DHL Super Rugby Pacific has delivered another stunning round full of end to end action. It kicked off with an 87-point thriller at Eden Park, ended with an upset at HBF Park and had a dash of royalty and a Fijian milestone in between. Oh, and a change at the top of the table as Super Round looms in Christchurch next weekend.
Here’s a rundown of the weekend’s results
Blues and Highlanders put on a show
Things were looking pretty comfortable for the Blues at the hour mark of this one, however the underdog Highlanders had other ideas. The visitors scored two tries in quick succession to cut the lead to only seven points, then finished hot on attack before some desperate defence by the home side held them out.
Earlier, Blues flanker Anton Segner had powered over for two tries after Adam Lennox had given the Highlanders the lead early. The Blues had to wait till the start of the second half to really cut loose, with Ben Ake scoring a popular try to push the lead out to what looked like a comfortable one. However, the Highlanders had other ideas with former Blues player Tanielu Tele’a and Xavier Tito-Harris scoring in quick succession late in the game. It proved to be too late though, but the bonus point earned does keep the Highlanders in with some hope of forcing their way into the playoffs.
Blues 47 (Anton Segner 2, Hoskins Sotutu, Sam Darry, Bradley Slater, Cole Forbes, Ben Ake tries; Beauden Barrett 6 con)
Highlanders 40 (Adam Lennox 2, Tanielu Tele’a 2, Xavier Tito-Harris, Soane Vikena tries; Cam Millar 5 con)
HT: 19-14
Waratahs overcome gallant Moana Pasifika
A Sid Harvey double proved to be crucial at Allianz Stadium, as was the change in climate halfway through this game. Moana Pasifika led after a first half played in fine weather, but the sudden rainfall in the second half played into the Waratahs’ hands as they scored three unanswered tries to ultimately take the result.
Watched on by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, Moana halfback Melani Matavao darted over twice from close range in the fifth and 20th minutes, but the Waratahs hit back through Triston Reilly and Harvey’s first. The rain started to fall and the Waratahs’ forwards began to turn the game into an arm wrestle, with prop Isaac Kailea powering over before Harvey’s second and Folau Fainga’a put the Waratahs out to an ultimately match-winning lead. The victory means the Waratahs now have it all to play for at Super Round, when they open the new One NZ Stadium against the Crusaders.
Waratahs 29 (Sid Harvey 2, Isaac Kailea, Folau Fainga’a tries; Harvey 3 con)
Moana Pasifika 14 (Melani Matavao 2; Patrick Pellegrini 2 con)
HT: 12-14
Chiefs grab top spot with big win in Hamilton
The Hurricanes’ winning streak has come to an end, but the Chiefs had to work overtime to achieve that in Hamilton. Wallace Sititi’s match winning try came after scores were locked 17-all at fulltime, with the game being the first to go to Super Point this season. With the game on the line, Damian McKenzie’s drop goal attempt smacked into the post and rebounded into Sititi’s hands, with him having just enough room to get the ball over the line.
It will be a bitter defeat for the Hurricanes, who were up 12-3 at halftime and had looked the more dominant team in a test-match style grind. Asafo Aumua looked to have scored the match-clinching try to put them up 17-10 in the second half, however the Chiefs dug deep in skipper Luke Jacobson’s 100th match to even things up through Daniel Sinkinson.
That set up Sititi’s heroics, but also moves the Chiefs to top spot on the ladder, as they desperately look to overturn three previous years of losing finals.
Chiefs 22 (Simon Parker, Daniel Sinkinson, Wallace Sititi tries; Damian McKenzie 2 con, pen)
Hurricanes 17 (Josh Moorby, Peter Lakai, Asafo Aumua tries; Ruben Love con)
HT: 3-12
Drua make history in Canberra
The Fijian Drua have caused the shock of the round, closing out a 33-28 win against the Brumbies at GIO Stadium. It is the Drua’s first win in Australia and only second overall away from home, which was built on a massive middle third on attack that saw them score four tries. Isiah Armstrong-Ravula’s accurate boot was crucial, landing three penalties and two conversions.
Fittingly, veteran Manasa Mataele played a huge role with two excellent tries, which helped the Drua out to a 30-14 lead at one point. They then had to stave off a desperate Brumbies fightback, one that saw Tane Edmed and Corey Toole score, but the Drua held their nerve to close out a result that draws them level with the Highlanders on the ladder.
Despite the loss, the Brumbies remain in fourth spot, they face a big challenge on Anzac Day against the Hurricanes for the Captain Shout Cup.
Fijian Drua 33 (Manasa Mataele 2, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Simione Kuruvoli tries; Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 3 pen, 2 con)
Brumbies 28 (Nick Frost, Ollie Sapsford, Tane Edmed, Corey Toole tries; Ryan Lonergan 4 con)
HT: 22-7
Johnson-Holmes the hero as Force pip Crusaders
The Crusaders have dropped their fifth game this season after going down to the Force in Perth. While they remain in sixth spot on the ladder, Rob Penney’s men now only have a one point buffer against their next opponents, the Waratahs.
It was all looking easy in the first half as the Crusaders shot out to a 19-0 lead thanks to three tries, including a stunning finish by Johnny McNicholl, and a yellow card to Force flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny. However, the home side mounted an impressive fightback, scoring three tries of their own. Noah Hotham and Dylan Pietsch traded tries to set up a big finish, before Harry Johnson-Holmes came off the bench to crash over for the winning try for the Force with 10 minutes to play.
The Force still need a few things to go their way if they are to feature in the play-offs, but the potential is very much there off the back of a performance like that.
Force 31 (Henry Robertson 2, Zac Lomax, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Johnson-Holmes tries; Ben Donaldson 3 con)
Crusaders 26 (George Bell, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Johnny McNicholl, Noah Hotham tries; Taha 3 con)
HT: 7-19