Crusaders

In front of a feverish Churchill Park crowd, Kemu Valetini - the younger brother of Wallabies star Rob - slotted a simple penalty to steal victory in the final ...

And what better way to do it by doing it in front of our home crowd." "They were outstanding today and deserve that win. But the Drua had the last laugh and moved up to fourth on the ladder with a 2-1 record while the 1-2 Crusaders are in the unfamiliar position of seventh. "We had the belief we could do it and we came and defeated a great Crusaders team, who have been winning for six years in a row. The Drua are only in their second season of Super Rugby and finished 11th of 12 teams with a 2-12 record last year. [stunning the defending champion Crusaders 25-24 in Lautoka on Saturday.](https://wwos.nine.com.au/rugby/live-scores/fijian-drua-v-canterbury-crusaders-super-rugby-pacific-2023/669207043)

Fijian Drua recorded the biggest win of their two seasons in Super Rugby Pacific with a stunning 25-24 upset of the defending champion Canterbury Crusaders ...

Congratulations to the Drua on their win." And what better way to do it than in front of our home crowd." "The boys came out in the second half firing and we did the job, we got the win.

The Drua earned their first-ever win over the Canterbury powerhouse with a 25-24 effort thanks to a Kemu Valetini penalty from the final play of the game.

We had the belief we could do it and we came and defeated a great Crusaders team. Congratulations to the Drua on their win." The Crusaders knocked the restart on to hand the Drua the ball 25m out from their line with a scrum in the middle of the field giving them a superb attacking platform. The Crusaders defence held firm for a minute but their discipline came undone with a penalty for hands in the ruck from right in front. Down 22-10 with 10 minutes left, the Crusaders rolled the dice to get back into the contest and opted for a short restart to try and get forward ball in the Drua's half. The Drua didn't let the moment get to them though, going right back to what was working and pinning the Crusaders down in the their own half.

In the third game of their second season in Super Rugby Pacific, the Fijian Drua have claimed one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history. In an ...

“The boys came out in the second half firing and we got the job done. Their lethargic movement was in stark contrast to the Drua’s boundless energy and pace — resulting in three quick second-half tries to Ilaisa Droasese, Joseva Tamani and Eroni Sau that gave the Drua a 10-point lead with as many minutes left. ”We didn’t play for 80 minutes. ”We thought anything was possible, we’d been preparing for this game since Monday. But the Drua were well worth their win in an inspired performance, in a match that ebbed and flowed and produced a grandstand finish. In the third game of their second season in Super Rugby Pacific, the Fijian Drua have claimed one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history.

The Fijian Drua's historic win over defending Super Rugby Pacific champions the Crusaders at Churchill Park couldn't have been scripted any better.

They appeared to be on the cusp of an incredible victory. But there was just something in the air today. This result simply meant more, and that become very clear after Valetini’s clutch penalty in the 83rd minute. [Sevu Reece](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/sevu-reece/) and [Ioane Moananu](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/ioane-moananu/), as well as a clutch sideline conversion from [Fergus Burke](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/fergus-burke/), saw the Crusaders take the lead with less than a minute to run on the clock. Debutant Kemi Valetini, the older brother of world-class Wallabies No. [All Blacks](https://www.rugbypass.com/teams/new-zealand/) [Mitchell Drummond](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/mitchell-drummond/) and Richie Mo’unga in the halves, the Crusaders overcame a nervy start to race out to a commanding lead.