Drua beat Reds to maintain 8th place in Super Rugby, Brumbies edge Crusaders with late penalty try
SUVA, Fiji (AP) — Hooker and captain Tevita Ikanivere scored a try in each half as the Fijian Drua beat the 14-man Queensland Reds 28-19 in hot conditions in Suva on Saturday to hold on to eighth place and a playoff chance in Super Rugby Pacific.
The Reds were reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes in the second half when winger Suliasi Vunivalu received a second yellow card for a foot trip which was upgraded to a red card. Suva-born Vunivalu was handed a yellow card and conceded a penalty for a foot trip in the first half.
The Drua’s fifth win in six home matches this season kept them in eighth place after 13 of 15 regular-season rounds.
“We didn’t perform last week (in a 48-10 loss to the Western Force) but we still filled the stadium this week and that was for our fans and our families,” said Ikanivere who was a powerhouse for the Drua, leading them in carries.