MELBOURNE – The Waikato Chiefs will look to emerge from the heat and noise of Lautoka with their unbeaten start to Super Rugby Pacific intact on Saturday after battling a Fijian Drua side desperate for a win.
Having beaten defending champions Auckland Blues, Canterbury Crusaders and ACT Brumbies, the Chiefs are the only side with a perfect 3-0 record as they embark on one of the competition’s toughest road trips.
Though yet to post a win, the Drua have been competitive throughout and will be glad to return to Fiji after fruitless trips to the Wellington Hurricanes and New South Wales Waratahs.
The Drua have won their past six matches at Churchill Park, though lost 35-34 to the Chiefs in their only meeting at the venue during their debut season in 2022.
As impressive as the Clayton McMillan-coached Chiefs have been, Lautoka will be a daunting assignment without livewire fullback Damian McKenzie and test lock Josh Lord, both ruled out by knee injuries.
Emoni Narawa will take the number 15 shirt in McKenzie’s place and hope to perform well in front of family and friends in his native Fiji.
“Looking forward to it — seeing mum and dad, my partner, and little girl who’s over here at the moment,” said the two-test speedster.
The Chiefs will also be reinforced by Shaun Stevenson from the bench after the outside back’s return from a short-term sabbatical to play in Japan.
In cooler air at Eden Park, the Blues kick off round four against the Brumbies in a match that could be pivotal for both their campaigns.
Defeat for either team will mean a major battle to recover from a 1-3 losing record and claim a top six spot for the finals.
After a tight win over the Hurricanes in Wellington, Blues coach Vern Cotter has shifted Beauden Barrett to flyhalf for the first time this season, dropping Harry Plummer to the bench.
After starting at fullback, Barrett helped the Blues get over the line when he switched into the playmaking role against the Hurricanes.
The Brumbies have not won at Eden Park since 2013 and lost their last two matches to the Blues by a combined score of 80-27.
Having remained in New Zealand after losing to the Chiefs last weekend, the Brumbies hope to be in better form to break their losing streak in Auckland.
Usually Australia’s best-performing side, the Brumbies’ thunder has been stolen by the Queensland Reds and New South Wales Waratahs, who are both 2-0 after early byes.
The Waratahs will host Western Force in Sydney on Saturday while the Reds have travelled to Christchurch where they beat the Crusaders 33-28 last year, ending a 12-game losing streak to the South Island team.
Former Reds and Wallabies flyhalf James O’Connor, now being used as an impact player off the bench by Rob Penney, is excited to face his old team on Sunday as the Crusaders hunt a second win in their third match.
“Obviously knowing most of the guys quite well, there’s a bit of information shared, put it that way,” he said.
The Hurricanes will look to bounce back from their Blues defeat when they meet winless Moana Pasifika in Auckland on Saturday.
The Otago Highlanders (2-1), who scraped past Moana 31-29 last week, have a bye. REUTERS
