Reds v Fijian Drua: Five takeaways as hosts’ ‘forward power’ proves decisive while hat-trick hero and ex-France star’s efforts go unrewarded
Fijian Drua flyer Manasa Mataele (inset) and Reds back-row Seru Uru.
Following the Reds’ deserved 45-24 win over the Fijian Drua in their Super Rugby Pacific clash at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Friday, Planet Rugby picks out five takeaways from the thrilling action.
The top line
Although the Reds secured a 21-point victory, things did not always go their way as the Drua were competitive for long periods but, in the end, the hosts finished stronger and clinched a deserved win.
The Drua made the brighter start when the impressive Manasa Mataele went over for the opening try early on but the Reds soon took control of proceedings and were rewarded with converted five-pointers from Matt Faessler, Filipo Daugunu and Josh Flook which gave them a 21-5 lead by the 36th minute.
However, the Drua finished the half stronger and a converted try from Meli Tuni meant the hosts held a 21-12 lead at the interval.
After the restart, the Drua continued where they left off before the break and two tries in quick succession meant they were up 24-21 by the 47th minute.
The home side needed a response and that came via quickfire tries from Harry Wilson and Faessler which meant they had regained the initiative as they were now leading 33-21.
The Reds finished stronger in the final quarter and further five-pointers from Seru Uru and Richie Asiata secured their victory.
Forward power paves the way to Reds victory
Although the visitors stood up well in the forward exchanges during the early stages of this game, the Reds’ superiority in that department became evident as the match progressed and that proved crucial in the grander scheme of things.
The Drua enjoy playing an expansive brand of rugby and while there were some great attacking moments from both sides, the key to the Reds’ success was not to take the visitors on at that game.
That meant that they had to take control of proceedings up front and they did just that as their forward power, especially in the tight phases, paved the way to victory.
On two occasions, excellent lineout drives resulted in well-taken tries off the back of the maul either side of half-time from Faessler.
And in the 59th minute, a powerful shove at a scrum from the Reds’ pack, in which they had their opponents back-pedalling at a rate of knots, was rewarded when Wilson dotted down from the back of the set-piece.
Manasa Mataele’s heroics not enough for the Drua
The offloading game and keeping the ball alive is what Fijian rugby is renowned for and there was no better exponent of those skills in this game than experienced Drua speedster Mataele, whose efforts were rewarded with a hat-trick of tries.
He gave his side an early advantage when he intercepted a wayward Carter Gordon pass close to the Drua’s 10-metre line before crossing for the opening try.
Early in the second half, the 29-year-old showed his class when he delivered an excellent grubber kick inside the Reds’ 22 which he regathered before dotting down under the posts.
And shortly after that, Virimi Vakatawa executed a perfectly weighted cross-field kick which Mataele collected from under the nose of Wilson in the hosts’ red zone and promptly crossed for his third try.
In the end, Mataele finished with a match-high 96 metres gained which included 11 runs with three clean breaks, one defender beaten and a deserved hat-trick of tries but his heroics were not enough to secure the result for his side.
Wallabies watch
This was Reds head coach Les Kiss’ final match in charge of the Brisbane-based outfit in front of their home fans before he takes over the Wallabies’ coaching reins from Joe Schmidt later this year.
However, several Reds players put their hands up for Test selection and Kiss and Schmidt will be happy with their performances.
Amongst the backs, the efforts of Tate McDermott, who only recently returned to action after a lengthy stint on the sidelines due to a serious hamstring injury, caught the eye as he was lively on attack while also catching the eye with his decision making and distribution skills.
Meanwhile, Daugunu left his stamp on this match with a superb all-round display after coming on as a replacement for Hunter Paisami in midfield after 28 minutes.
Daugunu was dangerous on attack as he crossed for a try and also set up one for fellow centre Josh Flook while also impressing with his defensive work, especially at the breakdowns where he won two turnovers.
Amongst the forwards, Faessler led the way as he impressed in the execution of his core duties while also scoring a couple of tries while Uru’s efforts at the coalface of the forward effort were also rewarded with a five-pointer.
Elsewhere, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto impressed with a high work-rate either side of the ball while Fraser McReight was his usual, busy self during the breakdown battle where he delivered a dominant performance, winning a match-high four turnovers.
Ex-France star influential in superb second half cameo
Former France international centre Vakatawa, who shone at club level for Racing 92 and Bristol Bears before joining the Drua at the start of this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign, came onto the field at the start of the second half and hit the ground running as his introduction coincided with his team’s fightback.
From the outset the 34-year-old, who now qualifies to represent Fiji and has been included in their Nations Championship squad, hit the ground running and proved a handful to the Reds’ defence.
Shortly after joining the fray, Vakatawa left his stamp on this match with his delightful cross-field kick in the build-up to Mataele’s third try and he continued to ask questions of the home side’s defence with some fine attacking runs.
He also did his bit on defence as he won a crucial turnover but despite his excellent efforts, it was not enough to help his side clinch a victory in their final match of the season.