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

Key moments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Full-time: Chiefs 42–22 Fijian Drua

Match report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Match details

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

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

Milestones

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

Teams

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

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

What’s next

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

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

Key moments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Full-time: Highlanders 27–17 Moana Pasifika

Match report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Match details

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

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

Teams

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

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

What’s next

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

Du’Plessis Kirifi marked his 100th Super Rugby appearance in style as the Hurricanes dismantled the ACT Brumbies 45–12 at One NZ Stadium, with winger Fehi Fineanganofo scoring four tries to close in on the all-time season record.

Key moments

7 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Ruben Love breaks the line through the middle and the ball is recycled quickly, with Billy Proctor floating a long pass out to Fehi Fineanganofo who walks over in the left corner. Love converts. (Hurricanes 7–0 Brumbies)

20 mins – TRY HURRICANES: The Brumbies’ lineout is stolen five metres out and the Hurricanes work downfield. Jordie Barrett finds Fineanganofo through the back door, and the winger explodes through a hole to score under the posts. Love converts. (Hurricanes 14–0 Brumbies)

22 mins – MEREDITH MISSES TOUCH: Declan Meredith slices his penalty kick for touch dead for the first time, handing the Hurricanes a scrum on their own 22. A recurring theme for the Brumbies’ first half.

38 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Callum Harkin slices through the middle and Devan Flanders drives into the 22. Cam Roigard floats it left, with Proctor shifting on to Fineanganofo, who steps inside two defenders to complete his hat-trick in the left corner. Love pushes the conversion wide. (Hurricanes 19–0 Brumbies)

40+2 mins – MEREDITH MISSES TOUCH AGAIN: Meredith’s second penalty kick for the corner also goes dead, summing up the Brumbies’ first half.

Half-time: Hurricanes 19–0 Brumbies. A forgettable first half dominated by errors from both sides, but the Hurricanes had three moments of quality through Fineanganofo. The Brumbies were dire — Meredith kicked it dead twice from penalties, Muirhead and Lonergan did the same from open play, and Billy Pollard’s lineout throwing was wayward. Allan Alaalatoa’s late scratching with concussion was a significant blow up front.

46 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Tom Wright wraps around to the left and Tane Edmed fires wide to Corey Toole, who is given far too much room. Toole breaks the line and throws a superb offload back inside to David Feliuai, who flops over in the left corner. Edmed’s conversion misses. (Hurricanes 19–5 Brumbies)

49 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Warner Dearns steals at the ruck and Roigard fires it right. Du’Plessis Kirifi runs a line before freeing it up, Brayden Iose lobs wide, and Josh Moorby steps inside and drives his way over in the right corner. Love converts from the sideline. (Hurricanes 26–5 Brumbies)

58 mins – TRY HURRICANES: A loose Brumbies pass falls for Fineanganofo, who toes the ball through and wins the foot race, scooping it up and somersaulting over the line for his fourth try. Love converts. (Hurricanes 33–5 Brumbies)

62 mins – TRY DISALLOWED BRUMBIES: Toby MacPherson powers through several tackles and reaches for the line, but the TMO rules he lost control of the ball while attempting to ground it. Goal-line dropout.

68 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Billy Proctor’s attempted long pass is intercepted by Corey Toole, who sprints 70 metres untouched to score under the posts. Tane Edmed converts. (Hurricanes 33–12 Brumbies)

76 mins – TRY HURRICANES: Ereatara Enari chips in behind and gets a kind bounce inside the 22. Josh Moorby races through and scores in the corner for his second. Love’s conversion hits the upright. (Hurricanes 38–12 Brumbies)

80 mins – TRY HURRICANES: From the counter ruck, Josh Gray chips in behind and Moorby goes on a searching run before ripping it out to Jone Rova, who powers over in the right corner. Love converts to round things out. (Hurricanes 45–12 Brumbies)

Full-time: Hurricanes 45–12 Brumbies

Match report

The Fehi Fineanganofo show rolled into Christchurch on ANZAC Day and the Brumbies had no answer. The Hurricanes winger scored four tries — his third hat-trick of the 2026 season — as the competition leaders dismantled the ACT Brumbies 45–12 at One NZ Stadium, a bonus-point victory that moved them to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder with a 7–2 record.

It was also a fitting celebration for co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi, who brought up his 100th Super Rugby appearance in front of another sold-out Super Round crowd. Both teams entered the match off defeats — the Hurricanes having fallen to the Chiefs in Super Point the previous weekend, and the Brumbies upset by the Fijian Drua. Barrett acknowledged the Brumbies’ recent dominance before the match, telling RNZ: “They’re a very good side. They’ve had the wood over us probably a little bit too often for our liking in recent years, so it’s going to be a great battle.”

The Hurricanes were far from flawless — the first half was riddled with errors from both sides — but when it mattered, they had Fineanganofo, and the Brumbies simply could not contain him. The 23-year-old, who is leaving New Zealand to join Newcastle at the end of the season, now has 14 tries for the campaign and is on track to beat Ben Lam’s single-season record of 16, set for the same franchise in 2018. His electric orange boots and raised arm demanding the ball on the left edge have become the defining images of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

The Brumbies’ task was made harder before kick-off when talisman prop Allan Alaalatoa was ruled out with concussion, sidelining him for this match and the following week’s fixture against the Reds. Rhys van Nek came straight into the starting side at tighthead, and the disruption was evident from the outset.

Fineanganofo’s first strike came in the seventh minute after a deft pass from lock Caleb Delany released Ruben Love, who split the defence and surged into the Brumbies’ 22. The ball was recycled quickly and Proctor floated a long pass to find Fineanganofo walking over in the corner. His second arrived in the 20th minute after Barrett found him through the back door off an attacking scrum, and the winger exploded through a gap to score under the posts.

Between those tries, the Brumbies’ kicking game fell apart completely. Fly-half Declan Meredith kicked the ball dead from an attacking penalty — not once, but twice in the first half. He was not alone in his misery. Tom Wright struggled with his in-game kicking, while Ryan Lonergan and Andy Muirhead both pushed kicks dead to kill whatever momentum the visitors could muster. Their lineout was no better, with Billy Pollard’s throwing repeatedly picked off in the red zone.

Fineanganofo completed his hat-trick just before the break, stepping inside two defenders near the left corner flag after Harkin, Flanders and Roigard had worked the ball through the phases. Love’s conversion drifted wide, but at 19–0, the damage was already done.

Head coach Stephen Larkham went to work at half-time, replacing Meredith with Tane Edmed and sending Blake Schoupp on for James Slipper. The changes brought an immediate spark. Corey Toole broke the line with space on the left edge and threw a brilliant offload back inside as he was bundled into touch, finding David Feliuai, who powered over for the Brumbies’ first try in the 46th minute.

But the Hurricanes responded within three minutes. Dearns won a crucial steal at the ruck, Roigard fired it right, and Kirifi ran a line before freeing up the space for Iose to lob wide to Moorby, who stepped inside and drove over in the corner. It was a passage that summed up the Hurricanes at their clinical best — turnover to try in barely 30 seconds.

Fineanganofo’s fourth was the most opportunistic of the lot. A loose Brumbies pass from Rob Valetini fell at his feet, and the winger toed the ball through before winning the foot race against Edmed, scooping it up and somersaulting over the line. The crowd roared its approval, and Fineanganofo was replaced shortly afterwards to a standing ovation.

Toby MacPherson thought he had pulled one back in the 62nd minute, powering through Barrett’s tackle and reaching for the line, but the TMO ruled he had lost control of the ball. It was that kind of day for the Brumbies. Toole did get one back with a 70-metre intercept try in the 68th minute, but the Hurricanes had the final say with late scores from Moorby and Rova to complete the rout.

Co-captain Jordie Barrett was satisfied with the result, telling Sky Sport: “A lot of our good work was off the back of some quality defence from our big boys.” He added that conditions under the roof were deceptive: “It was actually pretty difficult to move the ball, believe it or not, under the roof. It was getting humid and pretty greasy so we had to be pretty disciplined in our own half.”

For the Brumbies, it was a chastening afternoon. Their dream of a clean sweep against the five New Zealand teams — something never achieved by an Australian side — hit a brick wall against the competition’s form team. At 5–5, they have slipped behind the Crusaders and now face a fight to secure a home quarter-final.

Match details

Hurricanes 45 (Tries: Fehi Fineanganofo 7′, 20′, 38′, 58′, Josh Moorby 49′, 76′, Jone Rova 80′; Conversions: Ruben Love 5/7)
Brumbies 12 (Tries: David Feliuai 46′, Corey Toole 68′; Conversions: Tane Edmed 1/2)
Half-time: 19–0

Venue: One NZ Stadium, Christchurch
Referee: Paul Williams
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner, Angus Mabey
TMO: Brett Cronan

Teams

Hurricanes: 15 Callum Harkin, 14 Josh Moorby, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett (co-c), 11 Fehi Fineanganofo, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Brayden Iose, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi (co-c), 6 Devan Flanders, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Caleb Delany, 3 Tevita Mafileo, 2 Raymond Tuputupu, 1 Siale Lauaki.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Brad Shields, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Ereatara Enari, 22 Jone Rova, 23 Josh Gray.

Brumbies: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Andy Muirhead, 13 Kadin Pritchard, 12 David Feliuai, 11 Corey Toole, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan (c), 8 Tuaina Taii Tualima, 7 Rory Scott, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Lachlan Shaw, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Rhys van Nek, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Lachlan Lonergan, 17 Blake Schoupp, 18 Darcy Breen, 19 Toby MacPherson, 20 Luke Reimer, 21 Klayton Thorn, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Ollie Sapsford.

What’s next

The Hurricanes remain in Christchurch for the remainder of Super Round. The Brumbies return to Canberra to regroup before facing the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday 2 May.