On Sunday, August 19, 1984, the Nadroga Stallions secured a hard-fought 17-9 victory over Lautoka, preserving their unbeaten record in the Air Pacific-FRU competition. The match, held at Churchill Park, captivated a crowd of 4,500 spectators who witnessed an impressive display of skill from both teams.
Nadroga quickly established their dominance, gaining a territorial advantage and taking an early lead with a penalty kick from Tawake Dakunibubului, who successfully converted from 40 meters out. This strong start laid the groundwork for Nadroga’s performance, as their forwards excelled in lineouts, scrums, and retaining possession.
The first significant scoring opportunity arrived in the 34th minute when Sunia Nadruku executed a strategic kick that was capitalized on by former Stallions’ outside back Jone Ratu, who dove over the try line to give Nadroga a 7-0 lead at halftime.
Despite a strong defense from Lautoka, which was noted by spectators during the break, the second half witnessed Lautoka narrowing the gap with a penalty kick from Nasoni Buli. They defended vigorously against Nadroga’s advances.
Nadroga responded with resilience, as Peceli Tuisawau scored a try fifteen minutes into the second half, pushing the score to 11-3. Lautoka’s captain, Eneri Ratudradra, made commendable efforts to breach Nadroga’s defense, but the Stallions remained steadfast.
As the game reached its conclusion, Lautoka pressed for a comeback, but Nadroga’s backline effectively denied any scoring opportunities. The match concluded in injury time when half-back Meli Nasauravua raced down the blind side from a scrum to score, securing Nadroga’s victory with Dakunibubului’s conversion bringing the final score to 17-9. This win ensured Nadroga maintained their perfect record in the competition.