Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula says little can faze the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua as the team heads into a key Super Rugby Pacific clash this week after a hard-fought 24-22 win over the Western Force on Saturday. The Moce, Lau-born fly-half — affectionately known as “Izzy” — took the game’s result as proof of the Drua’s resilience amid disruptive weather and a testing run of away results.
“We’ve always spoken about being a really resilient group,” Armstrong-Ravula said after the match. “I think to most Fijians, not many things can phase us so even a cyclone; it’s probably pretty good.” The fly-half, who also handles kicking duties, praised his teammates for digging in to secure the narrow victory and said the squad’s focus now turns quickly to preparation for their next assignment.
Armstrong-Ravula made clear the priorities in the days ahead: recovery, resetting and returning to work. “Pretty proud of the boys that we could get the job done today. Just recover, reset, get back to training on Monday and hopefully, the weather is all good,” he said. The comments follow concerns that Tropical Cyclone Vaianu and a run of away losses could have disrupted the Drua’s preparations; Armstrong-Ravula’s message was that the group has absorbed those challenges and moved on.
The Drua travel to Canberra to face the Brumbies on Friday night, kick-off scheduled for 9.30pm at GIO Stadium. The match represents a quick turnaround and a stern test against one of the competition’s established Australian sides, with the Drua hoping to carry momentum from Saturday’s narrow win into the capital.
Saturday’s 24-22 result underlined the small margins that have defined the Drua’s season to date. While details of the game’s scoring sequence were not provided in Saturday’s briefing, Armstrong-Ravula’s post-match reflections stressed the value of composure and team unity in close fixtures. His leadership at fly-half — marshaling play and contributing points from the kicking tee — will be central to the Drua’s game plan as they seek consistency down the closing stretch of the campaign.
With the weather a recurring talking point for Fijian teams this season, the Drua will be monitoring conditions ahead of the Canberra trip but appear confident in their ability to adapt. Armstrong-Ravula’s upbeat assessment offers a clear signal from within the squad: despite disruptions and a long campaign, the Drua see themselves as battle-hardened and ready for the next test.
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