Swire Shipping Fijian Drua co-captain Temo Mayanavanua lauded his side’s resilience and the “unwavering” support of home fans after the Drua overturned a halftime deficit to beat the Highlanders 24-14 in Round 12 of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific at 4R Stadium, Govind Park in Ba.
Mayanavanua, named as one of the team’s co-captains for the campaign, said the result reflected the squad’s hard work and unity. “First of all, I just want to thank the boys for their effort out there. It wasn’t easy, but everyone stepped up and did their job,” he said. He singled out the crowd’s backing for helping lift the team. “Big vinaka vakalevu to all our fans for your prayers and fasting for the team. We really felt your support,” Mayanavanua added, also paying tribute to the Highlanders for providing a stern contest.
The match was an arm-wrestle in the opening 40 minutes. The Drua opened the scoring in the 10th minute when a superb interception by Tuidraki Samusamuvodre released Virimi Vakatawa, who sailed over for a try that Izaiah Ravula converted. The Highlanders hit back through Jonah Lowe, with Cameron Millar adding the extras to level the contest, and then edged in front shortly before halftime when forward Veveni Lasaqa crashed over and Millar’s boot pushed the visitors 14-12 ahead.
Drua centre Isikeli Rabitu supplied the home side’s second try before the interval, cutting through the Highlanders’ defence, though the conversion was missed and the visitors carried a slender two-point lead into the sheds. What followed in the second half was a disciplined Drua performance: they outscored the Highlanders 12-0 after the break to turn a 14-12 deficit into a 24-14 victory, keeping the visitors scoreless in the final 40 minutes.
Mayanavanua credited the collective effort for the turnaround, singling out the forwards’ physicality and the backs’ execution under pressure. The win will be welcomed by Drua supporters in Ba as confirmation that the team can grind out results on home soil against established Super Rugby opponents.
The result is the latest development in the Drua’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign and marks a morale-boosting home performance in Round 12. While the Highlanders showed flashes of their attacking threat early on, it was the Drua’s cohesion and momentum after halftime that ultimately decided the contest, leaving Govind Park celebrating as the final whistle blew.
Co-captain Mayanavanua’s public praise for the fans and his squad underscored a recurring theme for the Drua this season: unity, hard work and strong home support remain central to their push in the competition.