Charlie Cale scored after the siren to complete a dramatic 30-27 victory for the Brumbies over the Blues at GIO Stadium on Saturday night, extending the Canberra side’s unbeaten start to the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season and sending them clear at the top of the table.

Key moments

8 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Declan Meredith opens the scoring with a stunning solo effort. The Blues claim the lineout and attack down the left, but Zarn Sullivan’s kick is blocked by Lachie Shaw. James Slipper bangs a kick downfield and Meredith chases it, toes it ahead, and dives on it to score. Ryan Lonergan converts. (Brumbies 7–0 Blues)

12 mins – TRY BLUES: Caleb Clarke levels with an intercept try. Shaw claims the lineout and the Brumbies look to spin it right, but Clarke shoots up out of the line and Ollie Sapsford’s pass lands straight into his hands. The winger streaks away to score under the posts. Stephen Perofeta converts. (Brumbies 7–7 Blues)

p>16 mins – PENALTY BRUMBIES: Ryan Lonergan slots a penalty from 10m out after the Blues are pinged at the breakdown for being off their feet. (Brumbies 10–7 Blues)

22 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Billy Pollard extends the lead from the rolling maul. The hooker peels off early to the right and barges through Finlay Christie to score. Lonergan misses the conversion from wide. (Brumbies 15–7 Blues)

27 mins – PENALTY BLUES: Perofeta reduces the margin with a simple kick from 20m out after the Brumbies are penalised at the breakdown. (Brumbies 15–10 Blues)

30 mins – TRY BLUES: AJ Lam powers through to level the scores. Anton Segner claims at the back of the lineout, and after Christie box kicks high for Clarke to chase, the Blues regain. Segner carries over the 22 before Lam bursts straight through the middle and bundles over with multiple Brumbies on his back. Perofeta misses the conversion. (Brumbies 15–15 Blues)

Half-time: Brumbies 15–15 Blues. A breathless opening forty that swung like a pendulum. The Brumbies struck first through Meredith’s solo effort and built pressure through their maul, but Clarke’s intercept and Lam’s power have kept the Blues in touch. Rob Valetini and Charlie Cale have been immense in the carry for the hosts, but missed chances have left the door ajar.

43 mins – PENALTY BRUMBIES: Lonergan retakes the lead from 15m out after Sapsford wins the high ball to put the Brumbies inside the Blues 22, drawing the kickable penalty. (Brumbies 18–15 Blues)

51 mins – TRY BLUES: Caleb Clarke grabs his second with a stunning team try. Cole Forbes charges down the right-hand side and gets over halfway before finding James Mullan with an offload. The Blues shift it all the way left to Clarke, who dives over in the corner. Perofeta converts from the touchline. (Brumbies 18–22 Blues)

63 mins – TRY BLUES: Dalton Papali’i celebrates his 100th Blues appearance in style. Forbes kicks high and Sapsford claims the messy ball inside his own half. Meredith kicks across field for Sullivan to claim before Codemeru Vai bursts straight through the middle and charges into the 22. The ball goes through the hands and Papali’i finishes down the right edge. Perofeta misses the conversion. (Brumbies 18–27 Blues)

70 mins – YELLOW CARD BLUES: Stephen Perofeta is shown a yellow card for a deliberate knockdown at the maul. The Brumbies set up five metres out, and Liam Bowron looks for Lonergan down the short side, but Perofeta knocks it down intentionally.

72 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Luke Reimer keeps hopes alive. The Brumbies opt to tap from the penalty, and Reimer carries low and hard to get over the line. Tane Edmed misses the conversion from wide. (Brumbies 23–27 Blues)

78 mins – TURNOVER BRUMBIES: One last chance. The Blues mess it up trying to seal the game, with Reimer causing the error at ruck time. The Brumbies will attack from halfway with just over a minute remaining.

80+2 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: CHARLIE CALE WINS IT! The Brumbies claim the lineout on halfway as Sapsford almost bursts through. Edmed has a run and is wrapped up 22m short. Valetini charges over the 22 as the hooter sounds. The Brumbies hammer away at the line through Valetini and Reimer. Lonergan fires left as Andy Muirhead darts through and offloads to Cale, who is stopped 3m away. They swing it right as Christie makes a great tackle. The Brumbies are stopped inches short before Cale scoops it up and dives over to win it! The TMO confirms Cale got the ball down before being pushed back. Lonergan converts. (Brumbies 30–27 Blues)

Full-time: Brumbies 30–27 Blues

What a finish in Canberra. Charlie Cale has written his name into Brumbies folklore with a dramatic last-gasp try that completed a stunning comeback victory over the Blues and sent GIO Stadium into delirium.

With the hooter long since sounded and the Brumbies trailing by four points, Cale picked up from the base of a ruck after more than 20 phases of relentless attacking rugby and somehow forced his way over the line. The TMO checked it, the crowd held its breath, and the try stood. Ryan Lonergan’s conversion was almost an afterthought as the Brumbies celebrated a victory that extends their unbeaten start to the 2026 season.

It was a match that had everything: brilliant individual tries, brutal collisions, a yellow card that changed the game, and a finish that will be replayed for years to come. The result lifts the Brumbies to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific table with three wins from three, while the Blues head home to Auckland having let a nine-point lead slip in the final ten minutes.

The hosts had started brightly, with Declan Meredith producing a moment of magic in the eighth minute. After Lachie Shaw blocked a Zarn Sullivan kick, veteran loosehead prop James Slipper – in his 201st Super Rugby appearance – showed remarkable footballing skills to punt the ball 60 metres downfield. Meredith gave chase, toed the ball ahead, and dived on it to open the scoring. It was a try that encapsulated the Brumbies’ aggressive, opportunistic approach.

“I don’t think he’s kicked a ball in his 200 games,” Brumbies captain Ryan Lonergan said of Slipper’s moment. “I could not be more happy for him. I ran past him and said, ‘Yes Slippy’.”

But the Blues hit back through Caleb Clarke, who would prove a constant menace throughout the evening. The powerful winger read a Brumbies backline play perfectly, shooting up out of the line as Sapsford’s pass landed straight into his hands. Clarke needed no second invitation, streaking 60 metres to score under the posts and level the scores. The former All Blacks winger was electric whenever he touched the ball, finishing with two tries and four line breaks in a performance that deserved to be on the winning side.

Billy Pollard extended the Brumbies’ lead with a trademark maul try in the 22nd minute, the hooker peeling off the back early and barging through Christie’s tackle from close range to push the score to 15-7.

AJ Lam responded in devastating fashion for the Blues, showing his immense power to bundle over with multiple defenders on his back after Anton Segner had secured lineout ball. The centre shrugged off a flurry of tacklers to muscle his way over, and the sides went to the break locked at 15-15 after a breathless opening forty minutes.

The second half began with the momentum swinging decisively towards Auckland. Clarke grabbed his second try six minutes after the restart, finishing a sweeping counter-attack that started with Cole Forbes charging down the right touchline after the Brumbies had coughed up possession. Forbes found James Mullan with an offload, and the Blues worked the ball all the way left for Clarke to dive over in the corner. Perofeta’s touchline conversion gave the visitors a 22-18 lead.

The emotional stakes were raised further when Dalton Papali’i, celebrating his 100th appearance in the blue jersey, finished a slick right-edge movement to score in the corner. Replacement winger Codemeru Vai had split the Brumbies defence with a powerful midfield burst, charging into the 22, and the ball went through the hands for Papali’i to touch down. At 27-18 with seventeen minutes remaining, the Blues looked in control and the centurion’s milestone appeared destined for a winning finish.

But the Brumbies, who had won their opening two matches by a combined margin of 82 points, refused to accept defeat. Having been tested for the first time this season after leading comfortably in their previous outings, Stephen Larkham’s side showed remarkable mental resolve. The turning point came when Perofeta was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knockdown at the maul, leaving the Blues a man short for the crucial closing stages. It was an ill-disciplined act that would prove decisive.

Luke Reimer capitalised immediately, burrowing over from close range after a quick tap penalty to cut the deficit to four points. Tane Edmed missed the conversion from wide, leaving the Brumbies needing a converted try with the clock winding down. The Blues attempted to close out the match through Christie’s box kicking and clever territory management, but the visitors struggled to retain possession under intense pressure. A crucial breakdown turnover from Reimer handed the home side one final shot as the hooter sounded.

What followed was extraordinary. The Brumbies claimed the lineout on halfway and began their assault. Rob Valetini, who had been immense all evening, charged over the 22 as the siren sounded. Phase after phase, they inched forward. Valetini was stopped metres short. Reimer was held up. Muirhead darted through and offloaded to Cale, who was hauled down agonisingly close. But the Brumbies recycled again, and this time Cale scooped up the ball and launched himself over amid a sea of bodies.

The TMO confirmed the grounding, Lonergan added the conversion, and GIO Stadium erupted. The 8,086 fans in attendance had witnessed one of the great Brumbies comebacks.

“That was intense. It was a good spectacle for the crowd. It was a back and forth for most of the game,” Larkham said afterwards. “The first two rounds we haven’t had that big a challenge where we were behind on the score. It’s a good feeling. It was a great atmosphere and the people certainly got their money’s worth.

“That was a really good test of our mental resolve. When you come out of a game like that you can build a lot of belief.”

It was the Brumbies’ third consecutive win of the season, ending the Blues’ seven-year winning streak in Canberra, and their second dramatic late victory over the Auckland side in as many years, having won by a single point at Eden Park last season.

For the Blues, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Clarke had been magnificent, Papali’i had marked his milestone in style, and they had led by nine points with ten minutes remaining. But Perofeta’s yellow card proved decisive – the visitors unable to withstand the Brumbies’ relentless pressure with 14 men – and they will rue the handling errors that allowed the home side back into the contest. The Blues, who had been buoyed by a week training at the NSW Rugby headquarters in Sydney, must now regroup quickly ahead of a crucial home clash with the Crusaders.

From here, the Brumbies remain in Canberra, where they will host the Reds next weekend looking to protect their unbeaten start and build further momentum. Larkham acknowledged his side had plenty to work on, with 15 turnovers and 23 missed tackles evidence of a performance that was far from polished.

“The Reds will be a significantly different challenge,” Larkham said. “They have really good ball control and can shift the ball across the park. But the Blues, we knew they were going to be very power-focused through the middle.”

What’s next

The Brumbies host the Queensland Reds at GIO Stadium in Round 4, while the Blues welcome the Crusaders to Eden Park.

Teams

Brumbies: 15 Andy Muirhead, 14 Ollie Sapsford, 13 Kadin Pritchard, 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 Lachie Shaw, 3 Rhys van Nek, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Liam Bowron, 17 Blake Schoupp, 18 Tevita Alatini, 19 Toby Macpherson, 20 Luke Reimer, 21 Klayton Thorn, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Hudson Creighton.

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 Sam Darry, 4 Laghlan McWhannell, 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi.
Replacements: 16 James Mullan, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Sam Matenga, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Torian Barnes, 21 Taufa Funaki, 22 Xavi Taele, 23 Codemeru Vai.

Match details

Brumbies 30 (Tries: Declan Meredith, Billy Pollard, Luke Reimer, Charlie Cale; Conversions: Ryan Lonergan 2/3, Tane Edmed 0/1; Penalties: Ryan Lonergan 2/2)
Blues 27 (Tries: Caleb Clarke 2, AJ Lam, Dalton Papali’i; Conversions: Stephen Perofeta 2/4; Penalties: Stephen Perofeta 1/1)
Half-time: 15–15

Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)

The Crusaders claimed their first win of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season with a compelling 43-33 victory over the Chiefs at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday evening, ending their worst start to a campaign in over a decade and exacting a measure of revenge for last year’s final defeat.

Key moments

5 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Quinn Tupaea opens the scoring. George Bell overthrows the lineout and Samisoni Taukei’aho claims before charging close to the line. The Chiefs hammer away under penalty advantage, and Tupaea pops up to crash over from the base of the ruck. Josh Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 7–0 Crusaders)

8 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Etene Nanai-Seturo finishes a stunning counter-attack. After Emoni Narawa pilfers a turnover inside the Chiefs’ in-goal, Leroy Carter beats three defenders to break out towards the 22 before getting an offload away. Jacomb and Xavier Roe link before finding Tupaea heading towards halfway. Josh Lord gallops upfield and one-hands a pass to a flying Nanai-Seturo on the left wing, who races 30m to score. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 14–0 Crusaders)

19 mins – TRY CRUSADERS: George Bell crashes over from close range. The scrum wasn’t great, wheeling on the mark, but Dom Gardiner manages to secure possession. Bell then bursts through Simon Parker from 10m out and charges under the posts. Taha Kemara converts. (Chiefs 14–7 Crusaders)

22 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Samisoni Taukei’aho extends the lead. On the back of the pack’s work, Roe spies space around the fringes and gets an offload away to Taukei’aho. The hooker puts his head down and crashes over from close range. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 21–7 Crusaders)

26 mins – TRY CRUSADERS: Noah Hotham finishes a brilliant set-piece move. Built off a stable scrum platform just inside their own half, Will Jordan takes the ball on the left edge and slices clean through, racing up into the 22 before finding David Havili back on the inside. He shovels on for Hotham for the simple finish. Kemara converts. (Chiefs 21–14 Crusaders)

29 mins – TRY CRUSADERS: Christian Lio-Willie powers over for his first. A huge scrum from the Crusaders earns a penalty advantage, and the forwards try their luck down a short side on the left. Lio-Willie powers over, and despite initially being ruled held up, the TMO spots a grounding. Kemara converts. (Chiefs 21–21 Crusaders)

40+2 mins – PENALTY CRUSADERS: Taha Kemara knocks over a 40m penalty after Jared Proffit is penalised for a tipping action. The Crusaders edge in front for the first time. (Chiefs 21–24 Crusaders)

Half-time: Chiefs 21–24 Crusaders. A cracking first-half contest that started with the Chiefs on fire and ended with the game simmering as the Crusaders’ comeback combined with flared tempers. The Chiefs led 14-0 early courtesy of a stunning counter-attack try, but the Crusaders, on the back of Will Jordan magic, came storming back. With their pack dominating at scrum time, they’ve got their noses in front.

52 mins – TRY CRUSADERS: Christian Lio-Willie doubles his tally. The scrum holds firm and Hotham clears, with Leicester Fainga’anuku having a crash back on the angle. Roe makes a good chop tackle, but the Chiefs are slow to arrive, allowing Lio-Willie to pick and crash through the middle. Kemara converts. (Chiefs 21–31 Crusaders)

58 mins – TRY CRUSADERS: David Havili finishes acrobatically in the corner. Daniel Rona contests illegally at the breakdown, and under advantage Jordan splits through the middle. He fires a wide pass to find Sevu Reece on the left wing, who chops back infield against the traffic. The cover rounds him up, but a flick pass finds Havili, who dives over in the corner. Kemara misses the conversion. (Chiefs 21–36 Crusaders)

67 mins – TRY CRUSADERS: Christian Lio-Willie completes his hat-trick! The Crusaders launch right off the scrum inside their own 22, with Kemara regathering his own kick ahead through Chay Fihaki. He bursts downfield before linking back on the inside with Kemara, who gets close before being dragged down. A crash from Tahlor Cahill gets close, before Lio-Willie picks and bursts through the ruck to score. Fihaki converts. (Chiefs 21–43 Crusaders)

70 mins – YELLOW CARD CRUSADERS: Noah Hotham is shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Narawa. The timing was marginal, but Hotham went on with the tackle to ensure Narawa came to ground.

73 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Tupou Vaa’i pulls one back. It’s untidy off the lineout, but Tupaea gets an arm free and sends Vaa’i clean up the middle. Vaa’i finds Luke Jacobson in support on his right, and while the skipper doesn’t have the pace, he gets the pass back to Vaa’i for the finish. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 28–43 Crusaders)

79 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Emoni Narawa keeps hopes of a bonus point alive. On the back of a scrum win, the Chiefs hammer away with Samipeni Finau and Tupaea going close. Carter swings right, firing a long cutout pass to Narawa for the finish. Jacomb misses the conversion from out wide. (Chiefs 33–43 Crusaders)

80+1 mins – TRY-SAVING TACKLE: Carter makes a sensational bust from his own 22 and looks like he has the pace to run away and snatch the bonus point. However, Jordan comes from the clouds to make a magnificent cover tackle, and Carter spills the ball as he hits the deck a couple of metres short of the line!

Full-time: Chiefs 33–43 Crusaders

The Crusaders are back. After consecutive defeats to the Highlanders and Brumbies had left the defending champions staring at an unprecedented 0-3 start to their campaign, Rob Penney’s side produced a performance of genuine quality to down the Chiefs in a pulsating encounter at FMG Stadium Waikato.

It was Christian Lio-Willie who stole the headlines with a hat-trick of tries, but this was a victory built on forward dominance and the brilliance of Will Jordan, who terrorised the Chiefs’ defence throughout and produced one of the tackles of the season in the dying seconds to deny Leroy Carter what would have been a remarkable try.

The Chiefs had started like a house on fire. An errant Bell throw at the lineout gifted the hosts possession deep in Crusaders territory, and the home pack hammered away under penalty advantage. Tupaea, lurking at the base of the ruck, spotted his moment and crashed over from close range for the opening score.

What followed three minutes later was a contender for try of the season – a special 95-metre effort that had FMG Stadium Waikato rocking. Daniel Rona burst through the Crusaders defence inside the Chiefs’ in-goal, and when the ball found Carter, the former Sevens star needed no second invitation. He beat three defenders in a blistering 30-metre burst before getting an offload away just as the cover arrived. The ball moved through Jacomb, Roe and Tupaea before finding Lord thundering towards halfway. The lock produced a remarkable one-handed offload out to Nanai-Seturo on the left wing, and the fullback raced clear to complete what rugby.com.au described as “a contender for try of the year”. At 14-0 inside eight minutes, the Crusaders looked in serious trouble.

But this Crusaders side, for all their early-season struggles, refused to panic. They found their foothold through the forwards, winning a scrum close to the Chiefs’ line. The set-piece wheeled on the mark, but Dom Gardiner managed to secure possession. Bell, atoning for his earlier error, straightened from ten metres out and powered past a weak tackle from Parker to crash over under the posts. Kemara’s conversion cut the deficit to seven, and suddenly the visitors had momentum.

Taukei’aho restored the Chiefs’ 14-point advantage with a trademark close-range finish. The Chiefs’ pack secured a lineout, Parker punched into midfield, and Taukei’aho picked a sharp line on Roe’s shoulder before crashing over from close range. Jacomb’s third successful conversion made it 21-7, and the home crowd sensed a rout.

From there, the Crusaders mounted the comeback that defined the match. Building off a solid scrum just inside their own half, they launched a well-worked strike to the left. Jordan took the ball at pace, sliced clean through the Chiefs’ defensive line and raced into the 22. He found captain Havili running a classic inside support line, and Havili in turn freed Hotham to finish beside the posts. Kemara converted to reduce the deficit to seven.

Four minutes later, the scores were level. A dominant scrum on the Chiefs’ line earned a penalty advantage, and the forwards tried their luck down the short side. Lio-Willie drove hard, and although referee James Doleman initially ruled him held up, the TMO spotted the grounding. Kemara knocked over the extras to make it 21-21 – the Crusaders had scored 14 unanswered points and completely turned the match on its head.

A penalty from Kemara on the stroke of half-time gave the Crusaders a slender lead at the break, coming after Jared Proffit was penalised for a tipping action on Havili that sparked a heated confrontation. Tempers flared as both sets of players came together, with frustration bubbling over in what had become a ferociously physical contest. The manner of their comeback would have concerned Chiefs head coach Jono Gibbes – the Crusaders’ scrum had established dominance, winning multiple penalties, and that platform would prove decisive in the second half.

The Chiefs began the second spell determined to wrestle back control, but the Crusaders’ defence refused to budge. Carries from Jacobson, Tupaea and Nanai-Seturo were met with sharp line speed and strong contact, while Jordan and Fihaki defused high balls and kicked smartly for territory.

Lio-Willie added his second try seven minutes after the restart. The scrum held firm, Hotham cleared, and Leicester Fainga’anuku had a crash back on the angle. Roe made a good chop tackle, but the Chiefs were slow to arrive at the breakdown, allowing Lio-Willie to pick from the base and crash through the middle. Kemara converted to stretch the lead to 31-21.

The next Crusaders strike showcased Jordan’s influence again. With Daniel Rona penalised at the breakdown, they played under advantage. Jordan straightened, split the defence and fired a long ball to Reece on the left. Reece stepped back against the grain, drew the cover and released Havili on the outside. The captain finished acrobatically in the corner for the visitors’ sixth try, diving full stretch to ground the ball.

Arguably the best team movement of the match produced Lio-Willie’s hat-trick. Starting from a scrum inside their own 22, the Crusaders attacked down the right with Kemara putting a precise kick in behind. Fihaki gathered the rolling ball at pace, burst into the open field and linked back inside with Kemara, who was dragged down only metres short. Tahlor Cahill carried close, and when the defence splintered, Lio-Willie picked and powered through the ruck to complete his treble. Fihaki converted from wide on the right to push the visitors out to 43-21 with just over ten minutes remaining.

The Chiefs, to their credit, refused to fade. A yellow card to Hotham for a late tackle on Narawa provided the hosts with an opportunity, and they seized it. Vaa’i burst up the middle from a broken lineout, linked with Jacobson, and finished under the posts. Jacomb’s conversion narrowed it to 43-28.

They kept coming. From deep in their half, Tepaea Cook-Savage broke the line, and another attacking sequence saw Samipeni Finau and Tupaea hammer at the line. Carter swung right and fired a cutout pass to Narawa, who touched down in the corner to make it 43-33. Jacomb pushed the conversion wide, but FMG Stadium sensed a last-gasp bonus-point chance.

It almost arrived in spectacular fashion. Receiving a deep restart, the Chiefs launched from inside their 22, shifting left to put Carter into space. The speedster streaked clear over halfway and looked certain to go the distance, until Jordan arrived from nowhere. The All Blacks fullback chopped him down metres short and dislodged the ball, sealing the win and shutting down the Chiefs’ final chance to salvage anything. It was the moment that sealed the Crusaders’ first win of the season.

For the Crusaders, this was a statement of intent after a chastening fortnight. Their scrum dominated throughout, and Lio-Willie’s hat-trick was a timely reminder of the No.8’s quality. Jordan was outstanding in broken play, and Havili led from the front in midfield.

“For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been trying to see who the man in the mirror is and we came down here with that sort of mentality,” Lio-Willie said post-match. “It set us up well to come here and reveal our true character, and I think the boys showed it tonight.”

Jordan, meanwhile, was asked about his match-saving tackle on Carter, which came a week after his 28th birthday. “As an outside back, you never know when that speed is gonna come to an end, so it’s good to know I still got it,” he said with a smile.

Head coach Rob Penney was delighted with his side’s response after their 50-point capitulation against the Brumbies last week. “This was always going to be a bit of a turning point; we had to front,” he said. “We were up against a great side, probably the most consistent Super team through the preliminary games. I’m just rapt for the team. We’ve got a bunch of young boys coming through and that’s their first taste of what it’s like to be in that cauldron.”

For the Chiefs, there is work to do. They were brilliant early but faded badly as the Crusaders’ pack took control. The absence of Damian McKenzie was felt, and their scrum struggled throughout the second half.

“We let them off the hook a little bit,” head coach Jono Gibbes admitted. “Our accuracy levels were just a little bit off, and those inaccuracies in those zones in particular cost us.”

Captain Luke Jacobson echoed his coach’s assessment. “We came out, we played some really good footy to start with, probably the best we’ve played this season,” he said. “But we probably got into a little bit of push and shove, and then in the second half, we probably lost a little bit of our aggression. The Crusaders stayed at the good level and got the better of us.”

The result leaves the Chiefs with two wins from three, while the Crusaders finally have points on the board. Both sides will take plenty from this encounter, but it is the visitors who head home with the spoils in what could prove to be a pivotal moment in their season.

What’s next

The Chiefs host Moana Pasifika at FMG Stadium Waikato in Round 4, while the Crusaders travel to Auckland to face the Blues at Eden Park.

Teams

Chiefs: 15 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Daniel Rona, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Xavier Roe, 8 Luke Jacobson (c), 7 Kaylum Boshier, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Josh Lord, 3 George Dyer, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Jared Proffit.
Replacements: 16 Tyrone Thompson, 17 Benet Kumeroa, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Samipeni Finau, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Tepaea Cook-Savage, 23 Lalakai Foketi.

Crusaders: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Chay Fihaki, 13 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 12 David Havili (c), 11 Sevu Reece, 10 Taha Kemara, 9 Noah Hotham, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 6 Dom Gardiner, 5 Jamie Hannah, 4 Antonio Shalfoon, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 George Bell, 1 Tamaiti Williams.
Replacements: 16 Manumaua Letiu, 17 George Bower, 18 Seb Calder, 19 Tahlor Cahill, 20 Corey Kellow, 21 Louie Chapman, 22 James White, 23 Dallas McLeod.

Match details

Chiefs 33 (Tries: Quinn Tupaea, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i, Emoni Narawa; Conversions: Josh Jacomb 4/5)
Crusaders 43 (Tries: George Bell, Noah Hotham, Christian Lio-Willie 3, David Havili; Conversions: Taha Kemara 5/6, Chay Fihaki 1/1; Penalties: Taha Kemara 1/1)
Half-time: 21–24

Venue: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)

A try-of-the-year contender has kicked the Queensland Reds’ Super Rugby Pacific season into gear as they produced some razzle-dazzle attack and a series of brave defensive plays to defeat the Highlanders 31-14 at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

Key moments

2 mins – HIGHLANDERS HELD UP: Will Stodart powers towards the line after an early penalty but Harry Wilson scrambles desperately to hold him up. Goal-line dropout for the Reds, who survive the opening onslaught. (Reds 0–0 Highlanders)

3 mins – TRY DISALLOWED REDS: Tim Ryan appears to score after grubbering ahead a loose ball and racing 60 metres untouched. The TMO spots Hunter Paisami knocked the ball forward in the tackle that created the loose ball. Highlanders scrum. (Reds 0–0 Highlanders)

14 mins – 50-22 HIGHLANDERS: Jack Taylor produces a rare hooker’s 50-22, rolling his kick perfectly into touch inside the Reds’ 22. The visitors can’t capitalise, though, knocking on in the subsequent attack.

18 mins – TRY REDS: Fraser McReight finishes a stunning team try. Harry Wilson somehow flicks a miracle ball through his legs to Josh Flook, who stabs a kick infield. Tim Ryan claims it and kicks further ahead, with McReight flying through to collect the bounce and dive over beside the posts. Louis Werchon converts. (Reds 7–0 Highlanders)

27 mins – TRY REDS: Matt Faessler brings Suncorp Stadium to life. The Reds set the driving maul 5m out and the hooker makes a heads-up play, peeling off at the perfect moment to stroll over untouched in the left corner. Werchon’s conversion drifts wide. (Reds 12–0 Highlanders)

31 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: Adam Lennox strikes back for the visitors. Jack Taylor spots no one in front of him at the ruck, tears off into space and pops a ball to his halfback, who shows a clean pair of heels to dive over next to the sticks. Cameron Millar converts. (Reds 12–7 Highlanders)

35 mins – TRY REDS: Tim Ryan finally gets the try he deserves. Carter Gordon fires it wide left, Josh Flook double-pumps and sends Joe Brial into space. Brial finds McReight, who draws the final defender and sends Ryan streaking away to score in the corner. Werchon converts from the sideline. (Reds 19–7 Highlanders)

36 mins – SALAKAIA-LOTO’S THUMPER: Lukhan Salakaia-Loto produces a bell-ringer tackle on Rohan Wingham, dislodging the ball and forcing a turnover on halfway. Massive defensive play from the lock.

Half-time: Reds 19–7 Highlanders. The Reds have brought Suncorp to life with a high-energy opening 40. McReight’s try cracked it open, and the home side have been clinical in converting their opportunities. The Highlanders hit back through Lennox but have been guilty of too many errors and costly penalties.

42 mins – CAMPBELL TRY-SAVER: Timoci Tavatavanawai bulldozes through several defenders and explodes past halfway. He links with Adam Lennox on the right wing, but Jock Campbell runs him down and bundles him into touch 10m short. Crucial covering tackle.

52 mins – TRY HIGHLANDERS: Lucas Casey powers through soft defence for a crucial try. The number eight splits two tacklers and drives his way to the line after sustained pressure from a 5m scrum. Millar converts. (Reds 19–14 Highlanders)

57 mins – TRY REDS: Lukhan Salakaia-Loto strikes from nowhere. Josh Flook puts a grubber in behind after Fraser McReight wins a turnover, and Louis Werchon’s pressure forces the Highlanders to put a foot in touch. The Reds go quick with the lineout and the lock barrels over from close range. Werchon’s conversion drifts wide. (Reds 24–14 Highlanders)

62 mins – TRY REDS: Vaiuta Latu scores the simplest of tries. Filipo Daugunu stabs a nothing grubber into the 22 and Folau Fakatava fumbles it metres from his line. Latu is in the perfect spot to collect the loose ball and dive over under the sticks with his first touch. Jock Campbell converts. (Reds 31–14 Highlanders)

70 mins – BRIAL STOPS CERTAIN TRY: Te Kamaka Howden appears to have crashed over but Joe Brial somehow gets his hand under the ball to hold it up. Magnificent scramble defence from the blindside flanker.

78 mins – WITHY DENIED LATE: Sean Withy storms onto a short ball and appears to dot down on the line, but the TMO rules he lost control for a knock-on. The rain has arrived and conditions are slippery. Fraser McReight reels away from a tackle with a shoulder stinger but doesn’t go off for an HIA.

Full-time: Queensland Reds 31–14 Highlanders

The Reds were back at Suncorp Stadium for the first time in seven months and they revelled in the support of 13,016 fans, delivering the response Les Kiss demanded after their chastening 36-12 defeat to the Waratahs in Round 1. The return of Harry Wilson, Carter Gordon and a host of other Wallabies transformed the hosts into a different beast entirely, with Fraser McReight inspirational as captain at Suncorp for the first time.

Wilson’s impact was felt immediately. Inside two minutes, the Wallabies skipper produced a try-saving tackle, holding up Will Stodart over the line to deny the Highlanders an early lead. It was the first of three times the visitors would cross the stripe without scoring—a statistic that told the story of a frustrating night for Jamie Joseph’s side.

The moment that cracked the game open came in the 18th minute—a wild passage of play that will be replayed for years to come. A Jock Campbell cut-out pass found Wilson near the sideline, and with Cameron Millar about to tackle him, the Wallabies skipper decided to play tunnel ball. Wilson somehow flicked a no-look pass through his legs to Josh Flook, who gathered cleanly and immediately put boot to ball, stabbing a kick back infield. Tim Ryan was alive to the situation, collecting and hoofing it further ahead towards the goal line. McReight, showing the work rate that earned him 17 tackles on the night, flew through to win the race to the bouncing ball and dive over beside the posts.

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McReight was equally delighted with the attacking innovation. “We got the foot to the ball a few times and ran the fat man line, through the middle,” the skipper laughed. “But after that Tahs game, we were hard on ourselves. We got coached well, the senior boys stood up and had a great game plan and trusted it and reaped the rewards.”

The crowd barely had time to settle before the forwards got in on the act. The Reds won a lineout 5m out in the left corner and set the driving maul, rumbling towards the line with real momentum. The Highlanders defended it well initially, forcing the ball sideways, but hooker Matt Faessler made a heads-up play to peel off at the perfect moment, strolling over untouched as the defence scrambled to cover the maul. At 12-0, the hosts were purring.

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Gordon, making his Queensland debut eight years after first signing with the club as a 17-year-old, showed glimpses of the unpredictable spark the Reds lacked in Sydney. He dropped the ball early as he found his feet, but grew into the contest and his bullet grubber in the 25th minute earned a lineout on the Highlanders’ 22 that set up the platform for Faessler’s score.

“This is a special day for him,” Kiss said of Gordon’s debut. “I thought he directed us around the park pretty well. Wasn’t quite clean with every pass, a few fumbles there, but I do think his composure was strong for us. He played strong and physical and that’s important.”

The Highlanders hit back to their credit. After early stumbles that saw Stodart held up and Tavatavanawai drop a tough pass from Withy off a lineout play, they finally found rhythm through the middle. Jack Taylor, the best of the visitors on the night, looked up at the ruck in the 31st minute and spotted no one in front of him. The hooker tore off into space, popped a ball to halfback Adam Lennox, and the scrumhalf showed a clean pair of heels to dive over next to the sticks. Millar’s conversion cut the deficit to five.

But just as it felt like the visitors might settle, the Reds struck again before the break. Gordon fired it wide left, Flook double-pumped brilliantly to fix the defence, and sent Joe Brial bursting into space. Brial found McReight on his shoulder, and the skipper drew the final defender before sending Ryan streaking away down the left touchline. The winger, who had been busy on both sides of the ball all evening, scorched around the cover defence to dot down in the corner. Louis Werchon’s conversion from the sideline was pure, and the Reds took a deserved 19-7 lead into the sheds.

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The Highlanders showed real fight early in the second half. Tavatavanawai, the powerhouse centre who had been kept relatively quiet by Hunter Paisami in the first 40, exploded through several defenders and sprinted past halfway. He linked with Lennox on the right wing, but Campbell produced a desperate covering tackle to bundle him into touch 10m short. It was a crucial intervention.

The visitors kept coming. After winning a scrum 5m out following a Ryan knock-on, the Highlanders went through the phases patiently. Tavatavanawai carried hard, Taylor burrowed close, and eventually number eight Lucas Casey spotted his moment. The big man split two tacklers and drove his way powerfully to the line, grounding it under the posts. Millar converted and suddenly it was 19-14—game on.

Needing to reverse the momentum, two excellent pieces of individual brilliance delivered Queensland’s fourth try. McReight pilfered possession at the breakdown on halfway—a classic turnover when the Reds needed it most. Flook then produced a pinpoint grubber down the left sideline that forced panic at the back, with Werchon’s pressure pushing the Highlanders into touch 5m from their line. Paisami caught the visitors napping, taking a quick throw to Ryan, who was hauled down metres short. The Reds shifted left and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, who had earlier produced a bone-rattling tackle on Rohan Wingham that forced a turnover on halfway, bulldozed through two defenders to plant the ball on the line.

The Reds bench then combined to ice the match. Filipo Daugunu, urgent since coming on, stabbed a speculative grubber into the Highlanders’ 22. It should have been routine for Folau Fakatava to clean up, but the replacement halfback fumbled it metres from his line. Vaiuta Latu was in the perfect position, scooping up the loose ball and diving over for his first Super Rugby try with his first touch on the field. Campbell, who had moved to fly-half following Werchon’s substitution, nailed the conversion from in front.

The final quarter saw the Highlanders camped on the Reds’ line, desperate for a consolation that would deny the hosts a bonus point. Te Kamaka Howden, who had worked tirelessly all night, appeared to have crashed over in the 70th minute, but Brial somehow got his hand under the ball to hold it up—a magnificent piece of scramble defence. Eight minutes later, co-captain Sean Withy stormed onto a short ball and reached for the line, but the TMO ruled he had lost control as rain bucketed down on Suncorp. The conditions had turned slippery, and McReight reeled away from a tackle with a shoulder stinger but refused to leave the field.

Salakaia-Loto was a standout with nine short, forceful carries and some crunching tackles to complement his try. The back three of Lachie Anderson, Campbell and Ryan chased kicks relentlessly, with Anderson making nine tackles and as many carries. The bench added real punch—replacement hooker Josh Nasser finished with 14 tackles, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips probed effectively late, and Daugunu’s urgency in the centres proved decisive.

The Highlanders’ miserable recent record in Australia continued—they had won just one of their past 13 Super Rugby matches across the Tasman before Friday night and have now won just four times at Suncorp in 30 years. They missed 26 tackles compared to the Reds’ 17 and lost too many breakdown contests in promising positions.

“The fact we’ve only won four times here in 30 years tells you something,” a frustrated Jamie Joseph said. “It’s not just this year, last year, year before—the Highlanders have really struggled here. The Reds, they really took it to us, good luck to them.”

Kiss was pleased with his side’s work ethic. “The boys’ industry was brilliant. It wasn’t perfect but the boys stuck at it and got in front of the game when they needed to,” the Reds coach said. “Our back three were chasing everything, working hard off the ball and on it. Our locks and backrow were very strong and set a good platform. Keeping their No.12 (Tavatavanawai) quiet was critical too.”

The bonus-point victory lifts the Reds to 1-1 and restores confidence ahead of a mouthwatering trip to Canberra, while the Highlanders slip to 1-2 with the season-ending losses of Fabian Holland and Dylan Pledger starting to bite.

What’s next

The Reds travel to Canberra next weekend to face Stephen Larkham’s ladder-leading ACT Brumbies in a mouthwatering clash, while the Highlanders return home to Dunedin to host the Western Force.

Teams

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

Highlanders: 15 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, 14 Caleb Tangitau, 13 Jonah Lowe, 12 Timoci Tavatavanawai (co-c), 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Cameron Millar, 9 Adam Lennox, 8 Lucas Casey, 7 Sean Withy (co-c), 6 Te Kamaka Howden, 5 Mitch Dunshea, 4 Will Stodart, 3 Rohan Wingham, 2 Jack Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Soane Vikena, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Sosefo Kautai, 19 Oliver Haig, 20 Veveni Lasaqa, 21 Folau Fakatava, 22 Reesjan Pasitoa, 23 Tanielu Tele’a.

Match details

Queensland Reds 31 (Tries: Fraser McReight, Matt Faessler, Tim Ryan, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Vaiuta Latu; Conversions: Louis Werchon 2/4, Jock Campbell 1/1)
Highlanders 14 (Tries: Adam Lennox, Lucas Casey; Conversions: Cameron Millar 2/2)
Half-time: 19–7

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 13,016
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Angus Mabey, Michael Winter
TMO: Aaron Paterson