Some droughts last so long, you begin to wonder if the rain will ever return.
It wasn’t until the 80th minute in Auckland that our Brumbies felt that first drop of rain, which quickly showed itself to be a tsunami in the form of a damaging scrum. It was a scrum worthy of a 12-year wait, enough to bring a tear to the eye of even Stephen Larkham - the man nicknamed ‘Bernie’ due to his laid-back demeanour.
Once Ryan Lonergan had slotted the last-minute penalty, the 21-20 victory was assured. The remarkable victory should ensure our Brumbies return home brimming with confidence, where a familiar foe stands ready to meet them. The Fijian Drua – who themselves secured a famous victory over the Chiefs – prepare to visit the nation’s capital in a bid to continue their strong form.
Friday’s match signifies the second meeting of the two sides in season 2025. The reverse fixture in Suva saw our Brumbies become the first Australian side to return from Fiji victorious. This was despite resting a host of Wallabies players and handing debuts to no fewer than six squad members. The hard-fought nature of their 36-32 win means the squad will be under no illusions as to the challenge in store on Friday night.
The return of fly-half Noah Lolesio is a huge boost to the home side, despite Declan Meredith proving a more than capable replacement in his absence. Remarkably, the structure of the draw means that despite only missing three weeks, both of Lolesio’s matchups will have come against the Drua.
For the Fijians, life on the road hasn’t treated them well. Despite pushing both the Hurricanes and Waratahs right to the death, the Drua are yet to record a win away from Fiji. Add this to an 0-8 away record in 2024, and it’s no secret that Glen Jackson and his team will be desperate to translate their home success into victories abroad.
The Brumbies themselves will have the added motivation of securing their first home win of the season. In only our second match at GIO Stadium in 2025, our Brumbies will be looking to right the wrongs of Round 2, where a rare home loss saw the Western Force break a hoodoo of their own.
All 2025 ACT Brumbies Full Season Members have access to GIO Stadium home games using their 2025 Membership cards. 4 Game Reserved Seat Members can redeem their tickets via Ticketek, while 4 Game General Admission Members can use their card to enter the games of their choice.
Super Rugby Pacific Round 5 vs Fijian Drua
Date: Friday 14 March
Gates Open: 5:25pm
Kick-off: 7:35pm
Parking: Available in stadium parking areas. $10 payment. Early bird is $5, up to 45 minutes prior to kick-off
Brumbies Members, don’t forget your 20% discount on tickets, check the latest email of The Round Up for the discount link, or email membership@brumbies.rugby.
Our Brumbies Women also take on the Fijians, albeit some 3,415 km away. Following their development match against Penina Pasifika, our Brumbies return to Super Rugby Women action Saturday afternoon with both sides eager to record their first win of the season.
For two-time champions the Drua, round 1 brought a shock home defeat at the hands of the Queensland Reds Women. Brumbies fans needn’t be reminded of our girls’ opening round result, as heart rates are hopefully back to normal after their 29-29 draw over in Perth.
This week’s matchup represents round 3 of a 5-round competition, which means that despite our women only playing their second match, they are essentially playing for a finals position.
There is no greater test than playing away in Fiji, though for our Brumbies Women, losing is simply not an option. Tune in via Stan Sport to catch all the action.
In a week of Brumbies vs Drua, both matches look set to shape the ladders of their respective competitions.
