Fijian Drua

Sau failed his Head Injury Assessment (HIA) and will be rested for a game according to World Rugby’s HIA protocols.

Sau was injured in the match against the Reds on Sunday.

Fijian Drua coach Mick Byrne said the ‘Sledgehammer’ will return to the country.

“In protocols around the game, he needs to stand down for a game. He is good, doing well, no serious adverse effects but obviously not passing HIA just means he has to stand down. He’ll head back to Fiji and recover back there and we’ll pick him up when we get there after the Highlanders weekend.”

That was the Fijian Drua's biggest problem as they went down fighting, 27-24, in a close battle with the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Sunday.

While offloads did wonders for the Fijian side, it also turned out to punish the team when they went overboard with it at crucial moments, resulting in knock-ons and losing possession, especially in the team's red zones.

Another area the Drua were culpable was not being quick enough to support the ball carriers, ensuring that their opponents tacklers and ball hunters were bulldozed out of the way.

The Drua side dropped from fifth place after the close 24-27 loss to Reds yesterday.

They now have nine points from four matches, recording two wins and two losses.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs and the Brumbies maintain their unbeaten run.

Chiefs is at the top with 19 points, the Brumbies second with 17 and the Hurricanes with 14.

With 11 points is the Blues in fourth place while the Crusaders and Reds share 10 points each.

The Drua will face the Highlanders in their next game on Saturday at 3.35pm (Fiji Time) in Dunedin, New Zealand.

The Reds winger earned a crucial penalty for the host to hold on to a 27-24 win over the Drua.

The Drua could have bagged a five pointer just five minutes into the match but Elia Canakaivata lost the ball just meters short of the tryline.

However, they still had the advantage and Frank Lomani nailed the penalty for a 3-0 lead.

Playing inside Fiji’s 22, James O’Connor puts the ball up high with which Suliasi Vunivalu won the aerial battle and kept the ball alive before being taken into touch.

FBC Sports reports Drua chief executive Mark Evans said the historic win last weekend in Lautoka should encourage even more fans to come out and support the team.

“It locks the market when you do that you say yes it’s out it’s all sold out and that encourages people to buy more. Not so much in Fiji people didn’t get past sold out. I don’t think they read the rest of the sentence and we genuinely get loads of people saying oh no no it’s sold out, no it’s not, just that little stand over there, so we’re not gonna do that anymore.”

The All Blacks rep said the Drua deserved the win and he expects to see more from the Fijian club.

 “It’s unfair to blame the weather, the Drua showed up to play and they played their hearts out,” Reece said after the game.

 “It’s great to see a team like the Drua in the competition, freshens the game and definitely look forward to seeing more.”

 Reece added playing in front of his countrymen and a jam-packed crowd never disappointed, and he was thankful to the supporters for supporting the game.

Before his Brumbies claimed a third straight win, brother Kemu had produced a magical sporting moment, slotting a penalty goal after the siren to earn Fijian Drua a huge upset win against the Crusaders in his Super Rugby Pacific debut.

In memorable scenes, the packed crowd in Lautoka was in raptures celebrating their first win in Fiji since entering the competition last year.

For 28-year-old Kemu, it was the culmination of a lengthy journey to earn his debut, but also his chance to start a new chapter in his domestic competition.

Fijian Drua

Beat Crusaders 25-24. Record: 2-1. Last ranking: 9. Table position: 5.

The Crusaders found that out the hard way on an absolute sweaty armpit of a day in Lautoka during this weekend's round of Super Rugby Pacific, losing on the last kick of a game they really had no right to win anyway.

This weekend has seen some very good rugby, but it belongs to the Drua. They've delivered on their promise to play an up-tempo style throughout their time in Super Rugby so far and nearly pulled off a couple of upsets last season.

Coach Mick Byrne says with the Drua coming off a loss against the Waratahs last week, the side is also hungry for a win as they want to put smiles on the faces of home fans.

FBC reports Byrne saying they had a disappointing final 20 minutes last week against the Waratahs, and this is an area they have worked on for this crucial first home game of the season.

Flying Fijians winger Eroni Sau will make his Super Rugby Pacific debut with the Drua in the game.

Photo credit Fijian Drua/Facebook