Drua give playoff hopes a boost with first-ever win over Highlanders

The Fijian Drua have beaten the Highlanders for the first time in Super Rugby Pacific, claiming an important 24-14 as the playoff race heats up. With this result, the Drua have moved up to eighth on the ladder and are equal with the Highlanders on competition points.

It took the Highlanders 20 seconds to get their hands on the ball, with Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens linking up with Cam Millar to clean up a Drua clearance kick. The visitors dominated the possession battle during the opening five minutes, but it didn’t lead to points.

Jonah Lowe was brough down by scrum-half Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, before the Highlanders spread the ball from one sideline to the other. Jona Nareki got his first touch of the match along the left sideline, but the Drua scrambled well.

That set the tone for practically the first 10 minutes, as the Highlanders unleashed wave after wave of attacking pressure. But Tuidraki Samusamuvodre changed the game by picking off a pass, running from inside one 22 to the other with an intercept.

There was a messy fight for possession at the breakdown after Samusamuvodre was brought to ground, but the Drua did enough to retain the ball. They spread the ball wide to Frank Lomani on the wing, who set up France international Virimi Vakatawa for his maiden try in Drua colours.

The Highlanders looked to hit back almost immediately in the 13^th minute, as they built up phases inside the Drua 22. But the hosts secured a turnover on their own try line, before Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula kicked the ball about 20 meters downfield.

But the Highlanders appeared confident and played with momentum, getting themselves back into a point-scoring possession. Lowe pulled off a superb diving finish near the right sideline to dot down for the bounce back score.

Cam Millar slotted the difficult conversion attempt to bring the teams level at 7-all, but the Drua gave their fans in Ba plenty to cheer about soon after. Isikeli Rabitu bumped off Nareki en route to the try line in the 24^th minute.

With the half-time break looming, the Highlanders kicked downfield for a late bid to score some go-ahead points. Armstrong-Ravula was penalised at the breakdown inside the Drua’s 22, seeing the men from Dunedin kick for the corner.

The Highlanders maul was utterly dominant. Veveni Lasaqa reaped the rewards of a rampaging rolling maul, crashing over for the five-pointer inside the last five minutes of the half. Millar stepped up and converted the try, giving the Highlanders a 14-12 half-time lead.

To start the second term, Fines-Leleiwasa and Armstrong-Ravula helped spread the ball right, with some gaps opening up in the Highlanders defence. Rabitu broke through the line and beat the covering tackle attempt from Lowe.

Milestone man Elia Canakaivata added to the Drua’s advantage with a significant score about five minutes later. Armstrong-Ravula added the extras, as the Fijians raced out to a commanding 10-point lead with 30 to play.

Rabitu’s eventual afternoon continued, with the outside back shown a yellow card in the 61^st minute. That was the next major moment in this contest, as the Highlanders looked to make the most of their one-man advantage.

The Highlanders came close to scoring a couple of times, but the Drua continued to scramble well, nearing a drought-breaking win in this matchup. But in the end the Drua did enough, denying the Highlanders a losing bonus point in Ba.

In the final play of the match, the Drua were inches away from securing a winning bonus point, but a knock-on just shy of the line prevented them from moving ahead of the Highlanders on the ladder.