The Blues produced a remarkable second-half turnaround to defeat the Waratahs 35–20 in Sydney, scoring 27 unanswered points to claim a record 12th consecutive victory over their Australian rivals.

Key moments

3′ – TRY BLUES: The visitors strike first! Bradley Slater burrowed low and was stopped agonisingly short before Finlay Christie made an eyes-up play, catching the defence napping to plant it down on the line. Beauden Barrett misses the conversion. (Waratahs 0–5 Blues)

7′ – YELLOW CARD BLUES: Malachi Wrampling is sent to the sin bin after the TMO alerted the referee to foul play. Wrampling tucked his arm and collected Lawson Creighton with his shoulder to the head.

22′ – PENALTY WARATAHS: Sid Harvey gets the Tahs on the board, slotting a long-range penalty from 43m out after the scrum collapsed with Sam Matenga at fault. (Waratahs 3–5 Blues)

32′ – TRY WARATAHS: Controversy! Miles Amatosero appeared to lose the ball forward, but Jack Debreczeni gathered it on the full and stepped through multiple defenders to dive over under the posts. The TMO somehow ruled the ball didn’t go forward, so the try stands. Harvey converts. (Waratahs 10–5 Blues)

39′ – PENALTY BLUES: Barrett slots the goal from 15m out and right in front after the Blues earned back-to-back penalties inside the Waratahs’ 22. (Waratahs 10–8 Blues)

40+1′ – TRY WARATAHS: Massive blow right on the break! The Waratahs fought their way over the line through Tom Lambert after sustained pressure. The referee sent it to the TMO, and upon closer inspection, the prop got the ball down on the line. Harvey converts. (Waratahs 17–8 Blues)

Half-time: Waratahs 17–8 Blues. A scrappy, stop-start first half that never really found rhythm. The Blues struck early through Christie but a yellow card to Wrampling hurt their cause. The Waratahs made the most of their moments with a controversial Debreczeni try and Lambert’s effort on the stroke of half-time stretching the lead.

43′ – PENALTY WARATAHS: Harvey extends the lead with a penalty from 45m out after the Blues collapsed at scrum time. (Waratahs 20–8 Blues)

50′ – TRY BLUES: The visitors hit back! The Blues set a strong maul from the lineout and began to march forward. It splintered inside the 22 and Taufa Funaki pulled it out. Barrett shifted it wide right for Zarn Sullivan, who got it on to Codemeru Vai, and he attacked down the flank to dive over in the corner. Barrett misses the conversion. (Waratahs 20–13 Blues)

57′ – TRY BLUES: Here come the Blues! Taufa Funaki found a gap and sent Barrett in behind with a brilliant offload. Barrett drew Harvey and found AJ Lam on the outside to stroll over and score down the left. Barrett converts to bring us level. (Waratahs 20–20 Blues)

63′ – PENALTY BLUES: Barrett makes no mistake from 25m out after Lawson Creighton was caught offside. The Blues take the lead for the first time since the opening minutes. (Waratahs 20–23 Blues)

74′ – TRY BLUES: Statement second half from the Blues! The visitors hammered away inside the 22 before Funaki kept it moving quickly, finding Barrett out the back. Lam charged onto it and bumped Joey Walton off emphatically, muscling his way over to score a stunner down the right flank. Barrett converts. (Waratahs 20–30 Blues)

80′ – TRY BLUES: The Blues cap this one off in style! Off a Waratahs knock-on, Caleb Clarke burst away on the left wing, tearing into the 22. His inside ball saw Vai stopped just short before Barrett stabbed a cross kick to the right wing that saw Lam pop a ball back inside, sending Torian Barnes crashing over in the corner. Barrett misses the conversion. (Waratahs 20–35 Blues)

Full-time: Waratahs 20–35 Blues

Match report

Leading 20–8 early in the second half, the Waratahs appeared poised to snap a decade-long drought against the Blues. Instead, Dan McKellar’s side wilted in the final quarter for the third successive week, their finishing woes proving fatal against opponents who ruthlessly punished every error.

The result extended the Blues’ winning streak against the Waratahs to 12 matches — the first time in 30 years an Australasian Super Rugby franchise has achieved such dominance over a single rival. For the Waratahs, a third straight defeat sent them tumbling out of the top six for the first time this season.

The Waratahs’ troubles began before kick-off when outside centre Triston Reilly was ruled out with a groin injury — the second time in three weeks they had lost their No.13 just before a match, following Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s hamstring tear. Lawson Creighton was thrust into the midfield alongside Joey Walton, who was marking his 50th appearance for the club.

The Blues struck early through halfback Finlay Christie, who burrowed over from close range in just the third minute after the Waratahs made a mess of the opening restart. Hooker Bradley Slater had been stopped agonisingly short from the driving maul, but Christie made an eyes-up play at the base, catching the defence napping to plant it down on the line. Beauden Barrett missed the conversion, but the visitors had drawn first blood.

Yet rather than build on that platform, the Blues found themselves under sustained pressure for the remainder of the half. When No.8 Malachi Wrampling was yellow-carded in the seventh minute for a high shot on hooker Ethan Dobbins — tucking his arm and collecting the Waratahs rake with his shoulder to the head — the home side appeared certain to capitalise.

Instead, they squandered chance after chance with remarkable profligacy. Fullback Sid Harvey was denied by desperate scramble defence after accepting a flick pass from Max Jorgensen, the Blues somehow recovering when Harvey looked certain to score. Dobbins burst through midfield and chipped ahead, only for the ball to elude Pete Samu. Jake Gordon was held up over the line by Barrett. Winger Harry Potter spilled a try-scoring pass with the chalk at his feet. Jack Debreczeni completed a brilliant chip and chase but threw a hopeful pass that went to ground when he should have backed his own speed.

The Waratahs finally crossed in the 32nd minute through Debreczeni, though the try was mired in controversy. Lock Miles Amatosero appeared to lose the ball forward in midfield, but Debreczeni gathered on the full and stepped through multiple defenders to dive over under the posts. The Blues players closest to him stopped playing, assuming a knock-on call would come, but the TMO ruled the ball had travelled backwards and the try stood. Harvey converted to give the hosts a 10–5 lead.

Prop Tom Lambert barged over from close range right on the stroke of half-time after another lengthy TMO review. The Waratahs had hammered away at the line for multiple phases, with Amatosero and captain Matt Philip leading the charge, before Lambert was awarded the try despite initially appearing to be held up. Harvey’s conversion sent the Waratahs into the sheds with a 17–8 advantage that scarcely reflected their dominance.

Harvey’s penalty from 45 metres early in the second half stretched the lead to 12 points after the Blues collapsed at scrum time, but the Waratahs had fired their last shot. The Blues pack began to take control, laying a platform that allowed their backs to come alive.

Right wing Codemeru Vai finished a sharp backline move from the maul in the 50th minute. The Blues set a strong driving lineout and began to march forward before replacement halfback Taufa Funaki pulled it out. Barrett shifted the ball from left to right, finding Zarn Sullivan who got it on to Vai, and the wing attacked down the flank to dive over in the corner. Barrett’s conversion drifted wide, but the visitors had closed the gap to seven points.

Seven minutes later, Funaki broke the line with a brilliant snipe from the ruck base, sending Barrett away with an offload. The veteran playmaker drew Harvey before putting AJ Lam over untouched down the left flank. Barrett’s conversion brought the scores level at 20–20, and suddenly the momentum had shifted decisively.

The Blues were now rampant. Barrett kicked a penalty from 25 metres after Creighton was caught offside, and the visitors led for the first time since the opening minutes. Lam’s second try in the 74th minute was a statement of intent — the Blues hammered away inside the 22 before Funaki kept it moving quickly, finding Barrett out the back. Lam charged onto it and bumped Walton off emphatically, muscling his way over to score a stunner down the right flank. Barrett’s conversion stretched the lead to 10 points.

There was still time for Torian Barnes to crash over in the corner after Caleb Clarke’s searing break down the left wing. Off a Waratahs knock-on, Clarke burst away from halfway and tore into the 22. His inside ball saw Vai stopped just short before Barrett stabbed a cross kick to the right that Lam gathered and popped back inside, sending Barnes crashing over to cap a stunning 27–0 second-half blitz.

For Walton, whose milestone night ended in disappointment, the pattern was all too familiar. “We left about six tries out there,” he said. “It shows you’ve got to play for 80 minutes of Super Rugby. Two weeks in a row now we’re ahead 60, 65 minutes and then let it go.”

McKellar was equally frustrated, using the word “disappointing” seven times in his post-match press conference. “We hurt ourselves,” he said. “I’m not taking anything away from the opposition — they’ve got world-class players out there in a quality side — but it hurts because I feel like we played a fair role in losing control of that game in the second half.

“The disappointing part for me is I’m really desperate, or we’re desperate, to give New South Wales, the rugby community, a team that they can really get behind. I just sit here a bit deflated tonight, thinking that we’ve missed an opportunity against a good opposition.”

What’s next

The Blues climb to 4–2 and consolidate second place on the ladder, with two of their losses coming in the final minutes against the Chiefs and Brumbies in the opening weeks. They have a bye in Round 7.

For the Waratahs, now 2–3, the road only gets harder. They travel to Canberra to face the Brumbies next Friday night in what shapes as an early do-or-die derby.

“Brumbies is a huge week for the Tahs, so there’ll be a lot of feeling and intensity in training this week,” captain Philip said. “But first we’ve got to look at that game, look to see where we can get better and where we can learn to close out in those last 20 minutes. And then we’ll look to the Brumbies.”

Teams

Waratahs: 15 Sid Harvey, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Joey Walton, 12 Lawson Creighton, 11 Max Jorgensen, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jamie Adamson, 6 Clem Halaholo, 5 Miles Amatosero, 4 Matt Philip (c), 3 Daniel Botha, 2 Ethan Dobbins, 1 Tom Lambert.
Replacements: 16 Ioane Moananu, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Siosifa Amone, 19 Angus Blyth, 20 Leafi Talataina, 21 Angus Scott-Young, 22 Teddy Wilson, 23 George Poolman.

Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Codemeru Vai, 13 AJ Lam, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Malachi Wrampling, 7 Dalton Papali’i (c), 6 Anton Segner, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Josh Beehre, 3 Sam Matenga, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi.
Replacements: 16 James Mullan, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Che Clark, 20 Torian Barnes, 21 Taufa Funaki, 22 Xavi Taele, 23 Payton Spencer.

Match details

Waratahs 20 (Tries: Debreczeni 32′, Lambert 40+1′; Conversions: Harvey 2/2; Penalties: Harvey 2/2)
Blues 35 (Tries: Christie 3′, Vai 50′, Lam 57′ 74′, Barnes 80′; Conversions: Barrett 2/4; Penalties: Barrett 2/2)
Half-time: 17–8

Yellow card: Malachi Wrampling (BLU) 7′ – high tackle

The Crusaders exacted brutal revenge for last year’s shock defeat, blowing Moana Pasifika off the park with a devastating second-half blitz that yielded five tries in 23 minutes and secured their first back-to-back wins of 2026.

Key moments

4′ – TRY CRUSADERS: Julian Savea stayed down after a heavy contact on his shoulder and left the field in his first match of 2026. From the resulting lineout turnover, George Bell tapped quickly and the ball was flicked out the back for Braydon Ennor, who carried multiple defenders over the line with him. Cooper Grant misses the conversion. (Moana Pasifika 0–5 Crusaders)

17′ – TRY CRUSADERS: Brilliant counter-attacking rugby from the visitors. Will Jordan injected himself into the line and offloaded, sparking a sweeping movement. Dallas McLeod drew the fullback and fired it to Sevu Reece on the wing, who streaked away to score under the posts. Grant converts for his first Super Rugby points. (Moana Pasifika 0–12 Crusaders)

21′ – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: The hosts hit back after sustained pressure. Tevita Latu pierced through a gap before Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa and Tevita Ofa hammered away at the line. Captain Miracle Faiilagi drew two defenders and popped a ball inside to send Ofa strolling over. Patrick Pellegrini converts. (Moana Pasifika 7–12 Crusaders)

29′ – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: The crowd erupts! Pellegrini spread it wide quickly, creating space for Lalomilo Lalomilo on the left edge. He burst through the first line of defence and drew the fullback perfectly, finding Joel Lam on the inside. The halfback showed great speed to streak away and score against his former team on his first start. Pellegrini converts. (Moana Pasifika 14–12 Crusaders)

34′ – TRY CRUSADERS: The visitors regain the lead. Patient build-up from the forwards laid the platform before Cooper Grant stabbed a cross kick to the right wing, putting it on the spot for Chay Fihaki to field on the full and dot down in the corner. Grant misses the conversion. (Moana Pasifika 14–17 Crusaders)

Half-time: Moana Pasifika 14–17 Crusaders. An entertaining first half played in perfect conditions with both sides willing to move the ball. The Crusaders struck early through Ennor and Reece but Moana hit back through Ofa and Lam to briefly take the lead. Fihaki’s try just before the break gave the visitors a narrow advantage heading into the sheds.

50′ – TRY CRUSADERS: Leicester Fainga’anuku lights the fuse! Off the lineout, Jordan countered dangerously to halfway. The ball was spread left and Fainga’anuku held it up before bursting through the defence from 45m out, slipping out of several tackles en route to a spectacular solo try. Fihaki converts. (Moana Pasifika 14–24 Crusaders)

53′ – TRY CRUSADERS: The floodgates open! Pellegrini’s kick was claimed by Noah Hotham, who burst away on the left. He kept it alive for McLeod, who offloaded to send Fletcher Newell streaking away. Newell popped it back to McLeod and he tore into the 22 before George Bell stormed forward off a pick-and-go, muscling over the line. Fihaki converts. (Moana Pasifika 14–31 Crusaders)

58′ – TRY CRUSADERS: Bell bags a brace! The Crusaders pack laid a brutal platform with Ethan Blackadder peeling off from the drive and going close. Fainga’anuku had a crack and went within inches before Bell picked and drove at pace, powering through two defenders to dot down in the corner. Fihaki converts. (Moana Pasifika 14–38 Crusaders)

63′ – TRY CRUSADERS: Kurtis MacDonald scores on debut! Xavier Saifoloi burst into space on the right wing before Fihaki floated a beautiful long-ball to the left, finding MacDonald in space. He stood the cover defence up with some slick footwork, strolling over to score down the flank. Fihaki converts. (Moana Pasifika 14–45 Crusaders)

73′ – TRY CRUSADERS: The visitors hit fifty! After nearly thirty phases of attack, the ball was released wide right and Fihaki slipped through two defenders to stride away and score his second down the edge. Fihaki misses the conversion. (Moana Pasifika 14–50 Crusaders)

77′ – TRY MOANA PASIFIKA: A consolation for the hosts. Off the scrum, Siaosi Nginingini read the play like a book, plucking the intercept clean out of the air and streaking away 40m to score. Pellegrini converts. (Moana Pasifika 21–50 Crusaders)

Full-time: Moana Pasifika 21–50 Crusaders

Match report

The Crusaders exacted brutal revenge for last year’s shock defeat, blowing Moana Pasifika off the park with a devastating second-half blitz that yielded five tries in 23 minutes and secured their first back-to-back wins of 2026.

Almost 12 months to the day since Moana stunned the rugby world with a 45–29 upset in Christchurch, the defending champions made a powerful statement of intent in Albany. What began as a tight, entertaining contest descended into one-way traffic after the break as the visitors’ superior depth and class proved too much for the cellar-dwellers.

The night began disastrously for the hosts when Julian Savea, making his first appearance of 2026 after a groin injury, left the field clutching his shoulder just four minutes in. It was an ominous sign of what was to come.

The Crusaders pounced immediately. From the resulting lineout turnover, hooker George Bell tapped quickly and flicked a pass out the back for Braydon Ennor, who showed tremendous strength to carry three defenders over the line with him.

When Will Jordan sparked a sweeping counter-attack that ended with Sevu Reece crossing for his 68th Super Rugby try to extend the lead to 12–0, Moana looked in danger of being swept away. But Tana Umaga’s men found their feet and roared back into the contest.

Tevita Ofa finished off sustained pressure following a powerful Tevita Latu break, before Joel Lam produced the moment of the first half. The halfback, playing against his former team on his first start for Moana, latched onto a brilliant Lalomilo Lalomilo break and showed electric pace to streak away and score. Patrick Pellegrini’s conversion gave the hosts a 14–12 lead and brought the Albany crowd to its feet.

The lead lasted just five minutes. Rookie fly-half Cooper Grant, making his first Super Rugby start in place of the injured Rivez Reihana and Taha Kemara, delivered a pinpoint cross-field kick that landed perfectly in Chay Fihaki’s waiting arms for an easy finish in the corner.

At 17–14 down at half-time, Moana had reasons for optimism. They had rattled the champions, their scrum was prospering, and No.8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa was a constant menace at the breakdown. But what followed after the interval was devastating.

Leicester Fainga’anuku lit the fuse five minutes into the second half. The All Black collected the ball 45 metres out and proceeded to weave through four defenders with a mesmerising display of footwork and power, leaving a trail of broken tackles in his wake.

From that point, the floodgates opened. Bell crashed over twice in five minutes from close range, his powerful carrying making him almost impossible to stop near the line. Debutant Kurtis MacDonald then finished off a beautiful Fihaki long-ball for a try with his first touch, before Fihaki himself completed a double after nearly 30 phases of relentless pressure.

The Crusaders had scored five tries in 23 minutes. The contest was over.

All Black prop Fletcher Newell, celebrating his 50th Crusaders appearance, produced a moment for the highlight reel when he punched through the line like a midfielder before recycling for Bell’s second try. Jordan was imperious at fullback throughout, his decisive carries at speed constantly putting Moana on the back foot.

“That was a tough battle out there, to be honest. I think you can see all the boys are feeling it,” captain Jordan told Sky Sport. “Moana are certainly a very physical side, and a proud side as well. It’s good for us to get our season back on track and I think the bye comes at a good time for us to freshen up.”

To their credit, Moana kept fighting until the end. Siaosi Nginingini grabbed a consolation intercept try in the 77th minute, reading Kyle Preston’s pass perfectly and racing 40 metres to the line as the crowd rose one final time.

The result leaves Moana anchored at the bottom of the table with just one win from six matches, their playoff hopes now virtually extinguished. Four of their five defeats have come by huge margins against New Zealand opposition.

The Crusaders, by contrast, climb back into the playoff positions at 3–3 and head into their bye week with momentum finally building. For a team missing 13 players including captain David Havili, the depth of their squad was telling.

Teams

Moana Pasifika: 15 William Havili, 14 Tevita Latu, 13 Lalomilo Lalomilo, 12 Julian Savea, 11 Glen Vaihu, 10 Patrick Pellegrini, 9 Joel Lam, 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, 7 Niko Jones, 6 Miracle Faiilagi (c), 5 Allan Craig, 4 Tom Savage, 3 Atu Moli, 2 Millennium Sanerivi, 1 Tito Tuipulotu.
Replacements: 16 Mamoru Harada, 17 Abraham Pole, 18 Chris Apoua, 19 Veikoso Poloniati, 20 Dominic Ropeti, 21 Siaosi Nginingini, 22 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 23 Tevita Ofa.

Crusaders: 15 Will Jordan (c), 14 Chay Fihaki, 13 Braydon Ennor, 12 Dallas McLeod, 11 Sevu Reece, 10 Cooper Grant, 9 Noah Hotham, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Johnny Lee, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Jamie Hannah, 4 Tahlor Cahill, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 George Bell, 1 Finlay Brewis.
Replacements: 16 Manumaua Leitu, 17 George Bower, 18 Seb Calder, 19 Antonio Shalfoon, 20 Xavier Saifoloi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 23 Kurtis MacDonald.

Match details

Moana Pasifika 21 (Tries: Ofa 21′, Lam 29′, Nginingini 77′; Conversions: Pellegrini 3/3)
Crusaders 50 (Tries: Ennor 4′, Reece 17′, Fihaki 34′ 73′, Fainga’anuku 50′, Bell 53′ 58′, MacDonald 63′; Conversions: Grant 1/2, Fihaki 5/6)
Half-time: 14–17

Venue: North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
Referee: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)

Corey Toole’s sensational 100-metre intercept try in the final minute capped a stunning Brumbies comeback as they rallied from 17 points down to defeat the Chiefs 33–24 and celebrate James Slipper’s record-breaking night in style at GIO Stadium.

Key moments

6′ – TRY BRUMBIES: A fantastic start with a brilliant scrum saw the Brumbies strike early. Hudson Creighton finished in the corner after the Chiefs ran out of numbers on the wing following a sharp move off the set piece. Ryan Lonergan converts. (Brumbies 7–0 Chiefs)

18′ – TRY CHIEFS: A wonderful passing move off the scrum saw Etene Nanai-Seturo find Liam Coombes-Fabling, who charged through the gap and powered over the line. Damian McKenzie converts. (Brumbies 7–7 Chiefs)

22′ – TRY CHIEFS: End-to-end rugby resulted in a double for the Chiefs fullback. Josh Lord made a brilliant break down the right before Cortez Ratima found Coombes-Fabling on the short ball, and he crossed for his second. McKenzie converts. (Brumbies 7–14 Chiefs)

40+1′ – PENALTY CHIEFS: McKenzie slots from 15m out after the Brumbies were penalised for not rolling away at the ruck. (Brumbies 7–17 Chiefs)

Half-time: Brumbies 7–17 Chiefs. The Chiefs weathered an early Brumbies storm and took control through clinical finishing. Liam Coombes-Fabling crossed twice as the visitors punished errors, while Damian McKenzie’s composure helped them build momentum. The Brumbies had territory and chances but were held up over the line on multiple occasions, costly misses that left them trailing by ten at the break.

56′ – TRY CHIEFS: Excellent from the Chiefs as Quinn Tupaea burst into the 22 before finding Josh Jacomb, who drew his man and sent McKenzie through on a lovely support line. McKenzie converts his own try. (Brumbies 7–24 Chiefs)

60′ – TRY BRUMBIES: The Brumbies hit straight back! Lonergan went down the short side and found Declan Meredith, who managed to fire a ball back infield to Lonergan despite nearly being taken into touch. After a TMO check confirmed Meredith stayed in the field of play, the try stands. Lonergan misses the conversion. (Brumbies 12–24 Chiefs)

64′ – TRY BRUMBIES: Of course it’s Cale! Rob Valetini had a dart from the base and was stopped 5m short before Charlie Cale picked from the back of the ruck and barged over for his eighth try of the season. Lonergan converts. (Brumbies 19–24 Chiefs)

71′ – TRY BRUMBIES: Meredith in the corner! Luke Reimer carried hard near the 22 as the Brumbies went through the middle. Kye Oates broke into the 22 before Reimer got a lovely offload away to Meredith, who strolled over in the corner. Lonergan nails the sideline conversion to give the Brumbies the lead! (Brumbies 26–24 Chiefs)

77′ – PENALTY MISSED CHIEFS: McKenzie pushes a critical penalty attempt to the right from 37m out. The Brumbies survive.

79′ – TRY BRUMBIES: Toole delivers at the death! The Chiefs attacked hard inside the Brumbies’ 5m line in the final minute, but Simon Parker’s pass was read perfectly by Corey Toole, who intercepted and streaked 100m to score under the posts. Lonergan converts. (Brumbies 33–24 Chiefs)

Full-time: Brumbies 33–24 Chiefs

Match report

It was James Slipper’s night in Canberra, and his Brumbies teammates obliged with a dramatic comeback victory for the ages to get their Super Rugby Pacific campaign well and truly back on track.

On the evening that the veteran prop broke the record for the most appearances in Super Rugby history, surpassing Crusaders legend Wyatt Crockett — present at the game — by winning his 203rd cap, the men from the Australian Capital Territory dug deep to nail the result the occasion deserved.

In a moment that will live long in Super Rugby history, Slipper became the competition’s most-capped player, running out for his 203rd game. Both teams formed a guard of honour before Slipper walked through holding his two young daughters. An emotional scene that brought the stadium to its feet and, for many, tears to their eyes. With fans embracing the “Slippers for Slipper” campaign, the stands were filled with supporters proudly wearing slippers in tribute.

The emotion quickly gave way to intensity. The Brumbies struck early with Hudson Creighton flying over in the opening six minutes after a sharp set-piece move, setting the tone for a side clearly determined to rise to the occasion. The crowd was loud, relentless, and firmly behind their team.

But it was the typically inspirational Damian McKenzie who threatened to overshadow the 36-year-old’s night as he led his team to a 17-point advantage with 24 minutes remaining. The Chiefs absorbed that early blow and rattled off 17 straight points to take a 17–7 lead into the sheds at the break.

Something had to give, and it eventually did when fullback Liam Coombes-Fabling struck with a brilliant try double either side of the first-quarter mark. The first was a slick move off scrum as Coombes-Fabling did well to finish in the tackle, and the second finished a surging move sparked by Etene Nanai-Seturo’s break and a nice piece of speed and skill by Josh Lord out wide.

When the second half opened, the Chiefs looked ready to put it beyond doubt. McKenzie finished off a lovely support-line try, Quinn Tupaea was immense in the midfield battle, and the visitors kept forcing the Brumbies into mistakes. For long periods, it felt like the Chiefs had the game exactly where they wanted it.

But just when it seemed like the game was slipping away, the Brumbies found another gear. Ryan Lonergan sparked the fightback with a crucial try in the 60th minute, diving over after Declan Meredith managed to fire a ball back infield despite nearly being taken into touch. Charlie Cale crashed over not long after for his eighth try of the season, and suddenly the crowd at GIO Stadium came alive again.

In the 52nd minute, Slipper left the field to a standing ovation, the crowd rising in appreciation of a remarkable career and a historic milestone. Wearing a new jersey with a golden No.1 on his back, Slipper registered five tackles and 12 metres in his 52 minutes on the park. His side responded in fitting fashion, lifting the intensity and turning pressure into belief.

Meredith gave the Brumbies the lead with a sharp finish in the corner after Luke Reimer’s lovely offload, before the Chiefs came again and looked certain to snatch it late as they charged deep into attacking territory. McKenzie had a 77th-minute penalty from 37 metres out that would have put the visitors back in front with less than five minutes remaining. But he pushed it wide.

The visitors had one more shot as McKenzie, Simon Parker and Luke Jacobson took them surging onto attack in search of the winning score. That looked an inevitability until Parker bobbled ball at a ruck on the line, popped it up just a beat too late, and Toole jumped on it to dash clear and kick the celebrations into gear.

The finish was pure chaos, and pure drama. Reading the pass perfectly, Toole shot out of the line, intercepted, and tore away the length of the field to send the stadium into disbelief. It was a stunning way to complete the comeback, and on Slipper’s record-breaking night, it gave the Brumbies a result packed with heart, resilience and a little bit of magic.

Victory is a modicum of revenge after the Brumbies were dumped out of last year’s semi-finals by the Chiefs 37–17. It will also be a welcome relief for coach Stephen Larkham, having lost their past two clashes and sacrificed top spot on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.

The Chiefs did a lot well. Tupaea was outstanding once again, making some big plays over the ball at the breakdown, carrying hard with 65 metres and seven defenders beaten, reinforcing his status as one of the premier midfielders in the New Zealand game. Coombes-Fabling was quality at fullback with his try double, McKenzie was destructive on the run throughout, and Nanai-Seturo had his share of bright moments on the wing. Lock Lord was fabulous in a busy pack, striding out to showcase his athleticism and running ability.

There was a lot to like about the Brumbies’ effort as they snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 4–2 and 19 competition points. The Chiefs drop to 3–2 and remain on 13 points. Wings Toole and Kye Oates ran for a combined 181 metres, Andy Muirhead was tireless at the back, and halves Lonergan and Meredith were instrumental in the victory.

Slipper was officially commemorated post-match with a special on-field ceremony, capping off a truly memorable night. A tribute video featuring messages from some of his closest teammates and friends played to the crowd before Slipper himself took to the stage. In a speech marked by humility and poise, he thanked those who had supported him throughout his journey. Fittingly, fans remained in the stands to witness the occasion, bringing a perfect close to an unforgettable night.

The Brumbies stay at home to face the Waratahs next Friday night, while the Chiefs head to Perth to take on the Force as they look to bounce back.

Teams

Brumbies: 15 Andy Muirhead, 14 Kye Oates, 13 Kadin Pritchard, 12 Hudson Creighton, 11 Corey Toole, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan (c), 8 Charlie Cale, 7 Rory Scott, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Darcy Breen, 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 Austin Anderson.

Chiefs: 15 Liam Coombes-Fabling, 14 Leroy Carter, 13 Daniel Rona, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Luke Jacobson (c), 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Reuben O’Neill, 2 Samisomi Taukei’aho, 1 Jared Proffit.
Replacements: 16 Tyrone Thompson, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 George Dyer, 19 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Xavier Roe, 22 Josh Jacomb, 23 Lalakai Foketi.

Match details

Brumbies 33 (Tries: Creighton, Lonergan, Cale, Meredith, Toole; Conversions: Lonergan 4/5)
Chiefs 24 (Tries: Coombes-Fabling 2, McKenzie; Conversions: McKenzie 3/3; Penalties: McKenzie 1/1)
Half-time: 7–17

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