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Fijian Drua name pair of U20 playmakers to start against Blues

Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula of the Fijian Drua in pre-season action. Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The Fijian Drua have backed two rookie playmakers in their first starting XV of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, a game where they’ll take on the Blues in Whangarei.

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Starting at 10, the team named Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, born in 2004, while fullback Isikeli Rabitu was born in 2005 and is still eligible for Fiji U20 duties.

The pair will gain valuable experience while first-choice playmaker Caleb Muntz continues to rehab the knee injury that ruled him out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

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Coming off a quarter-final appearance in last year’s competition as well as a top-eight finish at the recent World Cup, Drua captain Meli Derenalagi told RugbyPass last week that his team will enter the 2024 campaign with confidence and energised from the experience of the past 12 months.

The 18 Drua players involved in the World Cup campaign will complement the youth of the rookies, with international veteran Mesake Doge the team’s only player over the age of 30.

Frank Lomani will help the youngsters steer the ship from halfback, while Apisalome Vota and Iosefo Masi will operate in the midfield. Selestino Ravutaumada and Epili Momo provide finishing power on the wings.

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Kemu Valentini offers a more experienced playmaker option off the bench, having made a name for himself as a clutch kicker in 2023.

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Fijian Drua team to face the Blues:

  1. Livai Natave
  2. Tevita Ikanivere
  3. Mesake Doge
  4. Isoa Nasilasila
  5. Leone Rotuisolia
  6. Etonia Waqa
  7. Ella Canakaivata
  8. Meli Derenalagi (c)
  9. Frank Lomani
  10. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula
  11. Selestino Ravutaumada
  12. Apisalome Vota
  13. Iosefo Masi
  14. Epeli Momo
  15. Isikeli Rabitu

Replacements: Mesulame Dolokoto, Emosi Tuqiri, Jone Koroiduadua, Mesake Vocevoce, Vilive Miramira, Peni Matawalu, Kemu Valetini, Tudraki Samusamuvodre

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JW 2 hours ago
France player ratings vs England | 2025 Six Nations

Sorry my delivery on that joke was a bit bland. But to reply to the couple of good points you make, to me it just seemed like they had no plan with why Gatland was staying on. I mean the plan seemed to be “just get us a win against Italy and we can continue on as we are”, which is just terrible if that’s what Gatland was trying to achieve for Wales imo.


Did it just happen to be Italy that he saw his team weren’t able to achieve his vision of success? I mean Italy are a very good side so its by no means a lost cause to not look like world beaters. Sure his focus should have been on more transient factors like growth and style for a full rebuild, not trying to avoid the wooden spoon.


Which brings me to you main point, that would be exactly what the benefit of dropping down a tier would be. A chance to really implement something, get good at it, then take it up a level again once you’re ready. Even for Italy it must have been an incredibly brutal environment to have been trying to develop as a side.


Not saying of course that the other EU teams would be any better, but it might be better for everyone if say ‘years of tough losses’ are shared between countries, rather than see Wales go through this journey two, three, possible four years in a row. Of course the main reason they don’t want to miss just one 6N season is because it would probably tank the game in their country missing out on all that revenue. I have always said they should look at widening the revenue share, there are plenty of competitions that have systems to keep bottom teams competitive, and the 6N would only make more money if it was a tierd competition with prom/rel.

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