The Fijiana Drua have claimed back-to-back Buildcorp Super W premierships, defeating the Queensland Reds 38-30 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.
After a tightly contested first-half, the Drua scored three tries in in a ten-minute blitz early in the second stanza to set up an eight-point win and their second title in as many years.
Alana Elisaia, Renae Nona, Tiarna Molloy and Sam Curtis scored tries for Queensland, while Cecilia Smith collected 10-points off the tee.
It was a stunning Elisaia solo effort which opened the scoring early for Queensland, the outside centre slicing through the defence from 40-metres out and racing away to score. Smith made no mistake from in front of the posts, opening up a 5-nil lead in the fifth-minute of play.
Fijiana hit straight back, tries to prop Bitila Tawake and lock Mereoni Nakesa seeing the Drua take a 14-7 lead by the 13th minute.
Smith cut the deficit to 14-10 with a penalty in the 36th minute, neither side able to break through again in the first-half after three tries in the opening 15-minutes.
The Reds started the second-forty in fine fashion, Nona finishing off a well-worked team sequence with Ivania Wong throwing the last pass. Smith slotted her second conversion of the afternoon to put the Reds into a 17-14 lead in the 46th minute.
The Drua replied swiftly with a pair of five-pointers once again, Sereima Leweniqila and Adita Miliana crossing for tries in quick succession. Luisa Tisolo made it four-from-four off the tee to open up a 28-17 lead for the Fijians with half-an-hour to play.
A Tisolo penalty and Karalaini Naisewa try extended the reigning premiers’ lead to 21-points with 20-minutes remaniining, the Drua turning on their attacking flair in Townsville.
Queensland responded with a rolling-maul try to Molloy, bringing the scores to 38-22 with 15-minutes on the clock.
Smith cut the deficit to 38-25 with her second penalty in the 71st minute, before the Drua were reduced to 13-players with successive yellow cards in the final minutes.
Curtis latched onto a towering Carys Dallinger crossfield kick and powered her way over the line in the final seconds, bringing the final score to 38-30 with Queensland’s fourth try.
At Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, on Saturday 6 May, 2023.
