Drua aim to continue Reds’ winless run in Fiji

The Queensland Reds have never beaten the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua on Fijian soil under captain Frank Lomani.

Head coach Glen Jackson said Saturday’s Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific round six clash at Churchill Park, Lautoka would be no different.

“You know how desperate they’re going to be. Les (Kiss) is a great coach and does a great job with that team,” Jackson said.

“There are a lot of Fijian boys who will be coming over, I presume, so they were probably a little unlucky not to steal it at the death last year.

“It’s important that our boys stay level-headed and keep their feet on the ground — and they have done that already.”

He said the team had a tough training session on Tuesday and the players were a little sore.

“They got over it after a big hit-out, and we are making sure we put our best foot forward for our Lautoka crowd.”

Jackson added that confidence was building in the squad as they were ticking plenty of boxes.

This week presents a chance for the Drua to secure three consecutive wins — something they have never achieved in the competition.

“We haven’t done it. It’s something we’ve addressed. It’s not only about records. We had records last weekend — the first time we beat the Brumbies. There are plenty of things for a young team to tick off, and one of them is winning three in a row.

“I’ve also made sure they understand we’re still on the table. You can’t afford any slip-ups in this competition.

“It’s a fantastic competition. It’s the first time I’ve seen a table like this — there’s such a spread of points across so many teams. You can’t take your foot off the brake at all.”

The match kicks off at 3.35pm.