Drua stun Reds with 80th minute match winner, sparking wild scenes in Suva
Updated . First published at
Fijian Drua substitute Isikeli Rabitu scored a try with 52 seconds to spare to stun the Queensland Reds 36-33 in their first match since Les Kiss was confirmed as the next Wallabies coach.
The Reds were one minute away from registering an elusive first win in Suva but they were unable to hold on with 14 men after flanker Fraser McReight was shown a yellow card in the dying stages.
Seru Uru looked to have won the game for the Reds when he forced a turnover on his own try line, only to spill the ball almost immediately after stealing possession.
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Drua players celebrate a try. Getty
Rabitu pounced on the loose ball and flung himself towards the try-line.
The last-minute try came after the Drua regathered possession following a hopeful kick from winger Taniela Rakuro from inside his own half.
Fullback Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula nailed the conversion to claim a dramatic three-point victory, just their third win of the season, sparking wild scenes at a packed HFC Stadium in Suva.
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It was the Drua's second straight home win against Australian opposition after beating the Waratahs in Lautoka on April 19.
"Obviously a bit disappointed at the end, but I thought the boys did really well to get ourselves back into the game," Reds captain Tate McDermott said on Stan Sport.
"The Drua played a physical game and we missed too many tackles. Obviously disappointed, but we got the bonus point. We're not happy with that, but it's better than nothing.
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"We let them score too easily, too many times. Against a team like the Drua, if you give them that much time and space to do whatever they want with the ball and they're going to make you pay.
"We'll take our lessons. It's not all doom and gloom.
"We've got an important game next week against the Waratahs and then against the Brumbies, but we'll take it one week at a time."
The big picture
The last-gasp victory has kept the Drua's faint Super Rugby Pacific playoff hopes alive.
They remain at the bottom of the table but have cut the gap to sixth to just seven points.
The Reds are fourth on 28 points. Their losing bonus point ensures they cannot be overtaken this weekend.
What's next
The Drua host the Blues at HFC Stadium in Suva next Friday in a must-win match for the Fijian side, while the Reds travel to Sydney to play the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium on the same night.
