Swire Shipping Fijian Drua Head Coach Mick Byrne has made some significant changes to his lineup for the crucial round 15 match against the Queensland Reds this Saturday in Suva.
Kalaveti Ravouvou has been moved to the left wing to accommodate Teti Tela in midfield. This has resulted in Selesitino Ravutaumada moving to fullback, and Caleb Muntz securing a starting spot at fly-half.
Tela will partner with the team’s leading try scorer of the season, Masi. Masi has been in exceptional form and currently holds the fourth spot for most tries in the 2023 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific competition. He has scored nine tries so far, trailing behind Mark Telea of the Blues and Shaun Stevenson of the Chiefs, who jointly lead the standings with 11 tries each. Leicester Fainga’anuku of the Crusaders follows closely with 10 tries.
The Drua’s aspirations to secure a spot in the finals playoffs hinge not only on their own victory this Saturday but also on the Blues, Brumbies, and Chiefs winning their respective matches against the Highlanders, Rebels, and Western Force this weekend.
The Drua and Reds have faced each other twice before, with both matches being closely contested, decided by a margin of 5 points or less. The Reds won both encounters.
The Drua versus Reds clash will start at 4.35pm at the HFC Stadium.
