Club Rugby Round turns it on for Super Rugby Pacific Round 4
- Sanzaar Media
- 2 minutes ago
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Round Four marked Club Rugby Round in Super Rugby Pacific, celebrating the grassroots clubs and local heroes that are the heart of our game. Fans arrived at for kick off wearing their local club kits, while players paid tribute to their beginnings by donning socks from their community clubs across the weekend. Throughout the week, teams and players also shared stories reflecting on the community clubs and environments that helped shape their rugby journeys, reinforcing the strong connection between Super Rugby and the grassroots game.
Suffering their first losses of Super Rugby Pacific 2026, the Brumbies and Waratahs, saw a levelling off at the top of the points table after round four was completed.
The Brumbies, lost to the Reds for only the fifth time in 30 years in Canberra, but remained at the top of the table, while the Waratahs lost to the Hurricanes in Sydney and slipped to fifth.
The Chiefs claimed second while the Hurricanes, with a game in hand are third, and the Blues, after their win over the Crusaders are fourth.
Chiefs 57, Moana Pasifika 24
The Chiefs got back in the winner’s circle after a loss, scoring within three minutes against Moana Pasifika in Hamilton. Wing Leroy Carter made a break to allow Chiefs halfback Cortez Ratima to put a long pass to second five-eighths Quinn Tupaea, on the left flank, to score.
Carter was rewarded with a hat-trick of tries. Within two minutes, quick passing put Tupaea into a gap while Carter passed back for fullback Liam Coombes-Fabling to score the second try. Fullback Glen Vaihu showed his class to grab a bouncing ball and power through the Chiefs’ defence to score Moana’s first try. Chiefs’ forwards, lock Seuseu Naitoa Ah-Kuoi and flanker Jahrome Brown played key hands to put Carter across for his first before the first quarter was complete.
Unfortunate losses of flankers Samipeni Finau and replacement Kaylum Boshier within minutes of each other to head injuries allowed Moana No 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa to score after a strong run from a scrum.
First five-eighths Damian McKenzie marked his return with a 30th-minute walkabout that eventually saw Brown get the ball to put wing Emoni Narawa over. More McKenzie magic, combined with Ratima, saw centre Lalakai Foketi add to the try list for a 31-14 half-time lead.
Moana Pasifika struck first in the second half after their own error. Ta’eiloa tidied to score his second try. Good support from his wing allowed Carter to score his second in response. Then, he completed his hat-trick with a classic blindside try from a lineout maul. Replacement back Kyle Brown scored seconds after taking the field in the 61st minute. Replacement hooker Tyrone Thompson completed the recovery with a try off a line-out maul.
Waratahs 19, Hurricanes 59
The Hurricanes also rebounded from their loss to the Drua by recording their fifth consecutive win in Sydney, extending their winning run over the Waratahs to nine games.
Compared to the Waratahs' earlier games, they looked well off-key. Two tries from pick-and-goes on the goal line and an intercept were poor comparisons to the traditional Hurricanes ball-in-hand for each of their tries.
Two yellow cards through the vital stages in the middle stages of the second half didn’t help the home team and they couldn’t cope with the Hurricanes’ ability to respond immediately after home tries, something they hit home in the final two minutes with tries to replacement wing Jone Rova and the third of Billy Proctor’s hat-trick.
Still in touch at half-time when 12-17 down, the Waratahs failed to fire after the break as the Hurricanes took control earlier than they might have expected.
Proctor thrived on the running play made possible by a forward effort that forced errors, especially in handling from their rivals. The lineouts were erratic for both sides, the Hurricanes picking off early Waratahs throws, only to later concede their own throws. But with the power of their scrum, the command of their loose forwards Du’Plessis Kirifi, in his first start, No 8 Peter Lakai and blindside flanker Devon Flanders, the Hurricanes took it to the Sydneysiders and enjoyed a win that helped restore some normality to the points table. The Hurricanes made 13 clean breaks to three, gained 553 metres to 281, missed only 19 tackles to 28.
Highlanders 39, Force 31
Controlling a wicked bounce of the ball, the Highlanders opened the scoring against the Force in Dunedin with flanker Veveni Lasaqa capping some fine home inter-passing to open the scoring with a try. Force No 8 Vaiolini Ekausi responded from a line-out maul. But the combination of wing Caleb Tangitau and centre Jonah Lowe created a chance for Lowe, who broke poor defence on a 40m run to score.
Force lock Jeremy Williams got over from a goal line maul, then soon after, second five-eighths Hamish Stewart was on hand to score after first five-eighths Ben Donaldson broke through with the Force turning up 21-17 at half-time.
Lowe reclaimed the lead when running onto a kick ahead by Jacob Ratumataivuki-Kneepkens from a storming run by second five-eighths Timoci Tavatavanawai.
They went further ahead when Tangitau gathered a long pass to score. The Force lineout maul produced another try for flanker Carlo Tizzano, and they put themselves in a good position after veteran Kurtley Beale ran hard to the line and then scissor-switched with former All Black wing George Bridge, who scored out wide.
But, although losing centre Lowe, moments after Tavatavanawai was substituted, the Highlanders were left with only 14 men in the final 10 minutes. They were up for the challenge, and a cross-kick from Ratumataivuki-Kneepkens, after a Jona Nareki break, found Tangitau unmarked to reclaim the lead with his second try. And when replacement five-eighths Reesian Pasitoa converted a penalty, the win was secured.
Blues 29, Crusaders 13
For only the second time in 10 outings at Eden Park, the home own Blues beat the Crusaders. They had to overcome a 13-4 penalty count but that was not as punishing as the lineout, scrum and handling problems the Crusaders struck.
Captain Dalton Papali’i had an outstanding game, picking up several turnovers and leading a defensive display that shut down the Crusaders. First five-eighths Beauden Barrett marked his return with a controlled display, marshalling the backline and a perfectly placed kick in-goal resulting in a spectacular try for Cody Vai, while centre AJ Lam produced a stunning piece of skill from one of Papali’i’s turnovers to pull off a crucial 50:22 in the last five minutes, which helped put the game beyond the Crusaders’ reach.
Wing Caleb Clarke, yellow card aside, excelled, scoring two early tries to finish off clever Blues backline moves, and then scored the only try of the second half to claim his hat-trick.
Fullback Zarn Sullivan thrived in support and tidied up play, making a big contribution to the performance. The Blues' defence was tested, but was strongest when most required, especially when No 8 Hoskins Sotutu grabbed the ball in the goalmouth as the Crusaders looked for a try that might have pulled them close with time to play.
Crusaders flanker Dom Gardiner was competitive in the loose, but centre Leicester Fainga’anuku rarely had space to move as he was shut down defensively.
Brumbies 31, Reds 34
A Canberra electrical storm may have delayed the start by 90 minutes against the Reds but the Brumbies created their own storm, scoring two tries in the first nine minutes through lock Lachie Shaw going over from a ruck and No 8 Charlie Cale capping a blindside break with the second.
The Reds finally got their phase play going and wing Lachie Anderson’s power upon receipt of an inside pass from No 8 Harry Wilson, carried him to their first try in response. Then, 13 minutes from the turn, accurate inter-passing saw centre Josh Flook claim the lead for the Reds with a try. Cale drove over after a series of goal-line pick and goes, three minutes from the break.
But on a night that demonstrated the value of good goal-kicking, halfback Louis Werchon landed a penalty for a 20-19 half-time lead for the Reds.
It took 22 minutes but the home team regained the lead when wing Andy Muirhead muscled his way over the line to score. That was extended when replacement loose forward Luke Reimer drove over, gaining reward for his earlier set-up work in the move. Reds’ centre Filipo Daugunu did well to get the ball down under the crossbar with three minutes left.
The Reds ran the ball back immediately, after getting a ‘fortunate’ call at the restart, with fullback Jock Campbell weaving through defenders to break into the open and kick ahead. The Brumbies knocked the ball on and 2min 38sec into injury-time, first five-eighths Carter Gordon worked his way over on the blindside to give his side a win.
Round 5 sees the table leading ACT Brumbies travel to Fiji to play Fijian Drua in Ba for the first ever SRP match at Four R Stadium; the big NZ derby this week sees the eighth placed Crusaders host seventh placed Highlanders in Christchurch; while the big Australian derby sees the Queensland Reds host the NSW Waratahs in Brisbane.
Fixtures (All times local - home team)
FRIDAY
Hurricanes v Western Force @ McLean Park, Napier (7.05pm)
SATURDAY
Fijian Drua v ACT Brumbies @ Four R Stadium, Ba (3.35pm)
Crusaders v Highlanders @ Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch (7.05pm)
Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs @ Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (6.35pm)
SUNDAY
Blues v Moana Pasifika @ Eden Park, Auckland (3.35pm)
BYE: Chiefs
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