The Western Force have been beaten 31-13 by the Fijian Drua in challenging conditions amid unrelenting rain on a water-soaked surface at Churchill Park in Lautoka on Saturday.
The Drua handled the difficult conditions better, scoring three tries and four penalties, compared to the Force’s two tries, with Tom Horton and Chase Tiatia dotting for the visitors in Round 6 of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
The Force were unable to capitalise on two cards to the Drua, including an upgraded red to Tevita Ikanivere as the home side celebrated Frank Lomani’s 50th game in style.
Horton had scored the game’s opening try inside two minutes but the Drua rallied for an 18-5 lead, only for Tiatia’s try on half-time to offer the visitors hope.
But the Drua kept finding ways to score in the second 40 despite a numerical disadvantage led by fly-half Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula who set up Iosefa Masi’s try and scored four penalties for the game.
Both sides produced good rugby and ball handling in tough conditions, but the Drua won more territory with 547-279 metres gained, while the Force had 36-14 missed tackles. The Force also lost 5-1 lineouts.
The result leaves the Force (1-5) in 12th spot, while the Drua rise up to seventh, buoyed by extending their imposing home record to 3-0 this season. The Drua have now won eight of their past nine home games, making Churchill Park a fortress.
The Force started the better and were rewarded when Horton dotted from the back of a maul in the second minute. Ben Donaldson couldn’t add the extras.
But the Drua hit back in the 13th minute with Epeli Momo crossing on the left edge to cap 10 phases of pressure amid some impressive passing in the conditions from the home side. Armstrong-Ravula missed the conversion attempt.
Drua scrum-half Lomani produced some fast thinking from a scrum penalty with a quick tap releasing Selestino Ravutaumada down the right edge to fly across the line. Armstrong-Ravula converted for a 12-5 lead in the 16th minute.
Despite a yellow card to Elia Canakaivata, the Drua kept adding points with two Armstrong-Ravula penalties following errors from Lopeti Faifua and Tom Franklin respectively to lead 18-5 after the half hour. Harry Potter exited for a head injury assessment and didn’t return.
Drua captain Ikanivere was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on Bayley Kuenzle on the stroke of half-time and the Force would capitalise, with some good ball handling down the left with Donaldson passing to Sam Spink who found Tiatia to score his fourth try of the campaign.
Donaldson couldn’t convert but the Force only trailed 18-10 at the break to have hope, having missed 25-2 tackles in the first half, losing 3-1 lineouts.
Immediately upon the resumption, Ikanivere’s yellow card was upgraded to a red but it was the Drua who scored next despite their numerical disadvantage, with Iosefa Masi racing clear to touch down Armstrong-Ravula’s clever chip in behind the Force backline for a 25-10 lead.
Donaldson narrowed the gap with a penalty kick, before acting captain Nic White’s 50-22 led to a near-try with Tiatia crossing down the left edge, only for the TMO to intervene, claiming the winger’s left arm was out of play before he grounded the ball under a tackle.
The Drua kept adding points via penalties, with debutant Sam Carter penalised at the lineout, before Armstrong-Ravula added another for a 31-13 lead in the 58th minute.
Buoyed by the injection of energetic scrum-half Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, whose father Sinu hails from Fiji, the Force got within the 22m a few times, only for a wayward Horton lineout throw and penalties to prove costly.
The Force kept up the pressure, with a Tim Anstee line break, before nine phases of attacking play only to come up with no points, despite reserve hooker Ben Funnell coming close.
The Drua penalties kept on piling up on their last line of defence but again the Force couldn’t find an avenue to score with Spink knocking on from Fines-Leleiwasa’s release with the try-line in sight.
Fijian Drua 31
Tries: Momo (13’), Ravutaumada (16’), Masi (43’)
Conversions: Armstrong-Ravula (2/3)
Penalties: Armstrong-Ravula (4/4)
Western Force 13
Tries: Horton (2’), Tiatia (40’)
Conversions: Donaldson (0/2)
Penalties: Donaldson (1/2)
