Cavuilati gets the green light
Fijian Drua player ruled out until December 3 for eyegouging Canberra Vikings hooker Falua Faingaa
Seru Cavuilati now has the chance to show Australia and the world why he is worthy of wearing the Fiji Airways Drua jersey.
The Suva halfback, who has been on the bench since the Drua’s first match, will now replace Frank Lomani when they face Greater Sydney Rams today from 5pm at T.G. Millner Field in Sydney, Australia. The Drua are currently on fourth place after five rounds in the Australian National Rugby Championship (NRC).
Fiji Airways Drua centre Eroni Vasiteri has been slapped with a nine-week ban for eye-gouging Canberra Vikings hooker Folau Faingaa. Vasiteri and fullback Apisalome Waqatabu faced the National Rugby Championship judiciary after the duo were cited for making contact with a player’s eyes at Vikings Park last Saturday. Faingaa made an on-field complaint that he’d been eye-gouged at the bottom of ruck but with inconclusive footage referee Angus Gardner was unable to take further action during the round five clash. The incident was reviewed and the pair were cited for breaching law 10.4 (m) ‘contact with the eye(s)’ or ‘contact with the eye area.’
Vasiteri was found guilty but a clean disciplinary record saw a minimum 12-week suspension reduced to nine weeks, while Waqatabu was acquitted at the hearing on Thursday night.
Judicial officer Terry Willis ruled the offence on the low end on a scale of seriousness and ruled Vasiteri ineligible to play until December 3.
The Drua face Greater Sydney Rams today while the Vikings are in second place of the NRC ladder and take on bottom-placed Melbourne Rising on Sunday, with Wallabies lock Rory Arnold returning to the side.