This is the second Super Rugby Pacific match between the Melbourne Rebels and Fijian Drua; the Drua won their inaugural encounter (31-26) as they recorded their first-ever victory in the competition.
The Melbourne Rebels have lost their last 10 Super Rugby matches in succession, their second-longest losing run in the history of the competition (L 12-April 2011 to March 2012).
- The Fijian Drua have won one of their five Super Rugby matches (L4), a 31-26 victory against the Melbourne Rebels (Round 3, 2022 Super Rugby Pacific); each of their last three games has been decided by five or fewer points.
- The Rebels have lost their last six Super Rugby matches against teams from outside Australia, conceding 41 points per game in that span; their last victory was a 37-17 win against the Lions (Round 6, 2020 Super Rugby).
- The Fijian Drua have made 22 tackle breaks per game in the 2022, the second-most of any team in the competition and six per game more than the Melbourne Rebels (16).
Match detail
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In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEP! We are underway down under.
3.00: The Rebels have started well using the ball to spread the Fijians around the park.
6.00: TRY! Matt Philip reaches out to score his eighth Super Rugby try. The try came after seven phases camped inside the Drua 22 before the fijian resistance broke. 5-0
7.00: MISS! To’omua cannot covert. 5-0
9.00: Rebels get a kickable penalty, To’omua calls for the tee.
11.00: PENALTY! To’omua adds three more. 8-0
14.00: Superb defending by Mick Byrne’s men to stop another assault on their try line.
17.00: Fijian Drua have made five handling errors since the third minute of the game, it is costing them possession and keeping Byrne’s side camped inside their own half.
18.00: PENALTY! Michael Wells opted for a kick at goal after a scrum penalty on the opposition’s 10m. To’omua made no kistake. 11-0
22.00: The Fijians with some more outstanding defending keep out Melbourne; however, their handling is terrible (six handling errors).
25.00: It’s all Rebels, the Fijians cannot get a touch. They have yet to enter the opposition’s 22.
29.00: TRY! Jordan Uelese peels off a rolling maul to score his sixth Super Rugby try. 16-0
31.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 18-0
33.00: Cabous Eloff is caught with his hands in the ruck, Nemani Nagusa points at the posts.
34.00: PENALTY! Teti Tela puts Fijian Drua on the board. 18-3
36.00: a good opportunity is squandered after a knock-on at the breakdown before an offside offence.
38.00: Another sustained attack by Drua ends with a kickable penalty after Uelese is caught offside.
39.00: PENALTY! Tela doubles his tally. 18-6
42.00: PENALTY! To’omua, despite the boos, slots a long-range goal to give his side a big advantage. 21-6
The halftime score was Melbourne Rebels 21 Fijian Drua 6
41.00: PEEEP! We are back underway in Melbourne, Victoria.
44.00: Each team is conceding too many penalties, Rebels (9), Drua (7), but it’s a 6-3, 3-4 split in the defensive and attacking columns.
47.00: Fijian Drua needs to keep possession, and put pressure on the hosts, penalties won’t do the trick either if they are to get back into this game.
49.00: TRY! Raymond Nu’u scores from a lineout after dancing through several tackles to increase his side’s lead. 26-6
51.00: CONVERSION! To’omua makes no mistake; this game is done. 28-6
54.00: Byrne’s side is beginning to gain some momentum without too many errors. They need some points soon, though.
57.00: Fijian Drua with some pressure from counter-attacks. Vinaya Habosi’s mini-break set Tevita Ikanivere away, but the hooker was tackled short before Joseva Tamani got tackled into touch.
60.00: Tevita Ikanivere makes another break, but this time the hooker decides to throw a basketball pass to nobody instantly killing a promising counter-attack.
61.00: To’omua is smoked by Fijian Drua skipper Nemani Nagusa after he cleared, that was a brutal tackle that left the standoff winded.
67.00: YELLOW CARD! Reece Hodge is off for 10 minutes. 28-6
67.00: TRY! A 16-phase attack ended with another penalyy to the visitors. Instead of going to the corner, they took a quick-tap to Kitione Salawa, who barged through poor tackling to score. 28-11
68.00: CONVERSION! Tela adds the extras. 28-13
70.00: TRY! Eloff scores from close range. 33-13
72.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 35-13
74.00: TRY! It’s end-to-end now. Tevita Ikanivere, who has bennimmense since coming on, scores with a swan-dive in the corner after a dubious forward pass. Oh well! 35-18
76.00: CONVERSION! Tela adds the two from the corner. 35-20
77.00: TRY! Kalaveti Ravouvou scores a stunning counter-attacking try that went 85 metres and eight different handlers. 35-25
78.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 35-27
79.00: TRY! Cameron Orr crashes over for his team’s fifth. 40-27
80.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 42-27
FULL TIME
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The final score is Melbourne Rebels 42 (21) Fijian Drua 27 (6)
Scorers
Melbourne Rebels
Tries – Philip, Uelese, Nu’u, Eloff, Orr
Pen – To’omua (3)
Con – To’omua (4)
Drop –
Cards – Hodge (Yellow, 67′)
Fijian Drua
Tries – Salawa, Ikanivere, Ravouvou
Pen – Tela (2)
Con – Tela (3)
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Jordan Way
Assistant Ref 1: Reuben Keane
Assistant Ref 2: Amber McLachlan
TMO: Oli Kellett
Teams
Melbourne Rebels: 15 Reece Hodge, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Stacey Ili, 12 Raymond Nu’u, 11 Glen Vaihu, 10 Matt To’omua, 9 James Tuttle, 8 Michael Wells (captain), 7 Richard Hardwick, 6 Brad Wilkin, 5 Josh Hill, 4 Matt Philip, 3 Cabous Eloff, 2 Jordan Uelese, 1 Matt Gibbon
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Cameron Orr, 18 Rhys van Nek, 19 Daniel Maiava, 20 Sam Wallis, 21 Joe Powell, 22 Carter Gordon, 23 George Worth
Fijian Drua: 15 Kitione Ratu, 14 Selestino Ravutaumada, 13 Apisalome Vota, 12 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 11 Vinaya Habosi, 10 Teti Tela, 9 Frank Lomani, 8 Nemani Nagusa (captain), 7 Vilive Miramira, 6 Joseva Tamani, 5 Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, 4 Sorovakatini Tuifagalele, 3 Kaliopasi Uluilakepa, 2 Zuriel Togiatama, 1 Jone Koroiduadua
Replacements: 16 Tevita Ikanivere, 17 Haereiti Hetet, 18 Samuela Tawake, 19 Viliame Rarasea, 20 Kitione Salawa, 21 Peni Matawalu, 22 Caleb Muntz, 23 Jona Mataiciwa
