penalty try proved to decisive.
Fijian Drua's Tela put on a clinic at No.10, pulling the strings constantly with his pinpoint cross-field kick for Masi's try a clear highlight.
"We're confident as a footy side and when we put it together, we can beat anyone on our given day," captain for the day Tela said.
"We just took a little bit of time before we decided we'll start playing. I back my boys any day of the week to score tries.
The Brumbies are a good side…they are clinical, especially when you give them too many penalties," Tela said.
"When Drua get behind on the scoreboard they're gonna run it from anywhere and they were just good," Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said.
"They're big bodies marching their way downfield pretty-easily for periods and we didn't fix that until halftime.
"Once they're behind the gainline they're very dangerous…this competition for them is going to do them a world of good going into the world cup…they're building good combination," Larkham said.
Drua coach Mick Byrne lamented the errors his team made.
"The referee is going to the [Rugby] World Cup and good luck to him, he saw a clear knock-on but did not see the footage and we lost a try. But thats not what cost us game; we made too many errors," Byrne said.
"The time wasting just played into the Brumbies hands they love that structured game, couple of times he could have had a chat but look we made too many errors."
"We got across the line but never scored the try and it was very frustrating watching that is for sure."
He was proud of his team nonetheless.
"This is a tough place to come and we put on a performance. I think the scoreboard got away from us in the end. We will take heart from that and there were a lot of learnings," he said.
"At the start of the second half we didn't secure enough possession and we gave them a few set pieces and we will learn from that. We learn every week and [I am] proud of the boys for what they did tonight."