Moana Pasfika's furious last-minute comeback falls short against Drua

The Fijian Drua hosted Moana Pasifika in the second duel between the two sides this year, having lost the first time around during Super Round in Melbourne.

It was revenge Mick Byrne’s men were after and it was revenge that they got after a demanding 80 minutes in Lautoka. Taniela Rakuro scored a double and Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula claimed three conversions and a penalty to escape a furious comeback from their Pasifika neighbours.

Iosefo Masi got the festivities underway with an electric linebreak less than 90 seconds into the game, producing a goose step that left two Moana players tackling each other before setting Taniela Rakuro away for the try.

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Fiji’s Nemani Nadolo chatted to RugbyPass’s Liam Heagney recently, touching on his impressive speed and strength records.

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Fiji’s Nemani Nadolo chatted to RugbyPass’s Liam Heagney recently, touching on his impressive speed and strength records.

There was high phase play making for gruelling work on both sides of the ball throughout the contest, and while the Drua were able to use some strong leg drives to get over the gain line, Moana’s defence remained composed and the team’s work around the breakdown found some reward with turnovers relieving pressure.

Mesake Doge received a yellow card for a high tackle in the 17th minute but the Drua manged to control the territory well while down a man and used up some clock by earning a breakdown penalty inside the Moana 22, with Isaiah Armtsong-Ravula stepping up to the tee to claim three points.

Masi was prominent in many positive attacking plays and a chip and chase from blindside flanker Etonia Waqa proved yet again that any Fijian can make some magic happen regardless of what number they’re wearing.

Selestino Ravutaumada made the most of the quality field position with a chip and chase of his own, beating Christian Leali’ifano in the race for the ball to score.

This pushed the lead to 17-0 in time for the first half to come to a close.

Moana Pasifika were the first to strike in the second period, with centre Henry Taefu finding an opportunity to put the Drua backfield under immense pressure with a chip kick landing just short of the try line. A perfectly timed and executed hit from winger Viliami Fine knocked the ball loose the second Ilaisa Droasese attempted to gather it, allowing Taefu to dive on it just centimetres from the dead ball line.

The Drua’s 17-point lead was restored thanks to a clever line from Taniela Rakuro, who cut in behind Droasese and shook the final tackle before dining over for his second. Armstrong-Ravula added the extras to make it 24-5.

That lead of 19 would only last for a minute though as Moana secured a breakdown turnover directly from the kickoff.

Sione Havili Talitui found a gap generated by the ensuing lineout play and ran through untouched, keeping Moana Pasifika in touch with 10 minutes remaining.

The visitors looked to have earned some powerful momentum following the try, making huge metres through phase play and charging into the Drua’s 22. They lost the ball but earned possession back with a strong scrum, leading to another lineout in the same place they scored just minutes earlier.

This time, the team opted for a driving maul and the backs ran in to assist, powering reserve hooker Sama Malolo over the line. The conversion cut the lead to seven and set up an intense final three minutes.

The Drua hammered away relentlessly throughout those final minutes, hanging on to the ball right up until the 80 minutes was done, only for Moana to steel possession. It was a short-lived glimpse of hope for the visitors though as a breakdown turnover quickly brought the game to a close. Fulltime score: 24-17.