The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua say resilience shown in Lautoka will be the foundation for a tougher challenge in Canberra after a narrow 24-22 victory over the Western Force at Churchill Park last Saturday. The win — the Drua’s final home fixture at Churchill Park this season — came amid disruption from Tropical Cyclone Vaianu, which forced players and staff to prepare “from home or wherever possible” in the lead-up to the match.
Head coach Glen Jackson described the result as a timely platform and urged the squad to take momentum on their week-long preparations. Jackson singled out crowd power as a factor he hopes can be replicated away from home, referencing the sold-out Govind Park atmosphere from their first meeting earlier this season. “The crowd; that would be quite good,” Jackson told reporters on Saturday. “Imagine if we took that crowd to Canberra. They (Fijian Drua) don’t have anyone to go and watch them (there) so it would be awesome to fill the stadium with the Ba supporters that we had.”
Captain Isoa Nasilasila echoed the coach’s intent but stressed the technical and physical work required ahead of Friday’s trip. Returning to camp this week, Nasilasila said the focus will be “high physicality, making sure we’re working together as a unit, the backs, forwards and just building on them.” His comments underscore a belief that unity and intensity will be decisive against the Brumbies, whose tight defence and structured play are well documented.
The Drua travel to GIO Stadium in Canberra to face a Brumbies side coming off a 14-10 victory over the Highlanders. Stephen Larkham’s team sit fourth on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder with 24 points; the Drua are ninth with 12. The match is scheduled to kick off this Friday at 9.30pm (Fiji time), a fixture that represents both a test of the Drua’s climbing form and an opportunity to close the gap on higher-placed sides.
Jackson and Nasilasila both framed the Lautoka result as more than just two competition points — a galvanising moment after a week disrupted by weather. The Drua now have to convert that resilience into consistency on the road, travelling to Australia with limited home support but carrying belief from a tight win over a quality Force outfit.
With the Brumbies’ recent scalp of the Highlanders reinforcing their top-four credentials, the Drua will need to match physicality and discipline if they are to upset the standings. Preparation ramps up this week as the playing group returns to camp to sharpen contact work, set-piece execution and defensive patterns ahead of the Friday night clash in Canberra.
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