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Six starters from the Drua named in Fiji team to take on the All Blacks
By Ben Smith
After making the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs for the first time in their history, the Fijian Drua have been rewarded with 12 national selections, while a mix of experienced veterans return.
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The Flying Fijians have named six starters from the Drua, with six more on their bench to take on the All Blacks at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. A number of vastly experienced Top 14 players complete the side.
World Cup hero Waisea Nayacalevu starts at centre and retains the captaincy under new head coach Mick Byrne, who takes over from Simon Rawailui who stepped down after last year’s campaign. Partnering Nayacalevu in the midfield is Inia Tabuavou of Racing 92.
Superstar winger Semi Radradra will play on the left wing, with Toulon’s Jiuta Wainiqolo on the right. Vilimoni Botitu of Castres completes the back three at fullback.
In the halves Frank Lomani partners Richie Mo’unga’s nephew, Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, who was Super Rugby Pacific’s best goal kicker this season.
The pack is lead by the experience of Viliame ‘Bill’ Mata who starts at No 8. 23-year-old Kitione Salawa gets a start at openside, while Pau-based Lekima Tagitagivalu will start on the blindside.
Temo Mayanavanua of Northampton Saints and Isoa Nasilasila of the Drua start in the second row.
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There is plenty of experience in the front row with tighthead Mesake Doge of the Dragons in the URC, while Drua hooker Tevita Ikanivere starts with Saracens loosehead Eroni Nawa.
Fiji team to play New Zealand:
1. Eroni Nawa
2. Tevita Ikanivere
3. Mesake Doge
4. Isoa Nasilasila
5. Temo Mayanavanua
6. Lekima Tagitagivalu
7. Kitione Salawa
8. Viliame Mata
9. Frank Lomani
10. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula
11. Semi Radradra
12. Inia Tabuavou
13. Waisea Nayacalevu
14. Jiuta Wainiqolo
15. Vilimoni Botitu
Reserves
16. Zuriel Togiatama
17. Haereiti Hetet
18. Samu Tawake
19. Albert Tuisue
20. Elia Canakaivata
21. Simione Kuruvoli
22. Caleb Muntz
23. Sireli Maqala
I believe the drua has made it to the SR Pacific playoffs the second time. Last year against the Crusaders, this year against the Blues.
Fiji team to play New Zealand:
- Eroni Nawa 28-year-old 1.89 m 131 kg - Rugby World Cup starter - 350minutes for Saracens back up to Mako Vunipola but has much better carry stats this year\n\n
- Tevita Ikanivere 24 y/o 1.82 m 114 kg - RWC impact to Northampton Saints starter Sam Matavasi but won the starting spot for knockout qf match - Drua rake and much more lively stats on the carry that Matavasi but maybe more raw than the Saints veteran. Behind Asafo Aumua still in all stats (still very impressive). Got the starting spot over Asafo Aumua in Alun Wyn Jones testimonial\n\n
- Mesake Doge 31 y/o 1.80 m 122 kg - RWC impact to Bayonnes starter Luke Tagi\n\n
- Isoa Nasilasila 24 y/o 1.97 m117 kg - RWC and Drua starter\n\n
- Temo Mayanavanua 26 y/o 1.97 m 120 kg - RWC impact to Drua Kiwi Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta - more dominant tackler and impact player for Northampton Saints behind Top 14 bound Alex Moon\n\n
- Lekima Tagitagivalu 28 y/o 1.95 m 110 kg - RWC starter at both openside and blindside but has spent half his career locking - Pau everywhere man, started in their euro knockout loss\n\n
- Kitione Salawa 23 y/o 1.92 m 95 kg - Drua’s new boy tearaway, one of the leading, if not the best per 80minutes turnover mechants in Super Rugby\n\n
- Viliame Mata 32 y/o 1.96 m 116 kg - Fiji and European star\n\n
- Frank Lomani 28 y/o 1.80 m 81 kg - RWC test 9 - Best try involvements 9 in SR for the Drua behind Ratima and TJP\n\n
- Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 20 y/o 1.75 m 86 kg - Test rookie comes in in place of Test and Drua star Ilaisa Droasese who might have had flight or visa issues I suppose.* *\n\n
- Semi Radradra - enough said\n\n
- Inia Tabuavou 21 y/o 1.85 m 101 kg - Youngster has had some good minutes and stats filling in at Racing 92\n\n
- Waisea Nayacalevu 34 y/o 1.93 m 105 kg - RWC starter and captain - Dominant carrier for Toulon when asked to return early after the WC but injured for the season shortly after which saw Leicester .\n\n
- Jiuta Wainiqolo 25 y/o 1.87 m 97 kg - Has some crunching numbers for Toulon on the wing along side his captain\n\n
- Vilimoni Botitu - Promoted to flyhalf for the RWC quarter finals after injuries - Has mostly had minutes for castres as inside center
Reserves- Zuriel Togiatama - Drua impact
- Haereiti Hetet - Drua #1
- Samu Tawake - Drua impact
- Albert Tuisue - Fiji and Gloucester impact player
- Elia Canakaivata - Late 20s in his second pro year (Drua) by the looks must have come through Fiji pathways or 7s
- Simione Kuruvoli - Test backup and a player many though was best impact at RWC
- Caleb Muntz - Seen as leader at 10 but regularly injured after coming from English Championship
- Sireli Maqala - RWC player and Bayonne center
Missing playersIsefo Masi - Star center of Super Rugby for the Drua at the Olympics playing 7’s I think
Josua Tuisova - Fiji’s inside center at RWC got little minutes this Top 14 season so suspect injured still only 30 - Reports about managing his minutes and his body, looks like Toulon have put the hard word on him not to play until November window (back from injury around June)
Levani Botia - RWC star but getting on in years and injured toward back of Top14, hopefully not the same as above
Vinaya Habosi - Another RWC star winger who finished his Top 14 season recently after having a 3 month (injury?) layoff in the middle. Not scoring any tries. Hopefully partaking in 7VNS and not blocked by Racing 92 as he’s just gone missing to my sluthing
Mesake Vocevoce - Breakdown beast of a lock for a young fella in 2024 Drua
Selestino Ravutaumada - Probably Drua’s best attacking back and one who I also confuse for his older captain, their RWC wing and at the Olympics as well
Meli Derenalagi - Block buster 8 for the Drua
Please add a reply if you know better about any of these players (and there wereabouts if not playing)
Attack the forward and shock them with physicality like what the Irish did to SA. This is your only chance after a long time and you won't see them again till 2026. Then release your backs with sidestepping and speed.
If the players believe they can win then I can quite easily see them doing so.