SUPER RUGBY ,2024, GAME FOUR Blues vs Fijian Drua
SATURDAY 24th FEBRUARY SEMENOFF STADIUM, WHANGAREI, NZ
DRUA
It’s hard not to be excited about how the Drua might kick on from last year, but they will have to do it without Caleb Muntz, who tore his ACL at training the week before the World Cup kicked off. That injury may well expedite the introduction of Fiji Under 20s star Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, who has quite the pedigree as the nephew of Richie Mo’unga. Armstrong-Ravula was one of the standout performers from last year’s Junior World Championship, and he will benefit from playing outside the experienced Frank Lomani, Simione Kuruvoli and Peni Matawalu when his chance does arrive. Mike Byrne’s squad otherwise has great continuity from last year with just four other Super Rugby rookies across the group, and those returning from World Cup duty are sure to be buoyed by their brilliant displays in France. The Drua face a daunting start to 2024 as they face the Blues, Crusaders and Chiefs all inside four weeks, but if they can find a win in one of those games, and also see off Moana Pasifika in Super Round, then the Fijians will have laid a decent platform from which they can build into the season.
PREVIOUS HISTORY
2023, 2023 was a huge year for Fijian rugby, for not only did they come within a whisker of an historic World Cup semi final berth but, earlier in the year, the Drua also featured in their first playoffs campaign. Sure, they were promptly dispatched by the Crusaders, but to reach the postseason in only their second season of Super Rugby was no mean feat. They did that by dominating their opponents in Suva and Lautoka, where they won five of six games, the Drua riding the support of the passionate home fans who created the standout atmosphere in the competition. With skipper Meli Derenalagi, powerhouse hooker Tevita Ikanivere, and a litany of backline speedsters leading the way, the Drua played with a pace and tempo at home that ran visiting teams into the ground. But they could manage only one win on the road, in Round 1, against Moana Pasifika, with their lineout, in particular, put under heavy pressure. Nevertheless, 18 Drua players were later included in Fiji’s World Cup squad, which stunned the Wallabies and very nearly defeated England for the second time in three months – a result that would have seen them reach the last four of the global showpiece for the very first time.
BLUES
Former Scotland Fiji coach Vern Cotter returns to his homeland to take on the challenge of coaching the Blues, who have already been dealt a cruel blow with the loss of returned lock Patrick Tuipulotu to a broken jaw. Elsewhere, there is no Beauden Barrett who is away in Japan on sabbatical, while hard-working utility forward Tom Robinson has also moved on. Stephen Perofeta will get first crack at the No. 10 jersey outside of All Blacks scrum-half Finlay Christie, while Cotter will be hoping the World Cup omissions of Hoskins Sotutu and Akira Ioane have lit a fire under the talented back-row duo. German-born Anton Segner is another player to watch, with the loose forward expected to push for Test honours in the coming years. The Blues have the Hurricanes and Crusaders twice, so too the Highlanders whom they meet in the Super Round in week two, but their draw looks reasonable, particularly if they can pick up road wins against the Hurricanes and Waratahs early in the season and start the year with some momentum.
PREVIOUS HISTORY
While they made it all the way to the semi finals, where they were hammered by the Crusaders 52-15, there was a sense throughout the season that the Blues were a level or two down on their efforts from the previous year. Ladder-leaders and eventual runners-up in 2022, the Blues just didn’t look like the same team, despite finishing with a 10-4 record and running up big score lines over the Waratahs, Rebels and Highlanders. They were forced to manage their All Blacks throughout the year, as was the case with each of the Kiwi franchises, and then lost skipper Dalton Papali’i through the closing weeks of the regular season after the flanker was red-carded for a dangerous tackle on Richie Mo’unga. Leon MacDonald’s team were often devastating in attack, and led all teams for metres gained and clean breaks, with Mark Telea producing a scintillating season that saw him beat an astonishing 102 defenders — 30 more than anyone else in the competition. But MacDonald’s promising tenure would ultimately end without an elusive piece of silverware, taking the Auckland-based title drought out to 20 years, excluding their trans-Tasman series triumph of 2021.
Blues (1-15): Joshua Fusitu’a, Kurt Eklund, Angus Ta’avao, Sam Darry, Josh Beehre, Anton Segner, Dalton Papali’i (c), Hoskins Sotutu, Finlay Christie, Stephen Perofeta, Caleb Clarke, Harry Plummer, Rieko Ioane, Mark Tele’a, Zarn Sullivan
Replacements: Ricky Riccitelli, Jordan Lay, Marcel Renata, Laghlan McWhannell, Adrian Choat, Sam Nock, AJ Lam, Cole Forbes
Drua (1-15): Livai Natave, Tevita Ikanivere, Mesake Doge, Isoa Nasilasila, Leone Rotuisolia, Etonia Waqa, Ella Canakaivata, Meli Derenalagi (c), Frank Lomani, Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, Selestino Ravutaumada, Apisalome Vota, Iosefo Masi, Epeli Momo, Isikeli Rabitu
Replacements: Mesulame Dolokoto, Emosi Tuqiri, Jone Koroiduadua, Mesake Vocevoce, Vilive Miramira, Peni Matawalu, Kemu Valetini, Tudraki Samusamuvodre
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Referees: Stu Curran, Jackson Henshaw
The Blues should be too good here. They looked good in their trials, but the Drua will not lie down. They are a very physical side and will give the Aucklanders plenty to think about. As proven in the last world cup they are a good side and will be difficult to play especially when games are played in the islands of Lautoka and Suva. They need to be strong on discipline and not give away silly penalties. This is Auckland’s year to prove the doubters wrong. I don’t think they can win the competition but second or third is very possible. I am picking the Blues by 13 plus.
Watch for Preview of Game 5 Highlanders v Moana Pasifika.
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