The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua must regroup after a 6-21 defeat to the Queensland Reds at Churchill Park in Lautoka yesterday, a result that leaves the home side searching for answers ahead of two difficult trips to New Zealand. The loss came in round six of the 2026 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific competition and was notable for being the Reds’ first victory on Drua soil, according to Queensland head coach Les Kiss.
Drua co-captain Frank Lomani said the team will return to work immediately to correct the errors that cost them, outlining a clear plan to review and rebuild from Monday. “We’re going back to the board on Monday, we’re going to look at our mistakes,” Lomani said in a post-match interview, noting the immediate focus is on the looming fixtures against the Blues and Crusaders. “We got Blues and two tough games coming up; the Blues and Crusaders.”
Lomani singled out execution in the Reds’ half as a key area where the Drua fell short. “We just didn’t execute when we were into their half and we had a few areas that we just did not execute,” he said, adding that the side’s physicality remained a positive despite the scoreline. The Drua managed only two points at Churchill Park, held scoreless in attack for the full 80 minutes, while the Reds put together a clinical performance to reach 21 points.
Kiss praised his players for the victory in what he described as a tough environment, saying the team showed respect for the Drua and matched their intensity. The significance of the win was underscored by the rarity of a visiting side coming away from Lautoka with a result against the Fijian franchise, with Kiss noting it as his team’s first success there.
The defeat intensifies scrutiny on the Drua’s ability to perform away from home. Lomani acknowledged the challenge ahead but remained hopeful the upcoming New Zealand fixtures will offer an opportunity to reverse what he called an “away-game jinx.” The Drua travel to Auckland to face the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday, before taking on the Crusaders, and Lomani said those matches will be “a good opportunity for us to go there and play a good game.”
With two top-tier New Zealand opponents on the immediate schedule, the Drua will need to tighten their execution and convert their physical strengths into points if they are to salvage momentum from a disappointing night at Churchill Park. Coaches and players alike have flagged the week ahead as pivotal for the team’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
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