Coach’s challenge for Drua to fight through road woes

[Pelican Press 0]

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Coach’s challenge for Drua to fight through road woes

Fijian Drua coach Glen Jackson has challenged his side to show greater fight on the road after closing their Super Rugby Pacific season with their heaviest defeat.

The visitors conceded three tries in 10 minutes while Iosefo Masi was in the sin-bin in the first half on Saturday, effectively ending the contest early as the Queensland Reds cantered to a 52-7 win.

It was the Drua’s biggest loss of a 4-10 season and capped a winless Super Rugby Pacific campaign away from home.

They were a menace on home soil, beating the Reds earlier this month, and came within a try of beating the Hurricanes and Waratahs in their first two away games this season.

Moana Pasifika (6-8), who joined the competition in 2022 alongside the Drua, were in the hunt for a finals berth until the final round.

There will be departures, with captain and hooker Tevita Ikanivere leaving after playing his 50th game for the club on Saturday.

Olympic gold medallist and centre Masi, fullback Selestino Ravutaumada and flyhalf Caleb Muntz are also departing for European clubs.

Jackson said that retention wasn’t any more of an issue than it was for *********** rugby and that the Drua had the resources to improve again in their fifth season.

“We do absolutely; great facilities, great sponsors behind us,” he said.

“We have got players that when it gets a bit tough, need to fight through that.

“We get it at home but unfortunately, away, too often we resort to things that aren’t the way we want to play.”

“We are a young club with a proud rugby history but a lot of these boys haven’t experienced winning away.

“It’s the pressure that continues to build on them.

“It showed that when we had a bit of adversity with a sin-bin it seemed like the boys switched off.”

Reds coach Les Kiss, set to take over as Wallabies coach later next year expects the Drua to become a constant threat under Jackson.

“They’re dangerous at any given time and with very good coaches, they’re not far off on a few things that’s for sure,” he said.

“That’s (winning on the road) what they’ve got to overcome.”

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