Luke Reimer stars as Brumbies secure historic win away to Fijian Drua

Two late tries to bullocking flanker Luke Reimer have helped the Brumbies secure a hard-fought 36-32 win over Fijian Drua in a Super Rugby Pacific thriller in Suva.

It looked like coach Stephen Larkham’s gamble of leaving key Wallabies at home wasn’t going to pay off with the Brumbies trailing until the 74th minute when Reimer rumbled over for his second.

Making their first trip to Fiji, the Brumbies became the first Australian side to win there, with the Drua’s record at home now two losses from their past 11 matches.

Larkham left Test prop James Slipper, lock Nick Frost, fullback Tom Wright and centre Len Ikitau in Canberra, while other Wallabies stars including Rob Valetini were out through injury.

The risk looked a smart move early on, with the visitors storming to a 17-7 lead, helped by two Drua yellow cards.

One of those was against Vuate Karawalevu for a deliberate knock-down, but the winger made amends in the second half, scoring twice to put his team in front.

The Brumbies scored three first-half tries, through hooker Billy Pollard, centre Ollie Sapsford and scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, who darted down the short-side off a lineout.

But 12 handling errors to the home side’s two and Noah Lolesio missing two conversions brought their good work undone, with a converted try by centre Ponipate Loganimasi in the 37th minute giving the Drua an 18-17 halftime advantage.

The lead continued to change hands, with debutant Karawalevu’s double putting his team up 32-24 at the 60-minute mark.

Forced off early in the second half for an HIA, Reimer then used the Brumbies’ dominant set-piece to put his team back in the match.

As well as contributing four turnovers, Reimer dived across the line in the 67th minute and burrowed over again in the 74th for the visitors to go ahead 34-32.

Replacement five-eighth Declan Meredith added the extras for a four-point win.

Stand-in skipper Lonergan said he was proud of the efforts of his under-manned side to lift at the end after 13-hours travel to Suva via Melbourne.

“So proud, to be able to play six debutants and they go out there and show that kind of heart at the end to be able to claw back that deficit, it’s a credit to them,” Lonergan told Stan Sport.

“They worked so hard through the pre-season, they’ve just been grinding behind the scenes and for them to now get the chocolates here at the end, I’m so happy.

“Our set-piece there at the end, really sort of got us back there in the game and a couple of good tries to Lukey Reimer there that I’m sure we won’t stop hearing about.”