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'I wasn't really thinking': Drua super sub reflects on 'unreal' debut vs Crusaders

By Finn Morton
(Photo by Pita Simpson/Getty Images)

Fijian Drua debutant Kemu Valetini forged his name into Super Rugby history with an 83rd minute penalty goal against the champion Crusaders at Churchill Park on Saturday.

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Playing in front of their home fans for the first time this season, the Drua ensured that it was a day that the rugby world would never forget.

It will go down in history as one of the greatest upsets in the history of Super Rugby.

The match started as many expected; the Crusaders raced out to a commanding 12-nil lead midway through the first half, as they began to live up to their ‘favourites’ tag.

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But the Drua weren’t going to throw in the towel anytime soon. This is a team full of belief and passion, who were spurred on by the vibrant crowd in Lautoka.

While they went into the half-time break trailing by seven, the hosts later took the lead after tries to Ilaisa Droasese, Joseva Tamani and Eroni Sau.

With just 10 minutes to play, the Drua were on the cusp of rugby immortality. One of the greatest days in the history of Fijian rugby was within reach.

But the Crusaders hit back through Sevu Reece and Ioane Moananu, and regained the lead with less than a minute to run on the clock.

History had seemingly slipped through their grasp, but the Drua unleashed one final attacking onslaught on the Crusaders – and it worked.

The Drua were awarded a penalty after the full-time siren, and a debutant stepped up to complete the fairytale finish that his side had worked so tirelessly for.

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Kemu Valetini, the older brother of Wallabies loose forward Rob, said he “wasn’t really thinking much” as he lined up his famous shot at goal.

“To come on in the last five minutes with the game in the balance with the Crusaders, they’re a team that doesn’t go away, doesn’t matter how long the game goes for, they can play until the 90th minute if they really wanted to,” Valetini told RugbyPass.

“I wasn’t really thinking much to be honest.

“There was a lot going on, the crowd was loud, the boys were jumping on me because this is probably an opportunity for us to really put our mark on Super Rugby Pacific.

“I’ve done that kick a thousand times, probably a million times over in my head as a kid… I’ve had moments like that before where I probably haven’t executed the kick as well as I would have.

“It’s a massive step for myself and it just probably gave me a lot of confidence that I can handle the high pressure situations at Super Rugby.”

Valetini’s road to Super Rugby has been tough, but he’s persevered in the pursuit of his rugby dreams.

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At 28 years of age, Valetini has had to overcome a number of injuries en route to his Super Rugby debut.

The Fijian Drua hero has previously plied his trade with the Melbourne Rising, had a stint in Spain, and played for Manly in Sydney’ Shute Shield competition.

But for it all to play out the way it did on Saturday was simply “unreal.”

“To be on debut, it was crazy,” he added.

“I was just sitting on the sideline, it was ticking over 70 minutes and I was like, ‘I’m not sure if I’ll get on here.’

“One of the boys all game was just like, ‘Bro just be ready, you never know what’s gonna, you could get on, something could happen.’

“I didn’t get time to warm up or anything. To do that against the Crusaders, the defending champions and have my debut like that, especially the place where all my family were watching from the sidelines.

“Ultimately winning the game for Fijian Drua was unreal, was special, something I probably won’t forget for a very long time.”

Following the win over the Crusaders, the Fijian Drua sit in fifth place on this year’s Super Rugby Pacific standings after three rounds.

Next up, the Drua travel to Brisbane for a crunch clash against the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

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J
Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

36 Go to comments
A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

36 Go to comments
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