Drua break the curse: Finals race ignited as Highlanders face ‘embarrassing’ fallout

Before the weekend, the Fijian Drua had never beaten the Highlanders from Otago in Super Rugby Pacific.

But in the sweltering heat at 4R Stadium in Ba on Saturday, that history was rewritten.

The 24-10 win has turned the 2026 championship on its head. The 10-point victory doesn’t just keep the Fijians’ record in Ba perfect, it leaves them, the Highlanders, and the Waratahs all locked on 20 points.

They will now fight for the final playoff spots with just three games to go.

The Drua will rue the opportunity to get the four-try bonus point in the dying minutes of the game that would have seen them ahead on 21 points.

The hero of the afternoon was Drua fullback Isikeli Rabitu, who bagged a double and exposed a Highlanders defence that looked stuck in first gear.

Frank Lomani of the Fijian Drua during the warm-up. Photo/Facebook

Rabitu, who missed last week’s loss to the Chiefs during the Super Round in Christchurch, combined with a milestone try for No. 8 Elia Canakaivata in his 50th Super Rugby match.

Together, they proved too much for the visitors from Dunedin. They shut the Highlanders out of the contest, with a mountain of handling errors proving too much for the South Island side to recover from, despite ample opportunities in their own territory.

Halfback Issak Fines-Leleiwasa also had an outstanding game, especially his "sharp passing, speed around the ruck", picking up Man of the Match honours.

While the Drua celebrated, the Highlanders were left to answer for a performance that has sparked a wave of criticism from fans and pundits alike.

“We got a bit of white line fever,” Highlanders captain Timoci Tavatavanawai said. “We did really well to get into the 22… but our success rate and error rate just let us down.”

Online, the reaction was more brutal, with supporters labelling the display "genuinely embarrassing" as the South Island side coughed up a mountain of handling errors in the crucial final quarter.

Drua head coach Glenn Jackson told a press conference that “defensively,” he was “real proud that they stepped up”.

“It wasn’t perfect by a long way, and pretty ordinary at times… but especially our scrum defence was outstanding.”

The Drua now head into a well-earned bye week before a massive clash against the Waratahs that could decide their season.

Moana Pasifika vs Blues

While the Drua are surging, Moana Pasifika are staring down the barrel after a 45-19 loss to the Blues in the ‘Battle of the 09’ Auckland derby for the second time this season.

It was a tale of two halves at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday night. Moana showed flashes of brilliance and being competitive in the opening 40.

Hooker Millennium Sanerivi grabbed a double to keep them within two points at the break. But as they have done all season, the Blues flipped a switch in the second half, piling on 31 points to blow the game wide open.

Shaking his head in utter disarray, captain Miracle Faiilagi told Sky Sport his side need to just “make the most of it and enjoy every day of training,” with only two home games left of the season, and potentially their club.

The path is even tougher for Moana as they prepare to host the high-flying Hurricanes next Saturday (7.05pm, NZT), while the Blues face the Crusaders at One NZ Stadium on Friday night at the same time.

With only three rounds left, every knock-on and every penalty is now a season-defining moment for our Pacific teams.

For more information on the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific Championship, click here.