A mistake-riddled Super Rugby Pacific game ended in a 24-14 win for the Drua in Ba this afternoon.
It was the first victory over the Highlanders for the Fijians in five attempts, and it might have snuffed out the Highlanders’ chances of making the playoffs.
The island locals were waving their flags and excited to see their heroes do something special but this was not a great spectacle.
In fact, it was a shocker.
Both sides committed a horrific number of mistakes and made some dumb decisions.
The Highlanders led by two at halftime but could not score a point in the second half, and if the Drua had not been so skittery when they had the ball, this scoreline would have been even worse.
It was not a first half either side would be eager to keep in the memory bank.
Possibly it was the heat – a sultry 29degC – and humidity in Ba making the ball a little slippery, or maybe both teams were just too eager and too nervy.
Whatever the reason, the first 40 minutes were littered with mistakes and harum-scarum rugby.
One of the teams also had a shocking lineout . . . and Highlanders fans were overjoyed it was not their men butchering set piece after set piece but the Fijians, who appeared to have no idea how to hit the targeted jumper.
The Highlanders started brightly but the Drua got the first points on the board.
It came from an intercept and 50m burst, and while Jona Nareki dragged down the breakaway man, the ball was recycled and fed to second five Virimi Vakatawa for the opening try.
A smooth Highlanders lineout take was then followed by crisp ball to the right, where winger Jonah Lowe was on hand to dive over acrobatically and score.
The Drua were always willing to try something but they lacked any sort of accuracy in execution.
It was frustrating, therefore, when the Highlanders made it too easy for the home side to score their second try.
Drua fullback Isikeli Rabitu – a real livewire, to be fair – appeared to be covered on the flanks but he somehow wriggled through and around both Folau Fakatava and Jona Nareki.
More mistakes and missed opportunities threatened to be the story of the rest of the first half.
That was until about 90sec to play when, after a to-and-fro period, the Highlanders mauled and Veveni Lasaqa just controlled the ball over the line, Cameron Millar’s second conversion giving the visitors a 14-12 lead at halftime.
That lead was quickly expunged.
Rabitu scored his second with a thrilling run just after the break, and No 8 Elia Canakaivata celebrated his 50th game with a try from close range.
The Highlanders were suddenly trailing by 10 and responded by changing half their forward pack.
A try looked on when they mauled from an attacking lineout but they slipped and turned the ball over.
The Highlanders were not firing many shots at this stage but they were being kept in the game by some terribly erratic decision-making by the Fijians.
The Drua then lost a man when Rabitu committed a professional foul under pressure.
Cue immense frustration for the Highlanders as they wasted an attacking scrum by getting a man isolated and pinged for not releasing, and followed that up with an embarrassingly bad lineout.
It was still 24-14 to the Drua with 11 minutes to play when there was a massive moment.
The Fijians produced another shocking lineout throw that went straight to Highlanders hooker Soane Vikena. He launched himself at the line but spilled the ball in the tackle.
Restored to 15 men, the Drua were hamstringing themselves by a lineout that was comically inept.
Neither side appeared capable of holding on to the ball in the final minutes and you could have forgiven the good people of Ba for calling for an early whistle to put both out of their misery.
The Highlanders had a late crack but kicked a penalty dead in a perfect summary of a forgettable game.
The Highlanders are at home to play the Waratahs next Saturday night before finishing the season with tough away games against the Chiefs and Hurricanes.
Super Rugby
The scores
Fijian Drua 24
Isikeli Rabitu 2, Virimi Vakatawa, Elia Canakaivata tries; Isiah Armstrong-Ravula 2 con
Highlanders 14
Jonah Lowe, Veveni Lasaqa tries; Cameron Millar 2 con
Halftime: Highlanders 14-12.
