The Blues claimed their first win of the Super Rugby Pacific season with a commanding second-half display, outscoring the Western Force 28–15 after the break to run out 42–32 victors in the first Super Rugby match played at Joondalup’s HIF Health Insurance Oval.

Key moments

6 mins – TRY BLUES: Joshua Fusitu’a opens the scoring. The Blues forwards batter the Force line through wave after wave of close-range carries, with Bradley Slater and Anton Segner going close before Fusitu’a picks and drives over beside the posts. Stephen Perofeta converts. (Force 0–7 Blues)
12 mins – TRY FORCE: Harry Johnson-Holmes levels the scores with a sharp response. Ben Donaldson finds touch in the left corner, and after messy lineout ball, Brandon Paenga-Amosa taps a free kick quickly and storms towards the line. Johnson-Holmes catches the Blues defence napping, burrowing low to crash over to the left of the sticks. Donaldson converts. (Force 7–7 Blues)
20 mins – YELLOW CARD FORCE: Brandon Paenga-Amosa is sent to the sin bin for repeated offside infringements. The Blues had been camped on the Force line, with Hoskins Sotutu, Slater, Caleb Clarke and Fusitu’a all going close. Three penalties in quick succession around the tryline leave referee Damon Murphy no option. (Force 7–7 Blues)
21 mins – TRY BLUES: Stephen Perofeta capitalises immediately. With the man advantage, the Blues set a scrum five metres out and work patiently through the phases. Finlay Christie swings the ball to the left and Perofeta strolls through a gaping hole to dot down. Perofeta converts his own try. (Force 7–14 Blues)
29 mins – PENALTY FORCE: Ben Donaldson slots a penalty from right in front after Fusitu’a is caught not rolling at the breakdown. The Force steady under pressure during Paenga-Amosa’s absence. (Force 10–14 Blues)
40+2 mins – TRY FORCE: Carlo Tizzano gives the Force the lead right on half-time. Divad Palu produces a brilliant 50/22 to flip the field after Sotutu’s surging run is turned over, and the Force set up camp inside the Blues’ 22. Hamish Stewart goes close before Tizzano charges onto the ball at pace and muscles through two defenders to crash over on the right. Donaldson converts. (Force 17–14 Blues)
Half-time: Force 17–14 Blues. The hosts have edged in front after a frenetic opening 40 minutes played at a ferocious tempo. Both sides have been committed to short carries and brutal collisions, but the Force’s set-piece pressure and Tizzano’s trademark physicality have given them the edge heading into the sheds.
42 mins – TRY BLUES: Zarn Sullivan restores the Blues’ lead with the first play of the second half. The Blues win a lineout 35 metres out, and Marcel Renata and Slater make hard yards before Dalton Papali’i produces an excellent run down the left, drawing two defenders and popping a miracle offload out the back door. Sullivan is into an acre of space and strolls over near the posts. Perofeta converts. (Force 17–21 Blues)
47 mins – PENALTY FORCE: Ben Donaldson trims the margin to a single point from right in front after Mason Tupaea is penalised for collapsing the scrum. The Force sense an opportunity. (Force 20–21 Blues)
53 mins – TRY BLUES: Torian Barnes punches through for the Blues’ fourth. Sullivan drops a grubber in behind that AJ Lam reaches first, and the Blues set up camp inside the Force 22. Laghlan McWhannell goes close with a pick and go before Barnes storms onto a short ball and punches through a hole to plant the ball down. Perofeta converts. (Force 20–28 Blues)
60 mins – TRY BLUES: Cole Forbes scores untouched in the corner. Barnes wins the lineout and the Blues set the drive before releasing for Clarke, who busts through midfield. Christie recycles quickly and spreads the ball wide right, with Sullivan drawing the last defender and shifting it to Forbes, who strolls over unopposed. Perofeta converts from wide on the right. (Force 20–35 Blues)
67 mins – TRY FORCE: Bayley Kuenzle keeps the Force in the fight. Henry Robertson injects pace from the base with a dangerous burst that creates the space, and the ball is worked wide left where Kuenzle finds himself in room to stroll over. Donaldson converts. (Force 27–35 Blues)
70 mins – TRY BLUES: Josh Beehre responds immediately. The Force mistime the restart and then throw a lineout not straight, presenting the Blues with a free kick in attacking position. Kurt Eklund taps and finds Papali’i to carry, and from quick ruck ball, Beehre spots space down the right flank, shrugs out of one tackle and barges over. Perofeta converts. (Force 27–42 Blues)
79 mins – TRY FORCE: Ben Donaldson races away for a late consolation. George Bridge slips past one defender before being dragged down 15 metres out. After Vaiolini Ekuasi burrows low, the ball spills out the side of the ruck and Donaldson scoops it up, streaking away to score under the posts. The TMO confirms the flyhalf was not offside. Donaldson hits the left upright with the conversion from right in front to sum up his mixed evening off the tee. (Force 32–42 Blues)
Full-time: Force 32–42 Blues

In sweltering conditions at Joondalup’s compact suburban oval, the Blues delivered the response Vern Cotter demanded after their controversial opening-round defeat to the Chiefs, overturning a three-point half-time deficit with a blistering 21–3 burst in the third quarter that put the Force to the sword.

The Force, playing their first Super Rugby match at the venue in Perth’s northern suburbs, were far from disgraced. A vocal crowd gathered on the traditional grass bank and saw their side match the Blues blow for blow in a first half defined by brutal short carries, ferocious defensive collisions, and a swirling breeze that turned high kicks into a lottery.

The Blues struck first when Fusitu’a crashed over from close range after sustained forward pressure in the sixth minute, but the Force hit back sharply through Johnson-Holmes, who burrowed over after Paenga-Amosa’s instinctive quick tap caught the visitors napping at the lineout.

The contest intensified around the 20-minute mark. The Blues laid siege to the Force line, sending wave after wave of carriers at the whitewash, but repeated infringements from the hosts proved costly. When Paenga-Amosa was pinged for his third offside in four minutes, Murphy had little choice but to reach for the yellow card. Perofeta capitalised within 60 seconds, strolling through a two-man overlap after patient phase play.

Rather than crumble during the sin-bin period, the Force steadied. Donaldson’s penalty kept the scoreboard ticking, and the home side’s scrummaging—an area where they dominated throughout—continued to give them a foothold. Jeremy Williams and Tizzano were tireless in the carry, and when Palu produced a superb 50/22 after turning over Sotutu’s surge deep in the Force half, the hosts smelled blood.

Tizzano’s try on the stroke of half-time was vintage: the Wallabies flanker charging onto the ball at pace and powering through two would-be tacklers to crash over on the right. Donaldson’s conversion sent the Force into the sheds with a 17–14 lead, and the locals dared to believe the long wait for a win over the Blues—stretching back to 2008—might finally end.

Whatever Cotter said in the sheds got through. Sullivan’s try with the first meaningful passage of the second half was a statement of intent, finished off by Papali’i’s remarkable offload out the back door under heavy contact. The Blues captain, playing his final season before departing for France, was everywhere—carrying hard, turning the ball over, and leading from the front in a performance that underlined what the franchise will lose at season’s end.

Donaldson’s penalty from in front briefly trimmed the gap to a single point at 20–21, and for a spell it felt as though either side could pull clear. But the Blues’ bench impact, combined with Perofeta’s growing command of the conditions with the wind at his back, proved decisive.

Barnes’ try in the 53rd minute, finished after Lam won a foot race to Sullivan’s grubber kick, opened the floodgates. Seven minutes later, Forbes was strolling over untouched in the corner after a slick sequence that began with Clarke’s powerful midfield bust and Christie’s rapid recycle. At 35–20, the Blues had scored three tries in 18 minutes and the Force were reeling.

Kuenzle’s try in the 67th minute, set up by Robertson’s sharp burst off the bench, briefly revived the home crowd, but the Force’s inability to execute at the restart handed the Blues an immediate opportunity. Beehre needed no second invitation, barging over on the right to reassert control.

“It’s important. We had a tough one in round one,” Sullivan told Stan Sport afterwards. “So to come over here to tick off the first one, and then go down to Canberra next week and hopefully get another one. It’s not easy to come over to Perth, so it’s that mentality of being here for a job, get the job done, and let’s get back home.”

Donaldson’s late try, scooping up a loose ball that spilled from a ruck and racing away untouched, provided a consolation that denied the Blues a bonus point. His conversion striking the left upright from right in front summed up a frustrating evening for the Force flyhalf, whose general play was tidy but whose goalkicking lacked its usual precision when it mattered most.

Perofeta, by contrast, was faultless off the tee—six conversions from six attempts in the stiff breeze—and grew into the match as a distributor, landing accurate bombs to pin the Force back and steering the Blues’ attacking shape with increasing authority. Segner was excellent in the loose forwards, Clarke looked menacing whenever he came off his wing, and Christie’s tempo at the base kept the Force defenders scrambling.

For the Force, Tizzano was everywhere as usual—the competition’s top tryscorer last season showing no signs of slowing down—and former All Black George Bridge showed his class operating at centre, but the quest for a maiden finals berth looks forlorn after just two rounds. Simon Cron’s side have now slumped to eight successive Super Rugby Pacific defeats stretching back to round eight last year, and sit at the bottom of the ladder with the task not easing as they fly across the Tasman to face Moana Pasifika in Pukekohe next Friday.

The Blues extend their remarkable dominance in this fixture to 14 consecutive wins since 2008, and head to Canberra to face the Brumbies next Saturday with renewed belief that their season is very much alive.

What’s next

The Blues remain in Australia and head to Canberra to face the Brumbies next Saturday. The Force fly across the Tasman seeking a rare win on New Zealand soil against Moana Pasifika in Pukekohe next Friday.

Teams

Western Force: 15 Mac Grealy, 14 Divad Palu, 13 George Bridge, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Bayley Kuenzle, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Nathan Hastie, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Jeremy Williams (c), 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Leonel Oviedo, 17 Sef Fa’agase, 18 Misinale Epenisa, 19 Lopeti Faifua, 20 Kane Koteka, 21 Henry Robertson, 22 Max Burey, 23 Kurtley Beale.

Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Cole Forbes, 13 AJ Lam, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papali’i (c), 6 Anton Segner, 5 Josh Beehre, 4 Laghlan McWhannell, 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Joshua Fusitu’a.
Replacements: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 19 Che Clark, 20 Torian Barnes, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Xavi Taele, 23 Codemeru Vai.

Match details

Western Force 32 (Tries: Harry Johnson-Holmes, Carlo Tizzano, Bayley Kuenzle, Ben Donaldson; Conversions: Ben Donaldson 3/4; Penalties: Ben Donaldson 2/2)
Blues 42 (Tries: Joshua Fusitu’a, Stephen Perofeta, Zarn Sullivan, Torian Barnes, Cole Forbes, Josh Beehre; Conversions: Stephen Perofeta 6/6)
Half-time: 17–14

Yellow card: Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Force, 20′)

Venue: HIF Health Insurance Oval, Joondalup

Referee: Damon Murphy (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Jordan Way, Jeremy Markey
TMO: James Leckie

Max Jorgensen delivered another match-turning masterclass as the NSW Waratahs made it back-to-back bonus-point victories to open their Super Rugby Pacific campaign, overpowering the Fijian Drua 36–13 on a hot and humid Friday night at Allianz Stadium.

Key moments

9 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Charlie Gamble opens the scoring. Jake Gordon’s darting snipe from the base puts the Waratahs on the front foot, and sustained pressure close to the line sees the breakdown become a hunting ground. Clem Halaholo makes tough yards with his carries before Gamble spots the vacant ruck fringe, dummies and dives over under the posts. Lawson Creighton converts. (Waratahs 7–0 Drua)
14 mins – TRY DRUA: Taniela Rakuro strikes back immediately. The Drua win a lineout 15 metres out and spin it wide at first opportunity. Fullback Ilaisa Droasese fires a crisp, looping pass to expose the overlap, and Rakuro shows a clean pair of heels to dive over in the corner. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula converts from the sideline. (Waratahs 7–7 Drua)
19 mins – CLOSE CALL WARATAHS: The Waratahs steal the lineout and shift it wide right away. James Hendren bursts into the 22 and looks certain to score, but a miraculous covering tackle from Isikeli Rabitu bundles the fullback into touch just inches short of the line. (Waratahs 7–7 Drua)
25 mins – DRUA DENIED: The visitors dominate territory and batter the Waratahs’ line after Zuriel Togiatama breaks clear and combines with his fellow front-rower. The Drua build phases five metres out with a penalty advantage, but flanker Motikiai Murray spills the ball inches from the line. The Waratahs survive by the skin of their teeth. (Waratahs 7–7 Drua)
33 mins – PENALTY DRUA: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula slots a penalty from right in front after a Waratahs high tackle. The Drua had threatened a try moments earlier—Frank Lomani’s grubber in behind sparked a foot race between Rakuro and Jorgensen, with the Wallaby wing doing just enough to deny the winger a second. (Waratahs 7–10 Drua)
37 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Max Jorgensen produces a moment of pure magic. Lawson Creighton fires a triple cut-out pass that finds the Wallabies winger with barely five metres of space on the left touchline. Jorgensen beats opposite number Rakuro with a bamboozling sidestep and then outpaces the cover defence of Droasese to touch down in the corner. Creighton nails the conversion from the left touchline. (Waratahs 14–10 Drua)
40 mins – TMO REVIEW WARATAHS: Jorgensen is denied a double on the stroke of half-time. Slick hands down the left edge put the winger racing 30 metres to seemingly score under the posts, but the TMO rules a forward pass from James Hendren in the build-up. (Waratahs 14–10 Drua)
Half-time: Waratahs 14–10 Drua. A proper arm wrestle in the Sydney humidity. The Drua have matched the Waratahs physically and led for a spell through their wide-channel attack and Armstrong-Ravula’s boot, but Jorgensen’s brilliance has given the hosts the edge heading into the sheds.
44 mins – PENALTY DRUA: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula closes the gap to a single point from in front after the Waratahs are penalised for being offside at the ruck. The Drua capitalise on a Jorgensen handling error from the restart. (Waratahs 14–13 Drua)
50 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Ioane Moananu scores on debut with his first touch. Jake Gordon taps a penalty quickly to catch the Drua back-pedalling, and the Waratahs power forward through the tight forwards. Moananu scoops the ball from the back of the ruck and barges over from close range. Creighton converts. (Waratahs 21–13 Drua)
54 mins – CLOSE CALL WARATAHS: Pete Samu crashes towards the line from the back of a rolling maul but knocks on just before grounding. The Waratahs are pressing hard, denied by desperate Drua defence. (Waratahs 21–13 Drua)
59 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Angus Blyth muscles over for his first Waratahs try. Gordon’s clever box kick is collected by fellow replacement Leafi Talataina, who makes good ground down the touchline. The ball finds Blyth, and the towering lock uses every inch of his frame to force his way over. Creighton misses the conversion from the right. (Waratahs 26–13 Drua)
72 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Ioane Moananu seals a dream debut double. The Waratahs back their rolling maul from 15 metres, and it delivers—Moananu peeling off the back to drive over with the pack providing irresistible momentum behind him. Creighton misses the conversion from the left. (Waratahs 31–13 Drua)
80 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Max Jorgensen seals the bonus point with the last play. Pete Samu bursts into the 22 before Jack Debreczeni chips a perfectly weighted cross-field kick into the left corner. Jorgensen swoops on the ball with acres of space and strolls over unopposed. Creighton misses the conversion from the sideline. (Waratahs 36–13 Drua)
Full-time: Waratahs 36–13 Drua

In humid conditions at Allianz Stadium that suited the visitors far more than the hosts, the Waratahs needed nearly 40 minutes to wrestle control from a Fijian Drua side that arrived in desperate need of a result and very nearly produced one. In the end, it was individual brilliance from Jorgensen and a devastating bench impact from Dan McKellar’s replacements that blew the contest apart.

Both sides struggled with the greasy ball in a scrappy opening, but the Waratahs struck first in the ninth minute when Gamble—outstanding all evening with a try, a turnover, and relentless work at the breakdown—exploited space around the ruck fringes after Halaholo’s hard carrying drew in the Drua defenders. The flanker dummied and dived over under the posts for a clinical finish.

The Drua’s response was swift and characteristically explosive. From a lineout 15 metres out, they spun the ball wide at first opportunity, and Droasese’s long pass exposed a gaping overlap on the left. Rakuro needed no second invitation, showing electric pace to dive over in the corner. Armstrong-Ravula’s conversion from the touchline levelled scores at 7–7 and signalled the visitors’ intent to play with width and tempo.

What followed was a period of sustained Drua pressure that had the Waratahs clinging on. Hendren was bundled into touch inches short by a superb covering Rabitu tackle just as the hosts thought they had struck back. The Drua then laid siege to the Waratahs’ line, with Togiatama and the front-rowers making strong ground, but Murray’s knock-on five metres out let the hosts off the hook. Armstrong-Ravula’s boot was the consolation, a penalty from in front nudging the Drua into a 10–7 lead.

Jorgensen had been quiet. That changed in the 37th minute. Creighton’s triple cut-out pass found the 21-year-old with barely five metres of space and two Drua defenders closing. What happened next left McKellar and attack coach Mike Catt shaking their heads in the coaching box. Jorgensen beat Rakuro with a sidestep that defied physics—”he’s beaten him in a phone booth,” McKellar said afterwards—before accelerating past Droasese’s despairing cover to score in the corner. Creighton’s conversion from the touchline gave the Waratahs a lead they would never relinquish.

The winger thought he had a second moments later when slick hands put him away down the left, but the TMO spotted a forward pass from Hendren in the build-up. It was a contentious call that denied what would have been a spectacular brace before the break, sending the sides to the sheds with the Waratahs clinging to a four-point advantage.

The Drua came out firing in the second half. A Jorgensen handling error from the restart gifted the visitors field position, and Armstrong-Ravula’s second penalty trimmed the margin to a single point at 14–13. For a spell it felt as though the momentum was swinging back towards the Fijians, with their breakdown work and physicality keeping the Waratahs honest.

McKellar’s masterstroke was to almost empty his bench in the 48th minute, sending on six replacements in one hit. The injection of fresh legs was immediate and decisive. Moananu, the former Crusaders hooker making his Waratahs debut, scored with his first touch after Gordon’s instinctive quick tap caught the Drua flat-footed. The forwards powered through the phases before the hooker scooped the ball from the base and barged over from close range.

The Waratahs’ dominant scrum—which won penalties throughout the evening—was now providing a strangling platform, and the replacements kept the pressure ratcheting upwards. Blyth’s try in the 59th minute was a product of intelligent kicking from Gordon, whose box kick was reclaimed by Talataina, another replacement making an impact. The towering lock used his considerable frame to muscle over from close range.

Moananu completed a dream debut double in the 72nd minute, peeling off the back of an unstoppable rolling maul that had become the Waratahs’ primary weapon. The former nursing student, who had been recommended to McKellar by ex-teammate James O’Connor after failing to stay at the Crusaders, could scarcely have hoped for a better start to life in sky blue.

Co-captain Frank Lomani acknowledged the Drua’s inability to sustain their early intensity. “We were in the game with eight points separating us until the last 20 minutes when we could not hold on,” the halfback told Sky Sport. “We talked about having a good start and we did that but we could not continue that.”

The final act had to belong to Jorgensen. With the clock in the red, Samu burst into the 22 before Debreczeni—another replacement who added class from the bench—chipped a perfectly weighted cross-field kick to the left corner. Jorgensen had the simple task of gathering and strolling over for his second, and his fourth try in two Super Rugby Pacific matches this season.

“It’s pretty hard to beat the home crowd. Such a great, great support crew,” Jorgensen told Stan Sport afterwards. “The home crowd getting around you really does stuff for you and really pushes you through the full 80.”

McKellar, still searching for adequate words to describe Jorgensen’s first try, was typically understated. “Catty turned around to me in the box and you just shake your head. There aren’t many players that can score that try on the planet.”

The result sends the Waratahs to the top of the table with two bonus-point victories from two matches, and with Rugby Australia’s five-year investment in their 21-year-old winger looking better by the week. For the Drua, it is now 24 consecutive losses outside Fiji, a wretched streak stretching back to round one of 2023, and the task does not ease with the Hurricanes and Brumbies both to visit Churchill Park in the coming fortnight.

What’s next

The Waratahs enjoy a bye before hosting the Hurricanes in a fortnight, while the Drua return home to face those same Hurricanes at their Churchill Park fortress in Lautoka next Saturday.

Teams

Waratahs: 15 James Hendren, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Max Jorgensen, 10 Lawson Creighton, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Charlie Gamble, 6 Clem Halaholo, 5 Miles Amatosero, 4 Matt Philip (c), 3 Dan Botha, 2 Ethan Dobbins, 1 Tom Lambert.
Replacements: 16 Ioane Moananu, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Siosifa Amone, 19 Angus Blyth, 20 Leafi Talataina, 21 Teddy Wilson, 22 Jack Debreczeni, 23 Triston Reilly.

Fijian Drua: 15 Ilaisa Droasese, 14 Ponipate Loganimasi, 13 Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, 12 Isikeli Rabitu, 11 Taniela Rakuro, 10 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 9 Frank Lomani (co-c), 8 Elia Canakaivata, 7 Motikiai Murray, 6 Joseva Tamani, 5 Temo Mayanavanua (co-c), 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 3 Mesake Doge, 2 Zuriel Togiatama, 1 Haereiti Hetet. Replacements: 16 Kavaia Tagivetaua, 17 Peni Ravai, 18 Samuela Tawake, 19 Mesake Vocevoce, 20 Kitione Salawa, 21 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 22 Inia Tabuavou, 23 Manasa Mataele.

Match details

NSW Waratahs 36 (Tries: Charlie Gamble, Max Jorgensen 2, Ioane Moananu 2, Angus Blyth; Conversions: Lawson Creighton 3/6)
Fijian Drua 13 (Tries: Taniela Rakuro; Conversions: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 1/1; Penalties: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 2/2)
Half-time: 14–10

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Attendance: 13,578

Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Reuben Keane, Louis Trisley
TMO: Brett Cronan

The Hurricanes opened their 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign in devastating fashion, running in eight tries to thrash Moana Pasifika 52–10 at Sky Stadium, but a serious knee injury to first five-eighth Brett Cameron cast a shadow over an otherwise emphatic bonus-point victory.

Key moments

7 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Tuna Tuitama opens the scoring with a brilliant chip and chase. Patrick Pellegrini delays his pass to catch Josh Moorby jamming out of the defensive line, and slick hands send Tuitama into space on the left. He chips over Callum Harkin just outside the 22, regathers on the bounce, and races away to finish. Pellegrini misses the conversion from the left. (Hurricanes 0–5 Moana Pasifika)

11 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Fehi Fineanganofo strikes back immediately. The Hurricanes forwards set a solid platform at the scrum, and the ball is worked wide through the hands. Brett Cameron delivers the final pass to send Fineanganofo charging into the corner. Cameron converts from wide on the left. (Hurricanes 7–5 Moana Pasifika)

15 mins – INJURY MOANA PASIFIKA: Debutant wing Israel Leota departs with an ankle injury after a promising start featuring strong carries and big hits. Tevita Ofa replaces him. (Hurricanes 7–5 Moana Pasifika)

17 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Josh Moorby scores an aerobatic finish in the corner. Hard carries from the forwards force Moana Pasifika’s defenders to shut in, before Jordie Barrett fires a wide cut-out ball to find Moorby in just enough space outside Tuitama. Moorby slips to his outside and gets the ball down before his feet go into touch. Cameron misses the conversion. (Hurricanes 12–5 Moana Pasifika)

23 mins – INJURY HURRICANES: Brett Cameron goes down with a serious right knee injury after attempting to tackle powerful Moana midfielder Faletoi Peni off a scrum. Play is stopped for several minutes before he is stretchered from the field. Billy Proctor replaces him, with Callum Harkin shifting to first five-eighth. A devastating blow for a player who missed most of last season with a ruptured ACL. (Hurricanes 12–5 Moana Pasifika)

25 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Fehi Fineanganofo crosses for his double. Warner Dearns claims the lineout before it comes to midfield, with Harkin finding space as he loops in behind the lead run of Brayden Iose. A wide pass sends Fineanganofo charging to the corner untouched. Barrett takes over the goalkicking but misses from wide on the left. (Hurricanes 17–5 Moana Pasifika)

29 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Josh Moorby is gifted his second by his selfless wing partner. Billy Proctor makes the initial break, and Devan Flanders gets to the breakdown base to shift play quickly to the short side. Peter Lakai sends Fineanganofo away to the line, only for the winger to pass back inside for Moorby to finish. Barrett converts. (Hurricanes 24–5 Moana Pasifika)

Half-time: Hurricanes 24–5 Moana Pasifika. All one-way traffic after an early Moana ambush. Fineanganofo has been the chief destroyer with two tries and a third gifted to Moorby. The loss of Cameron is the major concern for the hosts, who have no specialist flyhalf on the park.

43 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Hat-trick for Josh Moorby. Bailyn Sullivan takes an offload from Barrett and bursts through a gap in midfield, before finding Moorby in support off his shoulder. The wing races clear to score under the posts. Barrett converts. (Hurricanes 31–5 Moana Pasifika)

53 mins – HELD UP MOANA PASIFIKA: Faletoi Peni crashes towards the line from close range but loses the ball the split second before grounding it. The centre comes agonisingly close to getting Moana back into the contest, but Sullivan and Harkin combine to dislodge the ball. Moana scrum. (Hurricanes 31–5 Moana Pasifika)

55 mins – TMO REVIEW HURRICANES: Moorby is denied a fourth try. Harkin splits the defence before Proctor carves through behind the ruck. Moorby pops up in support, is dragged down short, releases and goes again to finish by the sticks—but the TMO rules the ball went forward as he released for the second effort. (Hurricanes 31–5 Moana Pasifika)

62 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Brayden Iose strolls over after the Hurricanes create a massive overlap on the left. Arese Poliko pops to Barrett, who finds Harkin on the loop, who then sends Iose over for a simple finish. Barrett converts. (Hurricanes 38–5 Moana Pasifika)

63 mins – INJURY MOANA PASIFIKA: William Havili suffers a head or neck injury after copping friendly fire under pressure inside his own 22. He is stretchered from the field after a lengthy delay. Patrick Pellegrini returns to the park. (Hurricanes 38–5 Moana Pasifika)

67 mins – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: Patrick Pellegrini gets a consolation score. Moana work the ball from the scrum, with Faletoi Peni taking a hard carry deep into the line before popping for Tuna Tuitama. Tuitama flicks to find Pellegrini, who brushes off a couple of last-ditch tackles to reach the line. Pellegrini misses the conversion. (Hurricanes 38–10 Moana Pasifika)

74 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Brayden Iose produces the try of the match. Harkin makes the initial inroads, before Warner Dearns bursts into a hole on halfway and gets away an offload to Iose on his left. The No 8 shows good footwork—a devastating left-foot step past Pellegrini—before showing a clean pair of heels to race away from near halfway. Barrett converts. (Hurricanes 45–10 Moana Pasifika)

78 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Billy Proctor caps a huge performance off the bench. Harkin delays his pass nicely and sends Proctor bursting through a hole to score. Barrett converts. (Hurricanes 52–10 Moana Pasifika)

Full-time: Hurricanes 52–10 Moana Pasifika

On a gorgeous Wellington evening tailor-made for running rugby, the Hurricanes delivered exactly what their home supporters craved—and then some. But the sight of Brett Cameron being stretchered from the field in agony, just 23 minutes into the season, tempered any celebrations.

Moana Pasifika, buoyed by their stunning round one upset of the Fijian Drua in Lautoka, started with genuine intent. Tana Umaga had rotated heavily, handing seven debutants a run to manage the travel and heat demands from Fiji, but his young side showed no early nerves. They dominated possession in the opening exchanges, capitalising on a jittery Hurricanes start that included two early lineout spills from debutant lock Warner Dearns. The hosts couldn’t get their hands on the ball, and Moana’s patience was rewarded in the seventh minute when Tuitama’s audacious chip and chase—set up by Pellegrini’s deft delayed pass that caught Moorby jamming out of the line—produced one of the tries of the round. Sky Stadium fell quiet.

That was about where the highlights stopped for Moana. A handling error gifted the Hurricanes a scrum feed 40 metres out, and the forwards laid a solid platform before the ball was worked through the hands. Cameron’s final pass gave Fehi Fineanganofo—the former New Zealand Sevens flyer who will depart for Newcastle at season’s end—the outside shoulder, and the 23-year-old did the rest, showcasing his electric pace to burn around the corner and score in the 11th minute. Cameron’s sideline conversion nudged the hosts in front at 7–5.

Debutant wing Israel Leota’s promising evening was cut short in the 15th minute when an ankle injury forced his departure, robbing Moana of a physical presence who had impressed with strong carries and big hits. Moments later, Moorby—returning to Wellington after a stint in the Top 14 with Montpellier—announced his homecoming with an aerobatic finish in the corner, getting the ball down with feet millimetres from the touchline after Barrett’s wide cut-out pass found just enough space outside Tuitama. The 27-year-old looked immediately at home back in Hurricanes colours.

Then came the moment that overshadowed everything. Cameron, the 29-year-old starting at No 10 in the absence of Ruben Love, went down attempting to tackle the powerful Peni off a scrum. He tried to play on but was unable to put weight on his right knee—the opposite leg to the ACL he ruptured last season—and play was stopped for several minutes before he was carried from the field on a medicab. Billy Proctor was summoned early from the bench, with Callum Harkin shifting into the pivot role.

“It didn’t look good,” coach Clark Laidlaw said afterwards. “He worked so bloody hard last year to do a five-and-a-half month ACL return. He’s in great condition, he’s had an awesome pre-season and he’s been leading the team really well. It’s a hammer blow to him and it will take a bit of sinking in.”

If anything, Cameron’s departure only sharpened the Hurricanes’ resolve. Dearns, recovering from those early lineout wobbles, claimed clean ball that was worked to midfield, where Harkin found space looping behind Iose’s lead run. The wide pass sent Fineanganofo charging to the corner untouched for his double—a product of the improved set-piece work and the winger’s terrifying acceleration off the mark.

Fineanganofo was simply unplayable in the first half—four line breaks, over 100 metres with ball in hand, and a willingness to back himself one-on-one that terrorised Moana’s scramble defence at every opportunity. Yet it was his unselfishness four minutes later that produced the most memorable moment before the break. Peter Lakai’s powerful carry created the initial break down the left, and when Fineanganofo received the ball with the tryline beckoning and only open grass ahead, he turned down a near-certain hat-trick by popping the ball back inside for Moorby. The winger’s grin as he celebrated with his teammate told the story. Barrett’s conversion sent the Hurricanes into half-time with a commanding 24–5 lead.

The second half started exactly as the first had ended. Sullivan took an offload from Barrett at pace and burst through a gap that opened in the Moana midfield. He had the awareness to find Moorby running a support line off his shoulder, and the wing needed no invitation, racing clear to dot down under the posts and complete his hat-trick inside 43 minutes. Barrett’s conversion pushed the lead to 31–5, and the contest was effectively over.

Moana threatened briefly in a compelling passage around the hour mark. Peni, one of the visitors’ standout debutants with his silky skills and abrasive carrying, came agonisingly close to grounding the ball in the 53rd minute, only for Sullivan and Harkin to combine and dislodge it at the last instant. Moorby was then denied a fourth try by the TMO, who spotted a knock-on as the wing released for a second effort.

The Hurricanes’ patience eventually broke Moana’s resistance in the 62nd minute. Poliko, another debutant making a considerable impact off the bench, popped to Barrett, who found Harkin on the loop. Harkin drew the last defender before sending Iose over on the left—the overlap created by phase play that stretched Moana’s tiring defence to breaking point.

Havili’s departure on a stretcher with a head or neck injury shortly afterwards, after copping friendly fire under pressure inside his own 22, compounded Moana’s misery. Pellegrini returned to the park and promptly provided the visitors with a moment to savour, fighting his way to the line after good work from Peni and Tuitama off the back of a solid scrum. The first five-eighth still had plenty to do, but showed admirable determination to brush off a couple of last-ditch tackles and force his way over. It was too little, too late, but demonstrated the character that had underpinned their Lautoka upset a week earlier.

Iose’s second, in the 74th minute, was the try of the match and worth the admission alone. Harkin made the initial inroads with a darting run from deep, before Dearns—growing into the game impressively after his nervy start—burst into a hole on halfway and got away a superb offload in contact. What followed was breathtaking: Iose sold Pellegrini a devastating left-foot step, and once he was past the flyhalf, there was nobody quick enough to catch him. He sprinted clear from near halfway, the Wellington crowd rising as one, to score a try that showcased everything—power, pace, and footballing instinct.

Proctor, immense throughout after his early introduction, capped a huge bench performance with the final try in the 78th minute. Harkin delayed his pass nicely before sending the All Black centre bursting through a hole, and Proctor had too much pace and power for the weary Moana defence, finishing to bring up the half-century.

Captain Jordie Barrett, playing his first match in Hurricanes colours since returning from his 2025 sabbatical at Leinster, acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the evening. “It’s a sick feeling when you see a mate of yours go down and the green whistle comes out. With Ruben out, we need our 10s.”

With Love at least a month away and Cameron facing scans, the Hurricanes now confront a genuine flyhalf crisis. Harkin shifted into the pivot role admirably, steering the side with maturity and composure, but the loss of a specialist No 10 for what could be an extended period is a significant concern heading into a round three trip to the Drua’s Churchill Park fortress.

Dearns, the towering Japan captain, can reflect on a debut of two halves—the early lineout spills giving way to an assured performance of strong carries and sharp offloads that hinted at the impact he will make throughout the season.

For Moana, the debutants showed flashes—Peni’s combative midfield display in particular—but three injuries to Leota, Cameron’s opposite number Havili, and the pre-match withdrawal of Semisi Paea (whose wife went into labour) tested Umaga’s depth to its limits.

What’s next

The Hurricanes travel to Lautoka to face the Fijian Drua at their Churchill Park fortress next Saturday, buoyed by Moana Pasifika’s recent upset there but facing a flyhalves crisis of their own making. Moana Pasifika host the Western Force in their first home game of the season in Pukekohe next Friday.

Teams

Hurricanes: 15 Callum Harkin, 14 Josh Moorby, 13 Bailyn Sullivan, 12 Jordie Barrett (c), 11 Fehi Fineanganofo, 10 Brett Cameron, 9 Ereatara Enari, 8 Brayden Iose, 7 Peter Lakai, 6 Devan Flanders, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Hugo Plummer, 3 Siale Lauaki, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 Xavier Numia.
Replacements: 16 Jacob Devery, 17 Pouri Rakete-Stones, 18 Tevita Mafileo, 19 Matolu Petaia, 20 Brad Shields, 21 Arese Poliko, 22 Cam Roigard, 23 Billy Proctor.

Moana Pasifika: 15 Simon Peter Toleafoa, 14 Israel Leota, 13 Glen Vaihu, 12 Faletoi Peni, 11 Tuna Tuitama, 10 Patrick Pellegrini, 9 Siaosi Nginingini, 8 Dominic Ropeti, 7 Konrad Toleafoa, 6 Miracle Faiilagi (c), 5 Alefosio Aho, 4 Veikoso Poloniati, 3 Feleti Sae-Ta’ufo’ou, 2 Samiuela Moli, 1 Abraham Pole.
Replacements: 16 Mamoru Harada, 17 Tito Tuipulotu, 18 Lolani Faleiva, 19 Allan Craig, 20 Sam Tu’itupou Ah-Hing, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 William Havili, 23 Tevita Ofa.

Match details

Hurricanes 52 (Tries: Josh Moorby 3, Fehi Fineanganofo 2, Brayden Iose 2, Billy Proctor; Conversions: Jordie Barrett 5/7, Brett Cameron 1/1)
Moana Pasifika 10 (Tries: Tuna Tuitama, Patrick Pellegrini)
Half-time: 24–5

Venue: Sky Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: George Myers, Matt Kellahan
TMO: Graham Cooper