SWIRE Shipping Fijian Drua head coach Glen Jackson has made clear the team's objective after last weekend’s spirited home outing against the Highlanders in Ba: qualification for the Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinals. Jackson said he wants the side to win more games than last season and believes the squad has the quality to force its way into the play-offs.
“I’m motivated to put this team into a quarter final. More wins than we had last year. It’s now just a process. This season is well and truly in front of us, and these men deserve to be in the play-offs,” Jackson told reporters, underlining that his message is about measurable improvement rather than short-term reactions to one result. He described the Highlanders match — the second time the southern outfit had visited Ba — as good timing and valuable preparation, but made clear attention must now turn to the next opponent.
“The Highlanders are gone, now it’s the Waratahs,” Jackson added. “We like playing the Waratahs and can’t wait for them to come,” comments that signal the Drua will host New South Wales’ Super Rugby side as they look to build momentum. Jackson framed the season as a process focused on consistency: stacking wins, managing player recovery, and improving execution under pressure.
Co-captain Temo Mayanavanua echoed the coach’s emphasis on recovery and mental freshness, saying the past eight weeks have taken a heavy toll on players both physically and mentally. “It’s been a huge eight weeks for the boys, putting their bodies on the line week in, week out,” Mayanavanua said. He encouraged teammates to use the short break to spend time with family and return mentally refreshed for the clash with the Waratahs.
The pair’s public comments sharpen the Drua’s narrative from the broader messaging circulated earlier in the season by club leadership, which stressed unity, sacrifice and player welfare as pillars for sustained success. Jackson’s latest statements translate that philosophy into concrete targets — more wins than last year and a top-eight finish — while Mayanavanua’s remarks underscore the practical need to manage workload across a congested schedule.
Tactically, the team’s pathway is being billed as straightforward: improved consistency on match day, disciplined recovery programs between fixtures, and sharper execution in key moments. Those elements will be tested in the coming rounds as the Drua press their case for what Jackson described as a “deserved” play-off berth. The impending Waratahs fixture offers a timely opportunity to turn promise into points at home.
With the squad coming off a tough block of fixtures, the immediate focus is restoration and sharpening the basics ahead of their next outing. How effectively the Drua balance recovery with a push for wins will determine whether Jackson’s quarterfinal ambition remains aspiration or becomes the defining achievement of their campaign.