NRC: Brilliant Drua down Vikings to book first NRC Grand Final in Fiji

Sat, Oct 20, 2018, 3:00 AM
Brett McKay
by Brett McKay
The Fijian Drua will host the National Rugby Championship Grand Final after coming from behind to defeat the Canberra Vikings in Lautoka.

After being dominated in the contest for the best part of an hour, the Fijian Drua have stormed into their first ever National Rugby Championship Final by beating the Canberra Vikings.

It was five tries all in the semi-final in Lautoka, but extras off the boot - or a lack of them for Canberra - proved the difference and sealed an historic win for the Drua.

The Fiji side will play the winner of Queensland Country and the Western Force on the Gold Coast in next Saturday’s Final.

In soaking conditions after more than four hours of rain in Fiji on Saturday morning, the Vikings suffered an early blow, losing flyhalf Wharenui Hawera to injury inside the first ten minutes.


Rory Arnold was held up soon after, following Rob Valetini going close from a lineout set play variation, but the Vikings opened the scoring from the resulting scrum, when Andy Muirhead splashed over in the corner.

Canberra winger Lausii Taliauli was next to score, in the 21st minute, after rookie playmaker Noah Lolesio through a long ball over the top to send the big man in untouched.

The Drua held onto the ball long enough to strike back, with scrumhalf Frank Lomani diving over next to the posts in the 28th minute. Fullback Apisalome Waqatabu converted to cut the Vikings’ lead back to three points.

Canberra extended that out to six after Lolesio kicked a penalty in the 34th minute, and their set piece ascendency was underlined when Drua lock Albert Tuisue received a yellow card on the stroke of half time for a maul infringement.

Canberra won another scrum penalty, before some quick thinking from scrumhalf Joe Powell caught the Fijian defence napping out wide, to send boom backrower Rob Valetini crashing over.

Lolesio missed his third straight conversion, but the Vikings had a handy 18-7 lead as they ran to the sheds.

Canberra picked up where the left off straight after halftime when fullback Tom Banks crossed in the corner in the 46th minute, but the Drua managed to turn their scrum issues around with their replacement front rowers, with loosehead Eroni Mawi crashing over to bring the score back to 23-14 to the Vikings.

Fiji’s forwards where getting them back into the contest, and after Veitokani nearly broke through, big no.8 Eremasi Radrodro barged over under the posts. Replacement Enele Malele’s second conversion made it a two-point ball game, and with the home crowd right back into full voice on the Churchill Park hill.

The Drua hit the front in the 68th minute, when after the Drua's replacement tighthead Luke Tagi unleashed a John Cartwright circa 1990 offload well before the halfway line, with winger Aporosa Tabulawaki finishing off a seventy-metre movement under the posts. Malele’s third conversion put the home side out to a 28-23 lead with eleven minutes to play.

All momentum in the game had shifted by this point, with Tuisue making up for his earlier indiscretion and starting to level Vikings in defence. The Drua forwards were queueing to pick and drive, and they nearly scored again in the 76th minute, only to be held up.

From the five-metre scrum, another huge Fijian scrum was edging toward the line with penalty advantage, and Vikings scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan’s infringement forced referee Graham Cooper to upgrade the advantage to a penalty try to seal the win.

Lolesio scored a late consolation try for the Vikings after a dozen phases on full time, but after missing all four conversions earlier in the game, it was too little too late.

From being well out of the contest with half an hour to play, the Fijian Drua had stormed into their maiden NRC Final in just their second year in the competition.

FIJIAN DRUA 35

 TRIES: Lomani, Mawi, Radrodro, Tabulawaki, Penalty try

 CONS: Waqatabu 1/1, Malele 3/3

 CARDS: Tuisue (Yellow, 40’)

 CANBERRA VIKINGS 28

 TRIES: Muirhead, Taliauli, Valetini, Banks, Lolesio

 CONS: Lolesio 0/4

 PENS: Lolesio 1/1

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20

Fiji Drua vs Canberra Vikings, Churchill Park, 3pm AEDT

LIVE on FOX SPORTS 3 503.

TEAMS

Drua to face the Vikings

1. Joeli Veitayaki

2. Mesulame Dolokoto

3. Benji Makutu

4. Peni Naulago

5. Albert Tuisue

6. Mosese Voka ©

7. Jone Navori

8. Eramasi Rodrodro

9. Frank Lomani

10. Alivereti Veitokani

11. Aparosa Tabulawaki

12. Cyril Reece

13. Apisalome Vota

14. Levani Kurimudu

15. Apisalome Waqatabu

Reserves

16. Ratunaisa Navuma

17. Eroni Mawi

18. Luke Tagi

19. Tevita Naqali

20. Johnny Dyer

21. Peni Matawalu

22.  Enele Malele

23.  Lepani Raiyala

Vikings to face the Drua

IN: Pete Samu, 

OUT: Brodie Leber

1. Vunipola Fifita

2. Josh Mann-Rea

3. Tom Ross

4. Rory Arnold

5. Darcy Swain

6. Rob Valetini

7. Bj Edwards

8. Ben Hyne (C)

9. Joe Powell

10. Wharenui Hawera

11. Andy Muirhead

12. Jordan Jackson-Hope

13. Len Ikitau

14. Lausii Taliauli

15. Tom Banks

Reserves

16. Connal McInerney

17. Sione Taula

18. Max Bode

19. Blake Enever

20. Pete Samu

21. Ryan Lonergan

22. Noah Lolesio

23. Irae Simone

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