The Fijian Drua claimed a milestone victory in Canberra on Sunday, beating the ACT Brumbies to record their first away win of the Super Rugby Pacific season. The win underlined the Drua’s growing resilience and tactical adaptability as they overcame an early injury setback and a late Brumbies surge to leave GIO Stadium with a hard-fought result.
The match took an early turn when Isikeli Basiyalo went off injured, forcing head coach Glen Jackson into a reshuffle. Jackson responded by moving Simione Kuruvoli to the right wing, a pragmatic switch that helped steady the backline while maintaining front-foot momentum. The move proved significant as the Drua continued to press in the loose and keep the Brumbies under sustained pressure.
Across the park the Drua’s forward pack set the platform, dominating contact areas and winning multiple turnovers that underpinned long periods of possession. Virimi Vakatawa’s influence proved pivotal — the experienced centre repeatedly sparked the Drua’s backline, creating go-forward and clean ball for the halfbacks. Issak Fines-Leleiwasa and Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula combined consistently as playmakers, directing traffic and taking advantage of quick ball to keep the Brumbies defence honest.
For large stretches the Drua controlled the ball and territory and looked capable of running away with the contest on the Brumbies’ home turf. Handling errors, however, remained an issue for both sides, with knock-ons interrupting several promising phases and curbing some of the flow the Drua had established in the first half.
Canberra fought back in the second half, a revival led by former Australia Sevens star Corey Toole, whose sharp running and counter-attacking threat troubled the visitors and sparked a period of sustained Brumbies pressure. Yet despite the home side’s momentum swing, the Drua’s defensive resolve held firm in the closing passages. It was that grit in defence — repeated stops and crucial turnover work at pivotal moments — that ultimately secured the result for Jackson’s men.
The victory follows the Drua’s earlier season win at Lautoka against the Hurricanes and marks an important step in their campaign, proving they can win away from home in tough conditions. With adjustments that paid off under pressure and a defensive performance that blunted a late comeback, the Drua will take confidence from Sunday’s performance as they head into the next round of Super Rugby fixtures.
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