Fijian Drua captain Tevita Ikanivere and three other senior players have been farewelled from the side. Photo: Fijian Drua
Fijian Drua captain Tevita Ikanivere and three other senior players have been farewelled in style in their last home match for the side in Lautoka on Saturday afternoon.
The Drua finally found the rhythm at Churchill Park to claim a big 38-7 win over the Western Force in their Super Rugby Pacific round 14 clash.
It was the last home game for Ikanivere, Caleb Muntz, Selesitino Ravutaumada and Isoefo Masi.
The four are leaving the club at the end of the Super Rugby season.
"Was a great game. I thank the boys for getting the job done," Ikanivere said.
"It was a tough one but we finally managed to get it done in the end."
Force captain Jeremy Williams said the local side were on fire and just denied them any opportunity to settle down.
"I thought we started the first half really well and then they gained that momentum and we couldn't really get it back," Williams told Stan Sport post-game.
"We had poor discipline and probably turned the ball over too easily and that's the second week in a row we've done those things.
"Against a quality side like the Drua, you're going to pay and we did."
Drua head coach Glen Jackson said before the game that the team was focused on getting a win for their fans and the four departing players.
The win was a much-needed breather for the Fiji Drua fans, most of whom had started questioning the side's performance after they had not performed up to the fans' expectations, despite some early promises.
It also pushed the side up to 10th position, off the bottom of the competition's points standing, with a point advantage over the Highlanders, who lost to the Hurricanes 24-20 in Wellington on Friday night.
At the same time, they managed to keep their winning record against the Force at Churchill Park intact, taking their home wins to 10 out of 11 matches.
The Force remain at 9th position.
The visitors, who thrashed the Drua at home in Perth in round five, started with a bang and scored a converted try just after kick off.
It was Sio Tomkinson who got across.
Captain Williams had his side on the offence early, when a quickly recycled ball down the blindside gave Henry Robertson the run and his offload, with Tomkinson scoring untouched inside the opening three minutes.
The Force went on to dominate much of the opening 30 minutes despite losing Henry Robertson to the sin bin after 17 minutes for a professional foul on rival halfback Philip Baselala.
But the hosts hit straight back, with Baselala diving over to score, the conversion tying the game up.
Then centre Masi got on the scoreboard, before flyhalf Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula added a penalty, leaving the home side to lead 17-7 at halftime.
Number eight and work horse Elia Canakaivata claimed two tries in the second half before Ravutaumada got his name on the scoreboard, as the Drua finished off with a 38-7.
Drua will have a bye this coming weekend before flying to Brisbane for their last match against the Reds the following weekend, while the Force play the Waratahs on May 24.
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