Drua player Selesitino Ravutaumada charges with the ball against the Crusaders Photo: Fijian Drua
Kudos to the Fijian Drua on their last minute 25-24 Super Rugby Pacific win over the champion Crusaders in Lautoka, Fiji last Saturday.
The win will be remembered for a long time to come by Fijians.
"It was unreal today, it was epic," Drua captain Tevita Ikanivere told The Fiji Times after the tough battle.
"The boys came out in the second half firing and we did the job, we got the win. We had the belief we could do it and we came and defeated a great Crusaders team. And what better way to do it than in front of our home crowd."
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was seen fisting the air in jubilation as replacement fly-half Kemu Valetini slotted in the winning penalty.
He told the media afterwards that he was "was very impressed with the team's performance" and wished the Fijian Drua side well in their upcoming matches.
Former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the current Fiji Rugby Union President, was also seen celebrating amongst the grandstand crowd.
Losing Crusaders captain Scott Barrett, playing in his 100th Super Rugby match, told the newspaper it was a competitive Drua side.
"I guess that's not what we wanted, but we got what we expected, that's a tough Drua side playing at home," Barrett said.
"We saw how dangerous they were, they capitalised with their skill, and running play. Congratulations to the Drua on their win."
Drua coach Mick Byrne told The Fiji Times the belief of the players to topple teams that have stamped their mark in the competition was a major factor.
"(It) shows the growth that we've had over the last 12 months, our ability to absorb, come again and then win the game. So I'm really proud of the way they played," Byrne said.
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said teams will now start to take notice of the Drua.
"I think a few people will be looking at this fixture when they get it," he said.
"There'll be a new respect for the Drua," he added.
Photo: Fiji Drua
Pressure
But that respect will also come with added pressure on the Fijian side.
Having made some early waves in the 2022 competition, the side has now recorded its first home win.
And as that was against the champion Crusaders the pressure will be truly on the players as they head into the rest of their fixtures.
With the win comes added expectations.
First and foremost fans who flocked and packed Churchill Park at the weekend, and those who watched the televised version, now will expect the Drua to beat the rest of the teams.
Why? Because the Crusaders are the champions. Fijians, like the Kiwis, are crazy about rugby. Especially 7s Rugby and the Drua.
Second, that expectation will add pressure on the players, who will now have that win on the back of their minds, fully understanding that fans will be wanting wins from now on. To Fijian fans beating the champions means all the rest should be beatable.
Third, other Super Rugby teams will now realise that they cannot take the Drua for granted and commit the same mistake the Crusaders did last weekend when they fielded a team that was without the majority of their star players.
It will mean that the Reds will be fully geared up at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, this Sunday. They will be ready to defend their home turf.
Forwards focus
Areas that the Drua forward pack will be eyeing is consistency in their scrummaging and working out how best they can stop mauls from lineouts, especially close to the tryline.
Captain Ikanivere told FBC Sports that there are some technical issues with their scrum which they need to fix before facing the Reds this weekend.
While their pack stood their ground at times against the Crusaders, he said they can still do better.
"I think Samu Tawake and Emosi Tuqiri did a good job when they came on to square them up and push straight and I think once we got a scrum right, we saw Jo (Joseva Tamani) score a try off our scrum."
Head coach Byrne said it's something they'll need to master and it comes down to practice.
"It's only three games in and I think we've started different front rowers and it's a craft area of the game, we've got to be doing it every week."
