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Ben Donaldson of the Waratahs reacts at full time during the round 11 Super Rugby Pacific match between Queensland Reds and NSW Waratahs at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, on May 06, 2023, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Sixth welcomes ninth as the Fijian Drua head to Sydney to face the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and updates from 7:30pm AEST.
The Waratahs look to make it four wins on the trot as they remain at home for the second week in a row. Joey Walton makes the starting XV, replacing the injured Lalakai Foketi. Taleni Seu and Ned Hanigan return to the bench.
Apart from those changes, the Waratahs will take the field much the same as they did when they beat the Rebels last week in a 38-20 win.
The Fijian side will make three changes to the starting lineup. The pack remains the same but the 9-10 pairing is different; Frank Lomani and Teli Tela make way for Pend Matawalu and Caleb Muntz respectively. Selestino Ravutaumada will start on the right wing, taking Eroni Sau’s spot.
The Drua will look to remain more poised during the game this week, hoping to not concede as many penalties or relinquish the ball following 20 turnovers, as they did after last week’s 34-14 loss to the Western Force.
The last time these teams faced each other was in round 2, with the Waratahs thumping the Drua 46-17 in Fiji. This time around, however, Waratahs’ assistant coach, Chris Whitaker, has pointed to the improvements made by the Fijian side with a better structured attack paired with a more stout defence. He went on to talk about the Fijian side’s presence in the tournament:
“I think we’re thankful we’re having them over here playing in Sydney as opposed to playing in Fiji, I think it’s been great for rugby, it’s been great for the competition and they play a very exciting brand of rugby so we’re going to be very cautious of that.”
Game Information
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Venue: Allianz Stadium Kick-off: 7:35pm (AEST) Live stream: Stan Sport Betting: Waratahs $1.19, Drua $4.75 – odds via Playup
Waratahs (1-15): Te Tera Faulkner, Dave Porecki, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Jed Holloway, Hugh Sinclair, Will Harris, Michael Hooper, Langi Gleeson, Jake Gordon, Ben Donaldson, Dylan Pietsch, Joey Walton, Izaia Perese, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Max Jorgensen
Replacements: Mahe Vailanu, Nephi Leatigaga, Archer Holz, Ned Hanigan, Taleni Seu, Charlie Gamble, Teddy Wilson, Harry Wilson
