Queensland Reds silence Drua for Fijian first and fourth-straight win
Murray Wenzel
The Queensland Reds shut down Drua to end Fiji’s drought and move into the top three in Super Rugby Pacific.
The visitors kept Drua from a try in a 21-6 bonus-point win in Lautoka on Saturday, securing their first win in four visits and a fourth consecutive win for the first time in four years.
The Reds’ (4-1) defense stifled a Fijian (2-3) offense, which had uncharacteristically struggled with fluidity as they sought three straight wins for the first time in their history.
The Reds’ furious Fijian duo of Filipo Daugunu and Seru Uru were superb on both sides of the ball, silencing the usually joyous home crowd.
Captain Harry Wilson, who replaced the rested Fraser McReight, set the tone by making some good reads in defense and ball runs, while No 10 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips also scored a try and controlled progress with in-form fly-half Carter Gordon also heading home.
Kalani Thomas was also impressive on his debut from No.9 this season, creating and scoring the first try with a clever chip shot and clever supporting play.
It was the Reds who handled the hot and slippery conditions best; Drua full-back Ilaisa Droasese played a simple pass with the try line wide open to end the half.
This would have put the home team ahead and it remained their best chance to score as the visitors continued to make mistakes in the second half.
Jock Campbell was shown a yellow card for slowing play in his 100th game, but the Reds remained resolute with 14 men down and went even further ahead when he came back.
Uru and Wilson combined in a one-two attack to push the Reds forward before McLaughlin-Phillips stepped up to push two Drua defenders aside.
Substitute hooker Richie Asiata then sealed the contest, securing the bonus point with a rolling strike try in the 63rd minute.
The Reds, who also rested Test prop Zane Nonggorr, now travel to Wellington to face the top-placed Hurricanes (4-1), who beat the Highlanders 50-7 on Friday.
“It’s great to get our first win here; it’s a tough place to play… We really wanted to give Jock a change,” Wilson said.
“That was our defensive change. We’re really proud of that performance.”
“After losing in round one there are now four running backs. The fittest team in the competition are the Hurricanes so it’s exciting to take them home next.”
AAP
