The Chiefs secured a vital bonus-point win as they took down the Fijian Drua 42–22 to conclude Super Round, with Ilaisa Droasese’s extraordinary in-goal blunder blowing the game open after the visitors had kept the competition leaders honest for the best part of 35 minutes.

Key moments

3 mins – TRY FIJIAN DRUA: The Drua race out of the blocks with 17 patient phases of pick-and-drive rugby, battering their way to the five-metre line. The Chiefs cannot handle the physicality and Mesake Doge rolls his way over from close range. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula converts. (Chiefs 0–7 Fijian Drua)

5 mins – TRY DISALLOWED CHIEFS: Daniel Sinkinson appears to score in the right corner after a slick backline move, but the TMO spots a knock-on from Simon Parker in the build-up. Scrum to the Drua.

13 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Wallace Sititi claims a high restart and the Chiefs set up a rolling maul. Brodie McAlister controls the ball at the back and rumbles over. Damian McKenzie converts. (Chiefs 7–7 Fijian Drua)

16 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Off the top of the lineout, McKenzie feeds Daniel Sinkinson on the inside and he strides into the 22. He finds Quinn Tupaea backing up on the inside, who strolls in under the posts. McKenzie converts. (Chiefs 14–7 Fijian Drua)

19 mins – PENALTY FIJIAN DRUA: Temo Mayanavanua claims the lineout and the Drua drive, winning a penalty after Brodie McAlister collapses the maul. Frank Lomani knocks on from the resulting advantage, so the Drua take the shot. Armstrong-Ravula slots from in front. (Chiefs 14–10 Fijian Drua)

23 mins – LOMANI INTERCEPT DENIED: Frank Lomani picks off a Cortez Ratima pass and races away for the right corner, but slips his foot into touch and loses the ball forward as he dives under Isaac Hutchinson’s tackle. Five-metre lineout to the Chiefs.

26 mins – McALISTER INJURY: Brodie McAlister limps off with a calf complaint. Tyrone Thompson replaces him.

30 mins – HUTCHINSON TRY-SAVER: McKenzie works flat to debutant Isaac Hutchinson, who launches over the five-metre line and reaches out, but Armstrong-Ravula punches the ball clear with a superb try-saving tackle.

36 mins – TRY CHIEFS: One of the most bizarre tries in Super Rugby history. Under advantage, Hutchinson rolls a kick in behind. Ilaisa Droasese gathers in his own in-goal but opts to grubber for himself rather than force it dead. The ball goes straight to Jared Proffit, who dives on it and plants it with his forearm. McKenzie converts. (Chiefs 21–10 Fijian Drua)

38 mins – TRY CHIEFS: The game opens right up. Off the restart, the Chiefs slip it left with slick hands. Leroy Carter cuts through and links with Cortez Ratima, who runs the perfect halfback line to stroll in under the posts. McKenzie converts. (Chiefs 28–10 Fijian Drua)

Half-time: Chiefs 28–10 Fijian Drua. The Drua were competitive for the best part of 35 minutes, keeping the Chiefs honest at 14–10. But Droasese’s extraordinary in-goal blunder turned the game on its head, and the Chiefs scored twice in three minutes either side of the incident to blow the lead out to 18 points. Isaac Hutchinson impressed on debut, while McKenzie kept things ticking over. The Chiefs lost McAlister to a calf injury.

45 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Droasese makes another error on his own goal-line, losing the ball after planting it down, gifting the Chiefs a five-metre scrum. Wallace Sititi bounces left for Ratima, who rips it back to the short side for McKenzie, who frees Daniel Sinkinson to stroll in down the right. McKenzie converts. (Chiefs 35–10 Fijian Drua)

55 mins – TRY FIJIAN DRUA: Replacement hooker Kavaia Tagivetaua hits a short line and breaks through Wallace Sititi’s tackle attempt, showing a clean pair of heels to streak 30 metres and score under the posts. Armstrong-Ravula converts. (Chiefs 35–17 Fijian Drua)

56 mins – CARTER INJURY: Leroy Carter limps off with what appears to be a serious hamstring injury. Tepaea Cook-Savage replaces him.

66 mins – TRY FIJIAN DRUA: The Drua drive from the lineout, with the ball spitting out the back for Simione Kuruvoli. He slices away to the short side and leaps over down the right edge. Armstrong-Ravula’s conversion misses. (Chiefs 35–22 Fijian Drua)

70 mins – TRY CHIEFS: With three Drua players down with cramp, the Chiefs go edge to edge. Kyle Brown strides away down the right and works back inside for Tepaea Cook-Savage, who runs in behind the posts on debut. McKenzie converts. (Chiefs 42–22 Fijian Drua)

80 mins – DROASESE INTERCEPT DENIED: Droasese picks out an intercept and races away, but runs out of gas and kicks ahead. McKenzie gets back to hold on his own five-metre line. The bonus point survives.

Full-time: Chiefs 42–22 Fijian Drua

Match report

It goes without saying that the Chiefs do not need any help from generous opponents. So what on earth was Fijian Drua fullback Ilaisa Droasese thinking when he produced arguably one of the most bone-headed plays in Super Rugby history, turning a competitive contest into a rout that concluded Super Round with a fifth straight New Zealand victory?

The Chiefs ran out 42–22 winners in the final match of the weekend at One NZ Stadium, securing a bonus-point victory that moved them level on points with the Hurricanes at the top of the ladder. But for 35 minutes the Drua had them sweating, and it took Droasese’s extraordinary in-goal blunder to blow the game apart.

The Drua struck first and struck hard. Mesake Doge finished a superb 17-phase raid inside the opening three minutes, the forwards battering their way upfield with a series of breathtaking offloads and smash-mouth carries. The Chiefs responded through the set piece — McAlister was driven over from the rolling maul in the 13th minute — before a training-ground move sent Sinkinson through a hole on the inside, with Tupaea backing up to score under the posts and make it 14–7.

Armstrong-Ravula’s penalty pulled the Drua back to 14–10, and they might have been level had Lomani not slipped his foot into touch after picking off a Ratima pass and racing for the corner. Hutchinson’s desperation tackle completed the try-saving act, the debutant proving his worth moments after being denied at the other end by Armstrong-Ravula’s brilliant punch dislodge.

Then came the moment that decided the match. With the Chiefs under advantage, Hutchinson rolled a kick in behind. Droasese gathered in his own in-goal but, inexplicably, opted to grubber for himself rather than force the ball dead. The kick went straight to Proffit, who dived on it and planted it with his forearm. Long-time commentator and former All Black Justin Marshall called it “mind boggling”, while fellow commentator Jeff Wilson said: “This was bizarre … we’ll probably never see this again.”

The Chiefs compounded the error within two minutes. Carter cut through off the restart and linked with Ratima, who ran the perfect halfback line to stroll in untouched. From 14–10, it was suddenly 28–10, and the contest was effectively over.

Sinkinson’s try early in the second half — another Droasese error on his own goal-line gifting the Chiefs a five-metre scrum — pushed the lead to 25 points and the bonus point looked safe. But the Drua refused to go quietly. Replacement hooker Tagivetaua broke Sititi’s tackle and showed a clean pair of heels to streak 30 metres for a memorable try, before Kuruvoli darted through on the short side to make it 35–22 with 14 minutes remaining.

For a few nervous minutes, the Chiefs’ bonus point was under threat, with three Drua players down with cramp as the match entered its final stages. But Cook-Savage, on for the injured Carter, ran in behind the posts after Brown had exploited the gaps left by the stricken defenders.

The win came at a cost. McAlister limped off with a calf complaint before the half-hour mark, while Carter’s hamstring injury in the second half could rule him out for the remainder of the campaign. Hutchinson, though, was a revelation on debut — the 22-year-old, who tore his ACL, MCL and both menisci playing club rugby in Christchurch last year, showed tremendous composure under the high ball and went close to scoring himself.

For the Drua, there was plenty to admire beyond the scoreline. Etonia Waqa was outstanding on the edge, Kitione Salawa worked tirelessly at the breakdown, and Tagivetaua’s try will live long in the memory. But Droasese’s errors were ultimately the difference between a competitive loss and a heavy one.

The result completes a perfect Super Round for the New Zealand franchises — five wins from five against their Australian and Pacific opponents across three days at One NZ Stadium. The Chiefs head into their bye week level on points with the Hurricanes at the top of the ladder, setting up a grandstand race for the top seed over the final five rounds.

Match details

Chiefs 42 (Tries: Brodie McAlister 13′, Quinn Tupaea 16′, Jared Proffit 36′, Cortez Ratima 38′, Daniel Sinkinson 45′, Tepaea Cook-Savage 70′; Conversions: Damian McKenzie 6/6)
Fijian Drua 22 (Tries: Mesake Doge 3′, Kavaia Tagivetaua 55′, Simione Kuruvoli 66′; Conversions: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 2/3; Penalties: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 1/1)
Half-time: 28–10

Venue: One NZ Stadium, Christchurch
Referee: Jordan Way
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner, Ben O’Keeffe
TMO: Brett Cronan

Milestones

• Isaac Hutchinson (Chiefs) — Super Rugby debut at fullback
• Maika Tuitubou (Fijian Drua) — Super Rugby debut at outside centre

Teams

Chiefs: 15 Isaac Hutchinson, 14 Leroy Carter, 13 Kyle Brown, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Daniel Sinkinson, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i (c), 4 Josh Lord, 3 George Dyer, 2 Brodie McAlister, 1 Jared Proffit.
Replacements: 16 Tyrone Thompson, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Benét Kumeroa, 19 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Michael Loft, 21 Xavier Roe, 22 Tepaea Cook-Savage, 23 Lalakai Foketi.

Fijian Drua: 15 Ilaisa Droasese, 14 Taniela Rakuro, 13 Maika Tuitubou, 12 Virimi Vakatawa, 11 Manasa Mataele, 10 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 9 Frank Lomani (co-c), 8 Isoa Tuwai, 7 Kitione Salawa, 6 Etonia Waqa, 5 Temo Mayanavanua (co-c), 4 Mesake Vocevoce, 3 Mesake Doge, 2 Zuriel Togiatama, 1 Haereiti Hetet.
Replacements: 16 Kavaia Tagivetaua, 17 Emosi Tuqiri, 18 Peni Ravai, 19 Isoa Nasilasila, 20 Elia Canakaivata, 21 Simione Kuruvoli, 22 Kemu Valetini, 23 Inia Tabuavou.

What’s next

The Chiefs have the bye in Round 12. The Fijian Drua return home to face the Highlanders at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

The Highlanders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 27–17 victory over Moana Pasifika at One NZ Stadium, recovering from a 7–10 half-time deficit to outscore the visitors three tries to one in a gritty second-half display.

Key moments

14 mins – LOWE HELD UP: Jonah Lowe drives high into contact and is dragged over the line, but Moana Pasifika get under the ball and force the goal-line dropout.

17 mins – PELLEGRINI OFF (HIA): Patrick Pellegrini is forced off after copping a shoulder to the head in a collision with Cameron Millar. Israel Leota comes on, with William Havili shifting to fly-half.

20 mins – YELLOW CARD MOANA PASIFIKA: The Highlanders win a scrum penalty five metres out and Adam Lennox takes a quick tap. Semisi Paea stops him in an offside position and is shown yellow. The Highlanders opt for another scrum.

25 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: The Highlanders finally make their dominance count. Cameron Millar works out the back door to Xavier Tito-Harris, who rips a wide ball to Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens. He frees up Jonah Lowe to stride over on the right. Millar converts. (Highlanders 7–0 Moana Pasifika)

28 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: An immediate response. Allan Craig drops it off the top and Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa goes on a rampaging run down the left edge, busting through four tackles into the 22. William Havili hangs a cross-kick to the right and Israel Leota takes flight, plucking it out of the air above Lennox to score. Havili’s conversion misses. (Highlanders 7–5 Moana Pasifika)

33 mins – YELLOW CARD HIGHLANDERS: Jonah Lowe is shown yellow for a late, high shoulder charge on Havili after he had released the ball. Moana Pasifika kick for touch seven metres out.

34 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Moana Pasifika pick and drive at the Highlanders’ line before spreading it wide. Glen Vaihu gets on the outside of Millar, shrugging off the tackle to leap over in the right corner. Havili’s conversion misses again. (Highlanders 7–10 Moana Pasifika)

37 mins – FAIILAGI DROPS IT: Miracle Faiilagi has a clear run to the line after Havili’s break and offload, but cannot hold on in contact. A huge let-off for the Highlanders.

Half-time: Highlanders 7–10 Moana Pasifika. Not one of the classics, but Moana Pasifika will not care. They defended with real grit on their own line and made the Highlanders pay with two quickfire tries from Leota and Vaihu. Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa was a wrecking ball, and Havili ran the game superbly at fly-half after Pellegrini’s early departure. The Highlanders were too flat and one-dimensional in attack, failing to free their outside backs despite territorial dominance.

43 mins – PENALTY HIGHLANDERS: Cameron Millar slots from 25 metres in front after the Moana Pasifika backs creep offside. (Highlanders 10–10 Moana Pasifika)

44 mins – HAIG BREAK: Oliver Haig spots a gap off the kick-off and smashes through the defensive line, charging from the 22 towards halfway. His inside ball to Veveni Lasaqa hits the ground and the chance is lost.

48 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: Timoci Tavatavanawai takes a Folau Fakatava box kick and sets off, bouncing defenders at will before smashing to the five-metre line. The pack recycles and Ethan de Groot goes close. Angus Ta’avao then drives over beside the posts from close range. Millar converts. (Highlanders 17–10 Moana Pasifika)

59 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: Lucas Casey runs in midfield and flicks an offload to Cameron Millar, who hands on to Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens. He rolls a clever grubber across the face of the try-line and Adam Lennox cuts in off the left edge, racing onto it and wrestling his way over despite Israel Leota’s tackle. Millar converts. (Highlanders 24–10 Moana Pasifika)

66 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa smashes away over the 10-metre line, before Tom Savage burrows left. Havili rolls a kick in behind and Glen Vaihu gets there first, flicking for Tuna Tuitama who takes it seven metres out. Augustine Pulu then hits a short ball, barrelling over Fakatava to score. Havili converts. (Highlanders 24–17 Moana Pasifika)

80+1 mins – PENALTY HIGHLANDERS: Timoci Tavatavanawai steals from the base of the ruck and breaks away. The Highlanders work through the phases until Lucas Casey wins a penalty. Millar, face covered in blood, slots from in front to seal it. (Highlanders 27–17 Moana Pasifika)

Full-time: Highlanders 27–17 Moana Pasifika

Match report

We can only assume Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph gave his team a half-time rocket. Riddled by poor decisions and sloppy execution, the Highlanders trailed Moana Pasifika 7–10 at the break before coming back to win 27–17 at One NZ Stadium, a result that keeps their season alive but will have satisfied nobody in their camp.

It was the fourth straight win for a New Zealand side over the weekend, continuing an emphatic Super Round for the Kiwi franchises. But the Highlanders made desperately hard work of it against a Moana Pasifika side playing with the freedom of a team with nothing left to lose — their Super Rugby exit having been confirmed the previous week.

The opening quarter belonged to the Highlanders in territory but not on the scoreboard. They dominated field position with more than 75 per cent of territory, but butchered a series of golden opportunities through poor decision-making inside the 22. Flanker Veveni Lasaqa squandered one chance when he attempted to score in the corner despite having Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens unmarked outside him, and Lowe was held up over the line after driving too high into contact.

Moana Pasifika’s task was made harder when Patrick Pellegrini was forced off with a sickening head knock after a collision with Millar in the 17th minute. But the reshuffle proved a blessing in disguise — Havili’s move to fly-half took Moana to another level, and he ran the game with composure and vision for the remainder of the match.

The Highlanders finally opened the scoring through Lowe in the 25th minute after Broughton’s rampaging carry had taken them deep into Moana territory. But the response was immediate and spectacular. Tupou Ta’eiloa, who was a wrecking ball all afternoon, bust through four tackles on a barnstorming run down the left edge before Havili hung a cross-kick to the right corner. Leota soared above Tito-Harris, plucking the ball out of the air in spectacular fashion for one of the tries of the weekend.

Lowe’s yellow card for a late, high shot on Havili then handed Moana the numerical advantage, and they seized it through Vaihu, who skinned Millar on the outside with a monster fend before diving over in the corner. At 10–7 up at the break, the upset was very much on.

Whatever Joseph said at half-time clearly worked. Millar levelled things with a penalty early in the second spell, and then the Highlanders’ bench took over. Tavatavanawai was the catalyst for the second try — taking a Fakatava box kick and setting off on a devastating run, bouncing defenders at will before smashing to within five metres. The pack recycled and Ta’avao, one of three half-time replacements, drove over beside the posts.

Lennox’s try in the 59th minute was the pick of the Highlanders’ scores. The halfback, shifted to the wing as the casualty ward grew, latched onto a sublime grubber from Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and raced 40 metres to the line, wrestling his way over despite Leota’s challenge. It was his third try in two weeks and put the Highlanders 24–10 clear.

But these Highlanders do not do anything easy. Augustine Pulu ran a superb line and vaulted over Fakatava to ground the ball and score his first Super Rugby try since 2019, pulling Moana back to within seven with 14 minutes remaining. Several half-breaks followed as Moana hunted for the equaliser, but their lack of polish at crucial moments — a theme of the afternoon for both sides — denied them.

The final image told the story: Millar, face covered in blood, slotting a penalty from in front after Tavatavanawai’s turnover and Casey’s penalty had given the Highlanders one last chance to push the score beyond a converted try.

For Moana Pasifika, the performance was further proof that their competitive worth in Super Rugby extends well beyond balance sheets. Havili, Tupou Ta’eiloa and Leota were outstanding, and their effort levels since the news of the franchise’s demise have been admirable. They return to Auckland next week to host the Blues in their first home match since the announcement.

The Highlanders sit three points outside the top six with a trip to Fiji to face the Drua next week. On this evidence, they will need to be significantly sharper to get anything out of that.

Match details

Highlanders 27 (Tries: Jonah Lowe 25′, Angus Ta’avao 48′, Adam Lennox 59′; Conversions: Cameron Millar 3/3; Penalties: Cameron Millar 2/2)
Moana Pasifika 17 (Tries: Israel Leota 28′, Glen Vaihu 34′, Augustine Pulu 66′; Conversions: William Havili 1/3)
Half-time: 7–10
Yellow cards: Semisi Paea 20′ (offside, preventing quick tap), Jonah Lowe 33′ (late high shot)

Venue: One NZ Stadium, Christchurch
Referee: Todd Petrie
Assistant Referees: Angus Mabey, Marcus Playle
TMO: Richard Kelly

Teams

Highlanders: 15 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, 14 Jonah Lowe, 13 Tanielu Tele’a, 12 Timoci Tavatavanawai (co-c), 11 Xavier Tito-Harris, 10 Cameron Millar, 9 Adam Lennox, 8 Nikora Broughton, 7 Veveni Lasaqa, 6 Oliver Haig, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Mitch Dunshea, 3 Saula Ma’u, 2 Soane Vikena, 1 Ethan de Groot (co-c).
Replacements: 16 Jack Taylor, 17 Josh Bartlett, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Te Kamaka Howden, 20 Hugh Renton, 21 Lucas Casey, 22 Folau Fakatava, 23 Taine Robinson.

Moana Pasifika: 15 William Havili, 14 Tuna Tuitama, 13 Solomon Alaimalo, 12 Tevita Latu, 11 Glen Vaihu, 10 Patrick Pellegrini, 9 Jonathan Taumateine, 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, 7 Semisi Paea, 6 Miracle Faiilagi (c), 5 Jimmy Tupou, 4 Allan Craig, 3 Chris Apoua, 2 Millennium Sanerivi, 1 Abraham Pole.
Replacements: 16 Mamoru Harada, 17 Malakai Hala-Ngatai, 18 Paula Latu, 19 Tom Savage, 20 Ola Tauelangi, 21 Augustine Pulu, 22 Lalomilo Lalomilo, 23 Israel Leota.

What’s next

The Highlanders travel to Fiji to face the Fijian Drua in Round 12. Moana Pasifika return to Auckland to host the Blues at North Harbour Stadium.

Beauden Barrett kicked a penalty in the 84th minute to seal a dramatic 36–33 Super Point victory for the Blues over the Queensland Reds at One NZ Stadium, after Louis Werchon’s try on the siren had levelled the scores at 33-all in a breathless conclusion to ANZAC Day’s Super Round double-header.

Key moments

7 mins – TRY BLUES: Beauden Barrett dices through the defence and sets up Zarn Sullivan, who ghosts into space and goes all the way from 30 metres out. Barrett converts. (Blues 7–0 Reds)

10 mins – TRY REDS: Anton Segner is penalised at the breakdown inside the 22, and the Reds tap quickly. Fraser McReight crashes over by the left post. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips converts. (Blues 7–7 Reds)

15 mins – TRY BLUES: Barrett’s high kick is batted back by Kade Banks, and Sam Darry scoops it up on the half volley before whipping a 25-metre pass out to Cole Forbes on the left wing. Forbes charges away to score in the corner. Barrett converts. (Blues 14–7 Reds)

18 mins – SPIDERCAM INCIDENT: A Finlay Christie box kick hits the spidercam wire above the field. Play continues briefly before referee James Doleman brings it back for a Blues scrum.

24 mins – TRY BLUES: The lineout drive is collapsed by Seru Uru, and under penalty advantage Bradley Slater carries towards the line. Barrett then delivers flat to Zarn Sullivan, who beats Filipo Daugunu on the outside and slices in for his second. Barrett converts. (Blues 21–7 Reds)

32 mins – TRY REDS: The Reds spot space down a narrow short side. Jock Campbell stands on the touchline and shovels back inside to Harry Wilson, who crashes through Sullivan to score in the corner. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips converts from the sideline. (Blues 21–14 Reds)

36 mins – TRY REDS: Hunter Paisami and Filipo Daugunu make half-breaks to get the Reds inside the 22. Fraser McReight and Wilson carry strongly through the middle before the ball reaches the right edge where the Blues are short. Jock Campbell darts in. McLaughlin-Phillips converts to level the scores. (Blues 21–21 Reds)

Half-time: Blues 21–21 Reds. The Blues looked in excellent touch early, racing to a 21–7 lead through Sullivan’s double and Forbes’ try. But the Reds roared back with two late tries from Wilson and Campbell to level proceedings. The forward packs were evenly matched, with the contest boiling down to kicking accuracy and individual moments.

43 mins – TRY BLUES: Straight from the lineout, Bradley Slater peels around the back to crash ahead. Quick ball is delivered and Dalton Papali’i picks and bursts through the fringes of the breakdown, sliding over the line. Barrett converts. (Blues 28–21 Reds)

46 mins – THOMAS HELD UP: Kalani Thomas snipes around the fringes and palms his way through, but Finlay Christie makes a try-saving tackle and Thomas drops the ball reaching for the line.

57 mins – FORBES DENIED: Cole Forbes sprints down the left sideline and looks certain to score, but Tim Ryan produces an outstanding cover tackle to bundle him into touch.

63 mins – TRY BLUES: The Blues maul rumbles forward after Sam Darry’s lineout take. Bradley Slater controls the ball and is driven over the line. Barrett’s conversion misses. (Blues 33–21 Reds)

69 mins – DOUBLE CHARGE DOWN: Louis Werchon and Tim Ryan both charge down Blues clearing kicks in quick succession. Nick Bloomfield races for the loose ball but cannot win the foot race. Goal-line dropout.

75 mins – TRY REDS: Ben Volavola makes an incisive run off the scrum, and the Reds sweep right. Treyvon Pritchard slices through a gap and flicks a backhanded pass to Jock Campbell, who positions Tim Ryan back on the inside to score in the corner. Volavola’s conversion from the sideline misses. (Blues 33–26 Reds)

80 mins – TRY REDS: The Reds march downfield from the lineout drive with penalty advantage. Ben Volavola is stopped inches from the line, but Louis Werchon dives over by the posts. Volavola converts to level the scores on the siren. (Blues 33–33 Reds)

SUPER POINT

84 mins – PENALTY BLUES: The Blues build 18 phases in the Reds’ half before Fraser McReight is penalised for incorrect entry at the breakdown. Beauden Barrett slots the kick from 25 metres to win it. (Blues 36–33 Reds)

Full-time: Blues 36–33 Reds (after Super Point)

Match report

If Super Rugby Pacific needed further proof that its Super Point format can deliver high drama, it got it in spades on ANZAC Day night. Beauden Barrett’s penalty three minutes into extra time sealed a 36–33 victory for the Blues over the Queensland Reds, but this was a contest the Blues should never have allowed to reach that point — and the Reds will feel they deserved more for a comeback that twice hauled them back from 14-point deficits.

The Blues had led 21–7 and then 33–21 with 15 minutes to play, and both times the Reds responded with a fury that left Vern Cotter’s men scrambling. It was the third straight win for a New Zealand side over Australian opposition inside 24 hours at One NZ Stadium, solidifying a ladder now occupied by Kiwi sides from first to fourth.

Zarn Sullivan set the tone early. The Blues fullback, listed at 1.93 metres and close to 100 kilograms, used his long stride to devastating effect, scoring twice inside the opening 24 minutes. His first came after Barrett drifted towards the short side to create an extra man and flicked a sweet pass that sent Sullivan ghosting through from 30 metres. His second was more direct — a flat transfer from Barrett and Sullivan crunched through Daugunu’s attempted tackle to slice in.

Between Sullivan’s tries, Sam Darry proved an unlikely playmaker, scooping a batted-down high ball on the half volley and whipping an audacious 25-metre cutout pass to Forbes on the left wing. Forbes tiptoed down the sideline to score in the corner and at 21–7, the Blues looked in total command.

But the Reds refused to fold. Wallabies captain Harry Wilson scored after Barrett was bundled into touch inside his own 22, and Campbell waltzed in from an overlap to make it 21-all at the break. Lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was at the heart of both scores, bumping off bodies with his trademark physicality in what would be an 11-carry, 17-tackle night.

Papali’i’s powerful burst from the breakdown restored the Blues’ lead early in the second half, and Christie’s try-saving tackle on Thomas — dragging the halfback down as he reached for the line — proved a crucial moment. When Slater was driven over from the maul in the 63rd minute, the Blues led 33–21 and looked safe.

They were anything but. Ryan’s spectacular diving finish in the corner — set up by a backhanded flick from replacement Treyvon Pritchard — made it a seven-point game with five minutes remaining. Then came the decisive sequence: Volavola kicked deep into Blues territory, Ryan’s chase forced a penalty, and the Reds mauled close to the line before Werchon burrowed over by the posts. Volavola’s conversion levelled it at 33-all on the siren.

In Super Point, the Blues had the advantage of the kick-off as first try scorers, and they used it. They camped in the Reds’ half for 18 phases before McReight was penalised for incorrect entry at the ruck. The Reds captain questioned the decision, arguing the ball had spilled out during the play, but Barrett was never going to miss from 25 metres.

Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu, watching from the sideline after being replaced, summed up the rollercoaster: “Probably went from positive to really negative in that last five minutes. Sort of wondering what the hell was going on. Pretty much a rollercoaster. I will look back on this game and laugh about it, really.”

Blues coach Cotter was more measured: “Tight situations need clear heads and that’s what we got.”

For Reds coach Les Kiss, the frustration was palpable: “The boys have an appetite and mindset to keep playing, despite the fact it got away from us. We didn’t die wondering.” McReight, meanwhile, reflected on the decisive penalty: “As a No.7 you live for those moments … you want to put yourself in that position.”

Sullivan was awarded the Sellars Dixon Medal as player of the match — the award honouring Auckland’s All Black George Sellars and Queensland’s Billy Dixon, who both played rugby for their provinces and paid the ultimate sacrifice at the Battle of Messines in 1917. A fitting honour on ANZAC Day.

The result moves the Blues, at least temporarily, into second on the ladder, though the Chiefs can still pass them before the weekend is out. The Reds sit sixth at 5–4, behind the Brumbies on points differential despite producing some of the finest attacking rugby of the round.

Match details

Blues 36 (Tries: Zarn Sullivan 7′, 24′, Cole Forbes 15′, Dalton Papali’i 43′, Bradley Slater 63′; Conversions: Beauden Barrett 4/5; Penalties: Beauden Barrett 1/1)
Reds 33 (Tries: Fraser McReight 10′, Harry Wilson 32′, Jock Campbell 36′, Tim Ryan 75′, Louis Werchon 80′; Conversions: Harry McLaughlin-Phillips 3/3, Ben Volavola 1/2)
Half-time: 21–21
Full-time (80 mins): 33–33
Super Point: Blues 36–33 Reds

Venue: One NZ Stadium, Christchurch
Referee: James Doleman
Assistant Referees: Marcus Playle, Damon Murphy
TMO: Richard Kelly

Milestones

• Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Reds) — 150th Super Rugby appearance
• Zarn Sullivan (Blues) — Sellars Dixon Medal, Player of the Match

Teams

Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Kade Banks, 13 AJ Lam, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Cole Forbes, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Anton Segner, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Ben Ake.
Replacements: 16 James Mullan, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Sam Matenga, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Torian Barnes, 21 Taufa Funaki, 22 Stephen Perofeta, 23 Xavi Taele.

Reds: 15 Jock Campbell, 14 Filipo Daugunu, 13 Josh Flook, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Tim Ryan, 10 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, 9 Kalani Thomas, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight (c), 6 Joe Brial, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Seru Uru, 3 Zane Nonggorr, 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Nick Bloomfield, 19 Hamish Muller, 20 Vaiuta Latu, 21 Louis Werchon, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Treyvon Pritchard.

What’s next

The Blues return to Auckland to face Moana Pasifika at North Harbour Stadium in Round 12. The Reds head home to Suncorp Stadium to host the Brumbies the following Saturday.