The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua will face the Chiefs on Sunday as Christchurch hosts this year’s Super Round, and head coach Glen Jackson says the side heads into the showdown with renewed belief after two straight wins and the return of influential leaders Frank Lomani and Temo Mayanavanua. Jackson called the mood in camp “positive” and said the pair’s availability strengthens the Drua as they chase a top-six finish and a place in the playoffs.
“Now that Frank and Temo are back, we’ve got a solid outfit that’s going to turn up and give it a good crack,” Jackson said, underlining the immediate boost those returns bring to the squad. Lomani’s presence in the spine and the leadership provided by senior forwards have been singled out by Jackson as central to the team’s recent improvement in training standards and on-field professionalism.
The Drua have won their last two matches and, with momentum on their side, are aiming to notch a third straight victory — a run Jackson suggested the club has not yet managed this season and hinted would be a significant milestone. “We can (win), but we’ve also got to do something that we haven’t done that’s three in a row. We’re always here to try and create history, but we’re under no illusion,” he said, stressing both ambition and realism.
Jackson also acknowledged the scale of the task. The Chiefs arrive off a big-win performance against the Hurricanes and will carry confidence into Christchurch. “The Chiefs are the Chiefs. They’ve just beaten the so-called favourites in the Hurricanes and will have huge confidence going into that game,” Jackson said, pointing to the quality and recent form of their opponents as reasons the Drua must be on top of their preparation.
The match takes on extra significance as part of the Super Round, staged at a world-class Christchurch venue that brings multiple fixtures to one host city. Jackson described the setting as important for the players’ experience and the profile of the club as it seeks to cement a push toward the quarterfinals. He reiterated the team’s focus on starting well and executing the hard work laid out during training: “The boys know the pathway to get them to the quarterfinals, and hard work hopefully can pay off.”
With selection bolstered and confidence building, the Drua will look to translate preparation into performance against a Chiefs side expected to test them across all facets. Victory in Christchurch would not only extend their winning run but also strengthen their standing in the hunt for a top-six finish as the season moves toward its defining phase.
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