SWIRE Shipping Fijian Drua will return to Ba this Saturday to face the Highlanders at Four R Stadium, Govind Park, with kickoff set for 4pm — a homecoming that coach Glen Jackson says comes with both urgency and opportunity after a quick turnaround from their last outing. Jackson confirmed the side has just six days to reset, and that the coaching staff will deliberately "change the intensity of preparation" to ready the players for a testing week.
The match in Ba is expected to be played in front of a sold-out crowd, something Jackson says could provide a timely lift for his squad. "We know we’re going to have a sold-out crowd in Ba, so we’re looking forward to that," he said, signalling how the return to home soil has been prioritised as a platform to regain momentum.
Co-captain Temo Mayanavanua echoed the value of home support, describing the emotional and physical boost a partisan crowd can supply. "We’ve got a lot of energy back home with home game advantage, but it all comes down to consistency," Mayanavanua said, underlining that crowd noise alone will not be enough unless the team maintains discipline and intensity for the full duration of the match.
Mayanavanua singled out recent lapses in their game against the Chiefs as an area for urgent improvement. "We’ll build points, but then we slacken off a little bit, which is not good enough against a quality side," he said, pointing to moments where the Drua have struggled to sustain pressure and composure. He expressed confidence that the Ba environment can help "soak up the boys" and produce a more focused, controlled performance on Saturday.
Jackson’s acknowledgement of the six-day turnaround frames this fixture as both a physical challenge and a tactical exercise in recovery and preparation. With Super Rugby Pacific fixtures compacted, the ability to alter training intensity and manage player workloads will be crucial — particularly when facing an experienced touring side like the Highlanders, who will test the Drua across the full 80 minutes.
This development follows the Drua’s early-season tests as they seek to find consistency. Returning to Ba, where supporters are expected to pack Govind Park, offers a clear moment for the team to harness home-ground advantage, tighten defensive discipline and sustain pressure from start to finish if they are to capitalise on the favourable conditions and secure a much-needed result.