Carlo Tizzano scored twice, including the match-winner, as the Western Force fought back from 20–7 down to beat the NSW Waratahs 31–25 at a rain-soaked HBF Park, but the evening was overshadowed by a suspected Achilles injury to Wallabies halfback Jake Gordon.

Key moments

14 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Ioane Moananu scooped the ball from the base of the ruck and went straight through the middle to score under the posts. Jack Bowen converts. (Force 0–7 Waratahs)

16 mins – INJURY: Pete Samu left the field with a knee injury later revealed as a medial ligament issue. Clem Halaholo replaced him. Miles Amatosero also departed for an HIA and did not return.

20 mins – PENALTY WARATAHS: Bowen slotted a penalty from 38 metres after the Force were penalised at the breakdown. (Force 0–10 Waratahs)

23 mins – PENALTY WARATAHS: Bowen added another penalty after a powerful Max Jorgensen linebreak left the Force scrambling and offside. (Force 0–13 Waratahs)

25 mins – TRY FORCE: Dylan Pietsch scored a bizarre try after the Waratahs spilled the restart, with Harry Potter unable to regather the loose ball and Pietsch diving back over his body to ground it. Ben Donaldson converts. (Force 7–13 Waratahs)

28 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Sustained phase play with Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii making big metres. Moananu lobbed a pass over the top for Potter to stroll in against his former side. Bowen converts. (Force 7–20 Waratahs)

33 mins – YELLOW CARD WARATAHS: Joey Walton shown a yellow card for direct shoulder-to-head contact on Nathan Hastie after a TMO review.

35 mins – TRY FORCE: Pietsch’s second. Zac Lomax came off his wing to find Pietsch, who stepped back inside and beat four defenders to score. Donaldson hits the post. (Force 12–20 Waratahs)

37 mins – INJURY: Jake Gordon went down clutching his lower leg after taking a quick tap from a free kick. He was carried from the field with a suspected ruptured Achilles tendon.

Half-time: Force 12–20 Waratahs. The Waratahs were the more clinical side, striking first through Moananu and controlling territory through Bowen’s boot. But Pietsch’s double kept the Force in touch. Gordon’s injury cast a shadow over the contest. The rain was pouring in Perth.

47 mins – TRY FORCE: The Force won a crucial lineout and marched to the goal line via the maul. Misinale Epenisa powered over from a metre out. Donaldson misses. (Force 17–20 Waratahs)

52–59 mins – FORCE SCRUM DOMINANCE: The Force won four consecutive scrum penalties inside the Waratahs’ 22, repeatedly repacking five metres from the line.

61 mins – TRY FORCE: Carlo Tizzano peeled to the right from the back of the scrum and powered over from close range, becoming the Force’s outright all-time leading try scorer with his 31st five-pointer. Donaldson converts. (Force 24–20 Waratahs)

67 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Suaalii burst through at least three defenders from the lineout to get the Waratahs to the goal line. After sustained pressure, Apolosi Ranawai reached out to ground the ball on the line, confirmed by TMO. Jack Debreczeni misses. (Force 24–25 Waratahs)

71 mins – TRY FORCE: Tizzano scored his second from another rolling maul, peeling away and diving over at the back to retake the lead. Kurtley Beale converts. (Force 31–25 Waratahs)

74 mins – KEY MOMENT: Donaldson landed an inch-perfect 50–22 to swing field position late, pinning the Waratahs deep.

78 mins – MISSED PENALTY FORCE: Beale pushed a long-range penalty attempt to the right from 42 metres. (Force 31–25 Waratahs)

80 mins: The Waratahs had one final lineout on halfway but the throw was ruled not straight. The Force kicked to touch to seal the win.

Full-time: Force 31–25 Waratahs

Match report

This was supposed to be a dead rubber. Neither side could make the play-offs, the rain was bucketing down in Perth, and a crowd of just 5,289 had turned out for the Force’s Members Game. What they got was a contest that swung back and forth across 80 minutes, featuring five lead changes, a record-breaking try scorer, and an injury that will send shockwaves through Australian rugby ahead of the July Tests.

Gordon’s suspected Achilles rupture was the story of the night. The 32-year-old Wallabies halfback took a quick tap in the 39th minute and went down after just a couple of steps, clutching his right leg. He was carried from the field in obvious distress. Former Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White, watching from the sideline, described it as “gut-wrenching” and confirmed at half-time that Gordon believed he had done his Achilles. “Said it felt like a weird sensation down there as soon as he took off. He’s pretty gutted,” White said. Coach Dan McKellar was equally blunt: “I’m shattered for Jake. No one cares about New South Wales and the Waratahs more than Jake, and just for him to do it in the last game of the season before the Test season’s about to begin — disappointing.” If confirmed, Gordon will miss the entire 2026 Test programme, with the Wallabies’ Nations Championship campaign opening against Ireland in Sydney on July 4. Tate McDermott and Ryan Lonergan are next in line at No. 9.

Gordon was not the only casualty. Samu’s knee twisted awkwardly in the ninth minute when he slipped on the wet turf while bracing for a tackle. The No. 8 tried to play on before eventually departing, with the injury later confirmed as a medial ligament issue. Amatosero also failed an HIA in the first half and did not return.

The match itself was a tale of two halves. The Waratahs controlled the opening 30 minutes, with Moananu opening the scoring after picking from the base of a ruck and charging through the middle under the posts. Bowen added two penalties from the tee as Jorgensen’s linebreaking runs gave the visitors territory and momentum. At 13–0, the Force were struggling to get a foothold in the contest.

Pietsch’s first try was a gift. The Force kicked off deep and Potter fumbled the ball over his own line, unable to ground it, with Pietsch diving back over Potter’s body to claim the scraps. Donaldson converted and the Force were on the board at 7–13. Potter made amends minutes later, strolling in after 13 phases of sustained pressure on the Force line, and Bowen converted for 7–20.

The yellow card to Walton in the 33rd minute for a shoulder-to-head tackle on Hastie shifted the contest. Within two minutes, Lomax had worked a ball wide for Pietsch, who stepped back inside and beat four defenders to score his second. Donaldson’s conversion struck the post but the Force were back within eight at the break.

The second half belonged to the Force’s forwards. Epenisa powered over from a metre out after a lineout maul in the 47th minute, and then the scrum took over. The Force won four consecutive scrum penalties inside the Waratahs’ 22, each time opting to repack five metres out rather than take the three points. It was a brave call and it paid off when Tizzano peeled to the right and powered over in the 61st minute. Donaldson converted and the Force led 24–20. The try was Tizzano’s 31st for the franchise — surpassing foundation member Cameron Shepherd’s long-standing record to become the Force’s outright all-time leading try scorer.

The Waratahs hit back. Suaalii produced one of the carries of the night, bursting through at least three defenders from the lineout to reach the Force’s goal line. After sustained pressure, replacement prop Ranawai reached out through a pile of bodies to ground the ball, confirmed by the TMO. Debreczeni missed the conversion but the Waratahs led 25–24.

The lead lasted four minutes. Nic Dolly’s 50-metre clearance kick from a stolen lineout flipped the field position, and the Force’s lineout maul did the rest. Tizzano was again at the back, peeling away and diving over to score his second and retake the lead at 31–25. Beale converted from the sideline. Donaldson’s inch-perfect 50–22 three minutes later pinned the Waratahs deep, and although Beale missed a long-range penalty that would have sealed it, the Waratahs could not escape their own half in the closing stages. Their final lineout on halfway was ruled not straight and the Force kicked to touch.

“A really good note to end on,” Force captain Jeremy Williams said. “It’s awesome we could get the win and finish the season on a high. Although we haven’t made it to finals, which was our goal, we’ve really developed over the last couple of years and I’m really proud of the effort.”

The result lifts the Force to seventh with a 7–7 record — their best season since 2014 and their fifth win in six matches to close the campaign. The victory also completed a season double over the Waratahs, only the third time the Force have achieved that feat in Super Rugby. For the eighth-placed Waratahs (5–9), another underwhelming season ends with soul-searching ahead. Captain Matt Philip said the effort could not be faulted but execution had let them down. “We’re very aware that the results haven’t been good enough,” he said. McKellar, contracted for one more season, called for patience: “You’ve got to roll with the punches. Times like this make the good times feel even better and they’ll come.”

Match details

Force 31 (Tries: Dylan Pietsch 2, Carlo Tizzano 2, Misinale Epenisa; Conversions: Ben Donaldson 2/4, Kurtley Beale 1/1; Penalties: Beale 0/1)
Waratahs 25 (Tries: Ioane Moananu, Harry Potter, Apolosi Ranawai; Conversions: Jack Bowen 2/2, Jack Debreczeni 0/1; Penalties: Bowen 2/3)
Half-time: 12–20
Cards: Joey Walton (yellow, 33 mins)

Venue: HBF Park, Perth
Attendance: 5,289
Referee: Marcus Playle (New Zealand)

Teams

Force: 15 Mac Grealy, 14 Zac Lomax, 13 George Bridge, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Nathan Hastie, 8 Vailoni Ekuasi, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Jeremy Williams (c), 3 Misinale Epenisa, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Harry Johnson-Holmes.
Replacements: 16 Nic Dolly, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Sef Fa’agase, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Will Harris, 21 Agustin Moyano, 22 Boston Fakafanua, 23 Kurtley Beale.

Waratahs: 15 Max Jorgensen, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Andrew Kellaway, 10 Jack Bowen, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jamie Adamson, 6 Angus Scott-Young, 5 Miles Amatosero, 4 Matt Philip (c), 3 Dan Botha, 2 Ioane Moananu, 1 Jack Barrett.
Replacements: 16 Oniti Finau, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Apolosi Ranawai, 19 Ben Grant, 20 Clem Halaholo, 21 Teddy Wilson, 22 Jack Debreczeni, 23 Triston Reilly.

What’s next

Both the Force and Waratahs’ seasons are over. The Force finish seventh (7–7), the Waratahs eighth (5–9). The qualifying finals begin next weekend:

Friday 5 June, 7:05pm NZST / 5:05pm AEST: Hurricanes (1st) v Brumbies (6th), Sky Stadium, Wellington
Saturday 6 June, 4:35pm NZST / 2:35pm AEST: Crusaders (3rd) v Blues (4th), One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Saturday 6 June, 7:05pm NZST / 5:05pm AEST: Chiefs (2nd) v Reds (5th), FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

The Chiefs produced 40 second-half points to demolish the Blues 59–34 at FMG Stadium Waikato, ending their rivals’ hopes of a home qualifying final and sending them to Christchurch for a play-off against the Crusaders.

Key moments

3 mins – TRY BLUES: Sam Nock snapped back to the blindside and Torian Barnes cut back infield, crashing through the defence to score in the right corner. Zarn Sullivan converts. (Chiefs 0–7 Blues)

25 mins – PENALTY BLUES: Sullivan slotted a penalty from in front after the Chiefs were penalised for offside and warned by referee Angus Gardner for repeated infringements. (Chiefs 0–10 Blues)

27 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Josh Jacomb fired a flat ball to Reon Paul, who burst through a gaping hole and drew Stephen Perofeta before slinging a pass wide to an unmarked Kyren Taumoefolau on the left wing. Jacomb misses from the sideline. (Chiefs 5–10 Blues)

32 mins – TRY CHIEFS: The Chiefs’ lineout maul ground forward with Tyrone Thompson diving over down the right edge. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 12–10 Blues)

37 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Cortez Ratima darted around the ruck and was dragged down 10 metres out. Jacomb then double-pumped before firing a cut-out ball to an unmarked Daniel Sinkinson, who dived over in the right corner. Jacomb converts from the sideline. (Chiefs 19–10 Blues)

40 mins – TRY BLUES: The Blues hammered away at the line with pick and goes before Perofeta caught and passed sharply, sending AJ Lam crashing over in the corner right on half-time. Sullivan misses. (Chiefs 19–15 Blues)

Half-time: Chiefs 19–15 Blues. An entertaining derby. The Blues started strongly through Barnes and Sullivan’s penalty but the Chiefs surged back with three tries in ten minutes as Jacomb controlled proceedings. Lam’s try on the stroke of half-time kept the Blues in touch. The Chiefs dominated the lineout while the Blues had the upper hand at scrum time.

46 mins – TRY CHIEFS: The Chiefs won a scrum penalty metres from the Blues’ line. Wallace Sititi tapped at pace and muscled through several defenders to score beside the posts. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 26–15 Blues)

49 mins – KEY MOMENT: Lam was put into space on the right wing and took off for the corner, but Jacomb produced a brilliant try-saving knock of the ball just before Lam could ground it.

53 mins – TRY BLUES: After sustained pick-and-go pressure near the line, debutant Eli Oudenryn reached out and dotted it down. Sullivan misses. (Chiefs 26–20 Blues)

56 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Kaylum Boshier burst into space down the blindside and offloaded to Sinkinson on the right wing, who had a free run to score his second. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 33–20 Blues)

59 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Sinkinson intercepted a loose Finlay Christie pass. Liam Coombes-Fabling slammed a deep kick downfield that took a rude bounce over Perofeta’s head and fell straight into his own arms on the chase. He slipped out of Perofeta’s clutches and streaked away from 30 metres to score. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 40–20 Blues)

63 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Jacomb threaded a grubber into the left corner for Samipeni Finau to gather on the bounce. Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi then picked and drove at pace, powering through to score in the corner. Jacomb misses. (Chiefs 45–20 Blues)

68 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Strong scrum from the Chiefs, with Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi firing it to Paul in midfield. Paul stepped outside his defender with ease and dived over to the left of the posts. Jacomb converts and the Chiefs bring up 50. (Chiefs 52–20 Blues)

70 mins – TRY BLUES: Hoskins Sotutu fired an offload out the back for Corey Evans, who found Caleb Clarke crashing over down the left. Sullivan converts. (Chiefs 52–27 Blues)

74 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Taumoefolau burst into space on the left wing after a brilliant ball from Brodie McAlister and popped it back inside to Finau, who strolled over untouched. Tepaea Cook-Savage converts. (Chiefs 59–27 Blues)

80+3 mins – TRY BLUES: Perofeta floated a pass over the top and the ricocheting ball landed in Xavi Taele’s lap to claim a consolation try in the final play. Sullivan converts. (Chiefs 59–34 Blues)

Full-time: Chiefs 59–34 Blues

Match report

The Blues arrived in Hamilton knowing what was required. A win would reclaim third place and a home qualifying final at Eden Park. A loss would send them to Christchurch to face the Crusaders — a ground where they have lost 14 of their last 15. They got neither a win nor a contest, capitulating in the second half as the Chiefs ran in six tries after the break to turn a competitive derby into a 25-point rout in front of 19,950 at FMG Stadium Waikato.

It was all the more damaging because Jono Gibbes’ side were missing a stack of frontliners. Captain Luke Jacobson, fellow All Blacks Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i, Quinn Tupaea and Simon Parker were all rested, while Damian McKenzie remained sidelined with concussion. The Blues, too, were without Beauden Barrett (quad), Patrick Tuipulotu (neck) and Dalton Papali’i (broken jaw), but this was a match they should have been desperate enough to win regardless. Instead, they suffered a third straight defeat — their longest New Zealand derby losing streak since 2019–2020.

The visitors started sharply. Barnes crashed over in the third minute after Nock identified space on the short side, and Sullivan added a penalty on 25 minutes after Gardner warned Sititi for repeated team infringements. At 10–0, the Blues were dominant. They had territory, intensity and the better of the scrum. But they could not convert pressure into points. Clarke lost the ball reaching for the line after a trademark charge, Renata spilled it inside the 22, and the lineout — with hooker Mullan’s throws repeatedly missing target — was a recurring problem.

The Chiefs needed just one opportunity, and Paul provided it. Jacomb’s flat pass sent the midfielder through a gaping hole and he drew Perofeta before slinging it wide to Taumoefolau, who strolled over in the corner untouched. Jacomb missed the conversion but the dam had broken. Five minutes later, Thompson’s lineout maul try put the Chiefs in front for the first time, and Sinkinson’s first — off a slick cut-out ball from Jacomb — extended the lead to 19–10. Three tries in ten minutes, 19 unanswered points, and the momentum had swung completely.

Lam’s try on the stroke of half-time, finishing off quick hands from Perofeta, narrowed the gap to 19–15 and gave the Blues hope. Sullivan missed the conversion from the touchline but the visitors had at least stopped the bleeding heading into the break.

That hope lasted six minutes. The Chiefs won a scrum penalty metres from the Blues’ line and Sititi — captaining the side for the first time — took a quick tap and charged through several defenders to score beside the posts. It was a statement from the All Blacks No. 8 and set the tone for what was to come. Jacomb converted for 26–15.

The Blues had one golden chance to stay in the contest. Lam was put into space on the right wing and took off for the corner, but Jacomb produced a try-saving intervention, knocking the ball free just before Lam could ground it. It was a turning point. Six minutes later, Oudenryn — the 20-year-old debutant and son of former Warriors winger Lee Oudenryn — powered over after sustained pick-and-go pressure to make it 26–20. The Blues were still alive.

Then the Chiefs cut loose. Boshier burst down the blindside and offloaded to Sinkinson for his second in the 56th minute. Three minutes later, Coombes-Fabling produced the try of the night — intercepting after Sinkinson had pinched a loose Christie pass, then launching a deep kick downfield that bounced over Perofeta’s head, regathering on the chase, slipping out of the fullback’s clutches and racing away to score. Jacomb converted both and the scoreboard read 40–20.

From there, it was one-way traffic. Ah Kuoi powered over in the corner after Jacomb’s grubber was gathered by Finau. Paul stepped outside a weak tackle attempt from Codemeru Vai after another dominant scrum to bring up the half-century. Finau added a ninth try after Taumoefolau burst away down the left following a brilliant McAlister pass. Cook-Savage converted for 59–27. Clarke and Taele grabbed consolation tries for the Blues in the final ten minutes, with Taele’s score in the 83rd minute preventing the margin from becoming the largest ever between the two sides.

Jacomb was outstanding throughout, converting six of eight and controlling proceedings with boot and hand. Paul filled the void left by Tupaea with a complete performance in midfield. And Sititi led from the front in every sense, his physicality and work rate setting the standard. For the Blues, Segner never stopped working and Barnes was strong early, but the second-half collapse was damning. Their lineout was poor, their defence leaked badly after the break, and their attack lacked the precision to punish a side missing so many first-choice players.

The result confirms the qualifying final draw. The Chiefs, 11–3 and locked in second, host the Reds in Hamilton next Saturday night. The Blues finish 8–6 in fourth and face the Crusaders at One New Zealand Stadium — a ground where the defending champions remain unbeaten — next Saturday afternoon. Given the Blues’ spiralling form and the Crusaders’ 32-from-32 home play-off record, Vern Cotter’s men face an enormous task to keep their season alive.

Match details

Chiefs 59 (Tries: Daniel Sinkinson 2, Kyren Taumoefolau, Tyrone Thompson, Wallace Sititi, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Reon Paul, Samipeni Finau; Conversions: Josh Jacomb 6/8, Tepaea Cook-Savage 1/1)
Blues 34 (Tries: Torian Barnes, AJ Lam, Eli Oudenryn, Caleb Clarke, Xavi Taele; Conversions: Zarn Sullivan 3/5; Penalties: Sullivan 1)
Half-time: 19–15

Venue: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Attendance: 19,950
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)

Teams

Chiefs: 15 Liam Coombes-Fabling, 14 Daniel Sinkinson, 13 Daniel Rona, 12 Reon Paul, 11 Kyren Taumoefolau, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Wallace Sititi (c), 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 3 George Dyer, 2 Tyrone Thompson, 1 Jared Proffit.
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Benet Kumeroa, 18 Keran van Staden, 19 Fiti Sa, 20 Kaylum Boshier, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Tepaea Cook-Savage, 23 Lalakai Foketi.

Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 AJ Lam, 13 Xavi Taele, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Sam Nock, 8 Malachi Wrampling, 7 Anton Segner (c), 6 Torian Barnes, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Josh Beehre, 3 Marcel Renata, 2 James Mullan, 1 Mason Tupaea.
Replacements: 16 Eli Oudenryn, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Flyn Yates, 19 Laghlan McWhannell, 20 Hoskins Sotutu, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Corey Evans, 23 Codemeru Vai.

What’s next

Qualifying finals:
Friday 5 June, 7:05pm NZST: Hurricanes (1st) v Brumbies (6th) at Sky Stadium, Wellington
Saturday 6 June, 4:35pm NZST: Crusaders (3rd) v Blues (4th) at One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Saturday 6 June, 7:05pm NZST: Chiefs (2nd) v Reds (5th) at FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

Patrick Pellegrini scored twice and sparked the match-winning try as 14-man Moana Pasifika stunned the Brumbies 21–19 at GIO Stadium in a fitting farewell to what may be the franchise’s final Super Rugby Pacific match.

Key moments

3 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: The Brumbies’ forward pack battered the line through Charlie Cale and Rob Valetini before Rory Scott picked and drove over under the posts. Ryan Lonergan converts. (Brumbies 7–0 Moana Pasifika)

11 mins – TRY DISALLOWED (MOANA): Solomon Alaimalo finished a brilliant passage featuring a chip kick and no-look pass, but the TMO ruled Faletoi Peni’s pass to Alaimalo had drifted forward.

16 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: After sustained forward pressure near the line, the Brumbies shifted it wide and Tom Wright dummied and dived over. Lonergan converts. (Brumbies 14–0 Moana Pasifika)

18 mins – YELLOW CARD BRUMBIES: James Slipper sent to the sin bin for cynical play at the ruck. Rhys van Nek came on to manage the scrum.

21 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Initially ruled no try on the field, the TMO reviewed and confirmed Patrick Pellegrini had grounded the ball cleanly after sustained pressure near the line. Pellegrini converts. (Brumbies 14–7 Moana Pasifika)

32 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa made a powerful carry to break into the 22 before Pellegrini cut through the defensive line and barged over near the posts for his second. Pellegrini converts. (Brumbies 14–14 Moana Pasifika)

37 mins – YELLOW CARD MOANA PASIFIKA: Faletoi Peni sent to the bin for a no-arms challenge on Andy Muirhead. First yellow card.

Half-time: Brumbies 14–14 Moana Pasifika. The Brumbies dominated early through their forward pack but errors and set-piece issues let Moana back in. Pellegrini was outstanding, scoring twice and controlling proceedings. Both sides had a player sin-binned. The Brumbies’ lineout was a mess, with several crooked throws and communication breakdowns.

55 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: After a lineout and sustained forward carries, Wright found Luke Reimer on the edge and the flanker dived over in the corner. Lonergan misses the conversion. (Brumbies 19–14 Moana Pasifika)

57 mins – DEBUT: Jarrah McLeod came on for his Super Rugby debut.

63 mins – RED CARD MOANA PASIFIKA: Peni was shown a second yellow card for direct head-on-head contact on Muirhead, automatically upgraded to a 20-minute red card. Moana Pasifika reduced to 14 men for the remainder.

70 mins – TRY DISALLOWED (BRUMBIES): Klayton Thorn dived over after a Reimer break, but the TMO found Valetini’s pass to Reimer on halfway had travelled forward. Moana scrum.

73 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Pellegrini sparked a stunning counter-attack with a chip-and-chase, regathering his own kick before putting another ahead and collecting again. The visitors shifted right and Tuna Tuitama sliced through before passing to Melani Matavao, who dived over near the posts. Pellegrini converts to put Moana in front. (Brumbies 19–21 Moana Pasifika)

77–80 mins: The Brumbies threw everything at Moana in the closing stages but could not break through. Corey Toole knocked on in contact in the final minute, handing Moana a scrum. Tupou Ta’eiloa carried from the back, the Brumbies were penalised, and Pellegrini kicked to touch to seal victory.

Full-time: Brumbies 19–21 Moana Pasifika

Match report

The week began with Moana Pasifika’s shareholders voting to appoint liquidators to the franchise’s holding company. It ended with their players performing a war dance before kick-off, producing 80 minutes of courage, and celebrating wildly on the turf at GIO Stadium after one of the most remarkable results in the franchise’s short history. With nothing but pride to play for and uncertainty about their future beyond this afternoon, Tana Umaga’s side delivered a performance that matched the occasion.

“With all that had happened during the week, in terms of Moana going into liquidation, we knew we wouldn’t see a lot of our group that we left behind,” Umaga said. “We talked a lot about our strong purpose of who we represent. We’re representing our culture, our people, and we saw that come through in the end. I’m very proud of it. This one stands out.”

It did not look like standing out at all in the opening quarter. The Brumbies came out firing and scored twice inside 16 minutes. Scott finished off sustained forward pressure under the posts in the third minute, with Cale, Valetini and the pack doing the heavy lifting. Wright added a second after more forward dominance near the line, dummying and diving over. Lonergan converted both and at 14–0 the Brumbies appeared to be building towards the bonus-point win they needed to climb the standings.

Moana showed their intent early, however. Alaimalo crossed in the 11th minute after a brilliant passage featuring a chip kick and no-look pass, but the TMO ruled Peni’s pass had drifted forward. It was the first of several interventions from the officials that shaped the contest.

The turning point arrived in the 18th minute when veteran prop Slipper was sin-binned for cynical play at the ruck. With the extra man, Moana threw everything at the Brumbies’ line. What followed was one of the match’s strangest moments: Pellegrini lunged for the line and referee Jordan Way initially ruled no try, with play continuing for 40 seconds. The TMO then intervened, and replays confirmed Pellegrini had grounded the ball cleanly. Play was dragged all the way back and the try awarded. Pellegrini converted his own score and the deficit was halved.

The visitors grew in confidence. Peni was a handful with his surging carries through midfield, Tupou Ta’eiloa was immense at No. 8, and skipper Miracle Faiilagi led from the front. On 32 minutes, Tupou Ta’eiloa made a powerful carry to break into the 22 before Augustine Pulu — the evergreen halfback, nearing the end of his career — produced a magic offload for Pellegrini to cut through and barge over near the posts for his second. He converted again and the scores were level at 14–14.

Peni then blotted his copybook. In the 37th minute he was sin-binned for a no-arms challenge on Muirhead as the wing chased Corey Toole’s kick. It was harsh, but Moana held on to take the contest to half-time level.

The Brumbies’ set piece, particularly the lineout, was a mess throughout. Several crooked throws, communication breakdowns and free kicks conceded undermined their forward advantage. Coach Stephen Larkham will have been tearing his hair out. “There’s a whole lot of frustration in the change room at the moment,” he said afterwards. “There’s lots of guys thinking about what they could have done differently or better.”

The second half was a dour, scrappy affair. Wright threw an obvious forward pass to an unmarked Muirhead on the Moana line early on, squandering a golden opportunity. But on 55 minutes, after sustained carries from the pack, Wright found Reimer on the left edge and the flanker dived over in the corner. Lonergan missed the conversion but the Brumbies led 19–14 and appeared to have the momentum.

Then came Peni’s second card. In the 63rd minute, Wright made a break down the right and found Muirhead inside the 22. Play was brought back for a TMO review of Peni’s tackle, which found direct head-on-head contact. Because it was his second yellow of the match, it was automatically upgraded to a 20-minute red card. Moana would play the rest of the contest with 14 men.

The adversity seemed to bolster rather than deflate the visitors. The Brumbies could not capitalise. On 70 minutes, Thorn dived over after a Reimer break and appeared to have sealed it, but the TMO found Valetini’s pass to Reimer on halfway had travelled forward. The try was chalked off and Moana had a lifeline.

Three minutes later, they took it. Pellegrini sparked a stunning counter-attack from inside his own half, chipping over the top and regathering before putting another kick ahead and somehow collecting that too. The visitors shifted right, Tuitama sliced through the defensive line and found Matavao, who dived over near the posts. Pellegrini calmly converted to put Moana in front for the first time at 21–19.

The final seven minutes were tense. The Brumbies threw everything at Moana but could not break through. The visitors won penalties for the Brumbies collapsing the maul and stole a lineout. When Toole knocked on in contact in the final minute, Moana had the scrum. Tupou Ta’eiloa carried from the back, the Brumbies infringed, and Pellegrini tapped and kicked to touch to spark scenes of celebration.

It was Moana Pasifika’s first win since the opening round against the Fijian Drua in February, snapping a 12-game losing streak. Their record of 2–12 and last-place finish does not tell the story of a franchise that has fought against the odds since its introduction in 2022. Whether this was their final chapter remains uncertain — NZ Rugby said the tender process for their licence is continuing, and a private consortium or government intervention could yet provide a rescue — but if it was, they could hardly have written a better ending.

The Brumbies finish 7–7 and sixth on the ladder. They face a daunting trip to Wellington next Friday night to take on the Hurricanes in a qualifying final, where they must win to advance. On this evidence, Larkham has plenty to fix.

Match details

Brumbies 19 (Tries: Rory Scott, Tom Wright, Luke Reimer; Conversions: Ryan Lonergan 2/3)
Moana Pasifika 21 (Tries: Patrick Pellegrini 2, Melani Matavao; Conversions: Patrick Pellegrini 3/3)
Half-time: 14–14
Cards: James Slipper (yellow, 18 mins); Faletoi Peni (yellow, 37 mins; red, 63 mins)

Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia)

Teams

Brumbies: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Andy Muirhead, 13 Hudson Creighton, 12 David Feliuai, 11 Corey Toole, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan (c), 8 Charlie Cale, 7 Rory Scott, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Lachlan Shaw, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Lachlan Lonergan, 17 Blake Schoupp, 18 Rhys van Nek, 19 Nick Frost, 20 Luke Reimer, 21 Klayton Thorn, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Jarrah McLeod.

Moana Pasifika: 15 William Havili, 14 Israel Leota, 13 Solomon Alaimalo, 12 Faletoi Peni, 11 Glen Vaihu, 10 Patrick Pellegrini, 9 Augustine Pulu, 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, 7 Semisi Paea, 6 Miracle Faiilagi (c), 5 Veikoso Poloniati, 4 Allan Craig, 3 Atu Moli, 2 Millennium Sanerivi, 1 Malakai Hala-Ngatai.
Replacements: 16 Mamoru Harada, 17 Abraham Pole, 18 Paula Latu, 19 Alefosio Aho, 20 Sam Tuitupou Ah-Hing, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 Tevita Latu, 23 Tuna Tuitama.

What’s next

The Brumbies finish sixth and travel to Wellington to face the Hurricanes in a qualifying final next Friday. The Reds finish fifth and face the Chiefs in Hamilton next Saturday. Moana Pasifika’s future remains uncertain, with the franchise in liquidation but NZ Rugby’s licence tender process continuing.