Fijian Drua will make their first appearance at the newly refurbished Govind Park Stadium in Ba this weekend, head coach Glen Jackson confirmed, with the team set to face the ACT Brumbies on Saturday at 3:35pm Fiji Time. The fixture marks one of two home games the Drua will stage in Ba this season, with the Otago Highlanders also scheduled to visit later in May.
Jackson described Govind Park as “world class” after taking the squad there for a training session on Tuesday, and said the club is energised by the prospect of playing in front of a strong local following. “The facility in Ba is world class. It is something different not only for the players but also for the spectators. A lot of the people in the interior will be able to get down to Ba. So we are excited for that,” Jackson said. He added that he had been impressed by the support the team observed during their visit and hopes to “fill that Stadium out.”
While Jackson said there were no widespread injury concerns, he confirmed two players will be unavailable for selection. Epeli Momo has not recovered from a hamstring problem sustained last week, and Kavaia Tagivetaua is sidelined with an ankle injury. Both are out of contention for the Brumbies match, opening opportunities on the bench for two players pushing for their Drua debuts.
Sairusi Ravudi will step in for Tagivetaua at hooker, while emerging centre Iosefo Namoce has been named as a potential finish-line replacement in midfield. Jackson indicated both players could make their first appearances off the bench this weekend if called upon, pointing to the squad’s depth and the coaching staff’s willingness to blood new talent during the season.
Jackson also acknowledged the challenge posed by the Brumbies, who he described as one of the in-form teams in the competition. “We know that they have started the season well. They were unlucky to lose against the Reds last weekend but they are the in-form team of the competition so we are under no illusion of how difficult this is going to be,” he said. Jackson warned his players to expect a disciplined defensive system from Canberra and emphasised the importance of securing clean ball at the breakdown.
On match management, Jackson appealed for officials to recognise infringements affecting his “cleaners” at the breakdown but stressed the primary focus must be on the Drua doing the basics right. “If we look after our own ball in the breakdown then it’s going to be a good game,” he said.
The Ba fixtures form part of the Drua’s expanded local footprint this season as the club seeks to bring top-level rugby to communities outside the usual venues. With Govind Park refurbished and local enthusiasm high, the match presents both a sporting test against a quality Brumbies side and an opportunity to showcase Super Rugby Pacific action to a new stadium crowd. The game kicks off at 3:35pm Fiji Time on Saturday.
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