The New South Wales Waratahs yesterday gave Fijian Drua a torrid debut in Super Rugby Pacific and claimed their first win in 18 months with a 40-10 thrashing in Sydney.
Drua, one of two Pasifika expansion sides joining Australia and New Zealand teams in the 12-team competition, came into the match with great expectations after upsetting the Melbourne Rebels in a trial match.
However, they were quickly dismantled by a disciplined Waratahs side at Western Sydney Stadium, conceding five tries to one in a deflating display for Fijians in the crowd.
Will Harris, David Porecki, Lalakai Foketi, Angus Bell and Jake Gordon scored the tries for the Waratahs, with Ben Donaldson slotting three penalties and racking up 15 points off the tee.
Baden Kerr scored Drua’s first points in the competition with a first-half penalty, but the Fijian side had to wait more than an hour for their opening try, Nemani Nagusa barging over from a few meters short of the line.
“It’s been a long time since we put in a performance like that,” Waratahs captain Jake Gordon said. “It’s been a long pre-season, and it’s good to see the guys reflect that in their hard work and put in a good performance like that against a challenging Fiji team.”
The heavy defeat underlined the challenge ahead for Drua and the other expansion side, Moana Pasifika, as they look to be competitive against experienced opponents.
The Waratahs were the worst performing Australian team last year, losing 13 matches in a winless season.
Earlier, Wellington Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea criticized New Zealand Rugby for scheduling matches in Dunedin, forcing players to take four-hour bus trips to and from games in the South Island city.
New Zealand’s six teams have all been moved to a hub in the tourist resort of Queenstown because of COVID-19.
They were originally set to play night matches in Invercargill, but organizers shifted them to Dunedin, a further 1 hour, 20 minutes’ drive away on a long and winding road, saying it was the teams’ preferred option.
“It’s not ideal, being on a bus for four hours, then having to play a professional rugby game, against a quality side — you think of the health and safety there,” All Blacks loose forward Savea told reporters yesterday. “We’re trusting our trainers to just try and come up with something that will help us prep well. I think all the teams will be in the same situation, but we’ve got guys coming back from long-term injuries, and they’re quite nervous sitting on a bus for four hours and then having to play their first game.”
The New Zealand teams are to be based in Queenstown for at least the first three weeks of the competition.
The Hurricanes meet the Canterbury Crusaders in their season-opener in Dunedin today.
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