Statement wins define Round 7 of Super Rugby
- Sanzaar Media
- 10 hours ago
- 6 min read
The Hurricanes, with a game in hand, are still on top of the Super Rugby Pacific points table.
The Blues share the lead on 25 points. Both sides have a bye next weekend before they meet a week later in a top of the table clash in Wellington.
Beaten at home by the NSW Waratahs, the ACT Brumbies dropped to third place on 20 points while the QLD Reds, despite their 52-14 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington are fourth on 18 points.
The Chiefs, back in the winners’ circle after their 24-14 win away to the Western Force, are fifth on 17 points. The Crusaders, who had the bye, are sixth on points differential over the Waratahs and Highlanders.
Moana Pasifika 19, Highlanders 39
Highlanders wing Caleb Tangitau’s season contribution to his side keeps growing and he demonstrated his work rate, reading of the game and strength when opening the scoring by breaking the Moana Pasifika defences with a seventh minute try at Albany. After 28 minutes, Tangitau was again on the opposite wing to take a blindside ruck pass from impressive debut halfback Nic Shearer to score in the corner. Then, in the 33rd minute, his fellow wing Jona Nareki fired a 50:22 kick into Moana Pasifika’s backfield and from the line-out he was perfectly-placed after Shearer tidied a line-out tap to flick the ball to Nareki running outside him to step by the defence to score. Just before the break, hooker Jack Taylor was on the back of the rolling maul to break off short of the line to score a fourth try in the half.
Thirteen seconds from the second half restart, Tangitau secured the kick, linked with second five-eighths Tanielu Tele’a, whose backhand pass found Shearer, who ran in at the corner. At 32-0 down, the home team set about gaining something from the game. Moana Pasifika flanker Niko Jones scored from a line-out three minutes into the half but they were reduced to 13 when fullback William Havili and wing Glen Vaihu were sin-binned within six minutes of each other. Flanker Veveni Lasaqa scored for the Highlanders. Hooker Millennium Sanerivi and lock Allan Craig scored tries while still reduced to 13 but the Highlanders regained their defensive structures, even if the stadium lighting was reduced due to a power fault.
ACT Brumbies 28, NSW Waratahs 30
Putting together a coordinated surge to the Brumbies line in Canberra, the Waratahs signalled their intent when flanker Clem Halaholo scored within three minutes. Hooker Ethan Dobbins was fed into a gap, linked with wing Andrew Kellaway, who kept his feet to slip the ball to fullback Sid Harvey before the forwards went to work at four goal-line rucks for Halaholo to score. A searing midfield break by wing Corey Toole and a sin-binning for Waratahs No 8 Pete Samu, gave the home team space for lock Lachie Shaw to drive over for the try in response. Long passing from first five-eighths Jack Debreczeni to fullback Sid Harvey gave Kellaway the simplest of tries. Dropped ball when hot on attack fell to the hands of Max Jorgensen and by the time he and Debreczeni took the ball into the Brumbies 22m, the Waratahs were lined up amass, and it was centre Joey Walton who scored. Four minutes into first-half injury time, No 8 Charlie Cale managed to pull the Brumbies within seven points.
The Brumbies drew level six minutes into the second half when Shaw capped a 14-phase buildup by scoring. But consecutive penalty goals landed by Harvey in the 66th, 71st and 74th minutes gave the Waratahs a buffer that meant replacement forward Luke Reimer’s last-minute try only provided a losers’ bonus point for the Brumbies.
Hurricanes 52, QLD Reds 14
Four minutes was all it took for the Hurricanes, in Wellington, to unleash a typical break by fullback Josh Moorby from inside their half that saw centre Billy Proctor in support to take and pass inside to halfback Cam Roigard, who completed the break. But the Reds responded soon after when fullback Jock Campbell got over from a blindside move. Moorby was involved at the end of the line after 15 minutes to score and two minutes later dropped ball by the Reds was picked up by flanker Devan Flanders, who set sail for the line before passing on to wing Fehi Fineanganofo to score. Bailyn Sullivan added a fourth after 28 minutes. Isaac Henry got one back for the Reds before halftime but that was it as they went scoreless in the second half, as Fineanganofo completed a hat-trick while lock Warner Dearns and replacement hooker Vernon Basson scored tries.
That was all despite the Hurricanes having 14% less possession and 15% less territory. Making better use of the ball they had, the Hurricanes achieved nine line breaks to five, while they were also successful in 86.2% of tackles compared to the Reds, who were only 81.5%. While headed in the ruck race 129-68, they achieved the three breakdown steals that occurred. Du’Plessis Kirifi (20) and Peter Lakai (16) had a heavy afternoon of tackling, with lock Caleb Delany also making 19 tackles. No Reds player reached double figures for tackling.
Blues 40, Drua 15
Determined as the Drua were to become the first holders of the Joeli Vidiri Memorial trophy, the Blues took only seven minutes to make their mark when No 8 Malachi Wrampling got the ball down from a goal line ruck. However, buoyed by heavy support in the Eden Park crowd, flanker Etonia Waqa helped level the scores in a similar fashion after 17 minutes. However, in the 20th minute, the Blues demonstrated the control and patience that would see them to success in the game when hooker Bradley Slater scored the first of two tries from a driving line-out maul. The Drua made the most of a Waqa charge at the line, for lock Mesake Vocevoce to dive over for a 36th-minute try.
A penalty landed by first five-eighths Kemu Valetini from 40m gave the Drua a one-point lead but that drew the best from the Blues as their efforts in driving through the middle created room for their backs and they made the most of their chances. Firstly, Slater scored his second try in the 50th minute, then replacement wing Codemeru Vai scorched his way to a 58th-minute try while replacement flanker Che Clark’s turnover near the Blues line, unleashed wing Caleb Clarke, first five-eighths Beauden Barrett and replacement halfback Finlay Christie. Christie’s kick ahead was followed by fullback Payton Spencer, who was unchallenged in scoring in the 65th minute. Keys to the Blues' success were their dominance in the rucks and mauls, 111-69, while they were only required to make 99 tackles to the Drua's 170.
Western Force 14, Chiefs 24
The Force put defensive pressure on the Chiefs at Perth as the visitors took 22 minutes before some momentum, resulting from a break by first five-eighths Josh Jacomb, allowed them to drive hard at the line before captain and flanker Luke Jacobson ran a perfect line to take a delayed pass from halfback Xavier Roe to score their opening try. A high kick from Force first five-eighths Ben Donaldson was taken off his centre George Bridge’s shoulder by fullback Max Burey, who scored in the 30th minute. But with Jacomb, second five-eighths Quinn Tupaea and fullback Damian McKenzie running the ball, it was a double round by Jacomb that saw him run 50 metres for an outstanding try that gave the visitors the lead.
The Force drew level from a goalline melee when lock Jeremy Williams got the ball over the line after 49 minutes. However, replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho capped a long period of Chiefs attack to claim the lead in the 58th minute. McKenzie’s conversion and a later penalty gave them the welcome win. The Chiefs dominated possession and territory and carried 1 041m, twice as many as the Force, while also making 28 tackle breaks to nine. They made only 122 tackles compared to 213 by the Force. Dominated the rucks and mauls 136-74. Tupaea had a field day, topping the number of carries (15), the metres carried (137), and beating the most defenders (7) for both teams, while making the most successful tackles (13) for the Chiefs.
Three-match round across the Easter weekend: the Chiefs (5) host the NSW Waratahs (7) in Hamilton as both look to keep up with the table leaders; the Western Force (10) are away to the Reds (4) in an all Aussie clash, whilst Fijian Drua (9) travel to Christchurch to play the Crusaders (6) with Force and Drua both needing wins to keep their top six hopes alive.
ROUND #8 FIXTURES ([All times local - home team)
Friday
Crusaders v Fijian Drua @ Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch (7.05pm)
Saturday
Chiefs v NSW Waratahs @ FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton (7.05pm)
Queensland Reds v Western Force @ Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (6.35pm)
BYES: Brumbies, Blues, Highlanders, Hurrcianes, Moana Pasifika
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