The Western Force produced a spirited second-half comeback to beat the NSW Waratahs 31–25 at HBF Park in horrendous conditions, finishing their season with a seventh win — their best campaign in 12 years.

Key moments

14 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Ioane Moananu scooped the ball from the base of the ruck and went straight through the middle to score under the posts. Jack Bowen converts. (Force 0–7 Waratahs)

16 mins – INJURY: Pete Samu left the field with a knee injury. Clem Halaholo replaced him. Miles Amatosero also departed for an HIA and did not return.

20 mins – PENALTY WARATAHS: Bowen slotted a penalty from 38 metres after the Force were penalised at the breakdown. (Force 0–10 Waratahs)

23 mins – PENALTY WARATAHS: Bowen added another penalty after a powerful Max Jorgensen linebreak left the Force scrambling and offside. (Force 0–13 Waratahs)

25 mins – TRY FORCE: Dylan Pietsch scored a bizarre try after the Waratahs spilled the restart, with Harry Potter unable to regather the loose ball and Pietsch diving back over his body to ground it. Ben Donaldson converts. (Force 7–13 Waratahs)

28 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Sustained phase play with Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii making big metres. Moananu lobbed a pass over the top for Potter to stroll in against his former side. Bowen converts. (Force 7–20 Waratahs)

33 mins – YELLOW CARD WARATAHS: Joey Walton shown a yellow card for direct shoulder-to-head contact on Nathan Hastie after a TMO review.

35 mins – TRY FORCE: Pietsch’s second. Zac Lomax came off his wing to find Pietsch, who stepped back inside and beat four defenders to score. Donaldson hits the post. (Force 12–20 Waratahs)

37 mins – INJURY: Jake Gordon went down clutching his lower leg after taking a quick tap from a free kick. He was carried from the field with a suspected Achilles injury.

Half-time: Force 12–20 Waratahs. The Waratahs were the more clinical side, striking first through Moananu and controlling territory through Bowen’s boot. But Pietsch’s double kept the Force in touch. Gordon’s injury is a major concern. The rain was pouring in Perth.

47 mins – TRY FORCE: The Force won a crucial lineout and marched to the goal line via the maul. Misinale Epenisa powered over from a metre out. Donaldson misses. (Force 17–20 Waratahs)

52–59 mins – FORCE SCRUM DOMINANCE: The Force won four consecutive scrum penalties inside the Waratahs’ 22, repeatedly repacking five metres from the line.

61 mins – TRY FORCE: Carlo Tizzano peeled to the right from the back of the scrum and powered over from close range for his record-setting 31st Force try. Donaldson converts. (Force 24–20 Waratahs)

67 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Suaalii burst through at least three defenders from the lineout to get the Waratahs to the goal line. After sustained pressure, Apolosi Ranawai reached out to ground the ball on the line, confirmed by TMO. Jack Debreczeni misses. (Force 24–25 Waratahs)

71 mins – TRY FORCE: Tizzano scored his second from another rolling maul, peeling away and diving over at the back to retake the lead. Kurtley Beale converts. (Force 31–25 Waratahs)

74 mins – KEY MOMENT: Donaldson landed an inch-perfect 50–22 to swing field position late, pinning the Waratahs deep.

78 mins – MISSED PENALTY FORCE: Beale pushed a long-range penalty attempt to the right. (Force 31–25 Waratahs)

80 mins: The Waratahs had one final lineout on halfway but the throw was ruled not straight. The Force kicked to touch to seal the win.

Full-time: Force 31–25 Waratahs

Full match report to follow.

Teams

Force: 15 Mac Grealy, 14 Zac Lomax, 13 George Bridge, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Nathan Hastie, 8 Vailoni Ekuasi, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Jeremy Williams (c), 3 Misinale Epenisa, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Harry Johnson-Holmes.
Replacements: 16 Nic Dolly, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Sef Fa’agase, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Will Harris, 21 Agustin Moyano, 22 Boston Fakafanua, 23 Kurtley Beale.

Waratahs: 15 Max Jorgensen, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Andrew Kellaway, 10 Jack Bowen, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jamie Adamson, 6 Angus Scott-Young, 5 Miles Amatosero, 4 Matt Philip (c), 3 Dan Botha, 2 Ioane Moananu, 1 Jack Barrett.
Replacements: 16 Oniti Finau, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Apolosi Ranawai, 19 Ben Grant, 20 Clem Halaholo, 21 Teddy Wilson, 22 Jack Debreczeni, 23 Triston Reilly.

Match details

Force 31 (Tries: Dylan Pietsch 2, Carlo Tizzano 2, Misinale Epenisa; Conversions: Ben Donaldson 2/4, Kurtley Beale 1/1; Penalties: Beale 0/1)
Waratahs 25 (Tries: Ioane Moananu, Harry Potter, Apolosi Ranawai; Conversions: Jack Bowen 2/2, Jack Debreczeni 0/1; Penalties: Bowen 2/3)
Half-time: 12–20
Cards: Joey Walton (yellow, 33 mins)

Venue: HBF Park, Perth
Referee: Marcus Playle (New Zealand)

The Chiefs produced 40 second-half points to demolish the Blues 59–34 at FMG Stadium Waikato, ending their rivals’ hopes of a home qualifying final and sending them to Christchurch for a play-off against the Crusaders.

Key moments

3 mins – TRY BLUES: Sam Nock snapped back to the blindside and Torian Barnes cut back infield, crashing through the defence to score in the right corner. Zarn Sullivan converts. (Chiefs 0–7 Blues)

25 mins – PENALTY BLUES: Sullivan slotted a penalty from in front after the Chiefs were penalised for offside and warned by referee Angus Gardner for repeated infringements. (Chiefs 0–10 Blues)

27 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Josh Jacomb fired a flat ball to Reon Paul, who burst through a gaping hole and drew Stephen Perofeta before slinging a pass wide to an unmarked Kyren Taumoefolau on the left wing. Jacomb misses from the sideline. (Chiefs 5–10 Blues)

32 mins – TRY CHIEFS: The Chiefs’ lineout maul ground forward with Tyrone Thompson diving over down the right edge. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 12–10 Blues)

37 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Cortez Ratima darted around the ruck and was dragged down 10 metres out. Jacomb then double-pumped before firing a cut-out ball to an unmarked Daniel Sinkinson, who dived over in the right corner. Jacomb converts from the sideline. (Chiefs 19–10 Blues)

40 mins – TRY BLUES: The Blues hammered away at the line with pick and goes before Perofeta caught and passed sharply, sending AJ Lam crashing over in the corner right on half-time. Sullivan misses. (Chiefs 19–15 Blues)

Half-time: Chiefs 19–15 Blues. An entertaining derby. The Blues started strongly through Barnes and Sullivan’s penalty but the Chiefs surged back with three tries in ten minutes as Jacomb controlled proceedings. Lam’s try on the stroke of half-time kept the Blues in touch. The Chiefs dominated the lineout while the Blues had the upper hand at scrum time.

46 mins – TRY CHIEFS: The Chiefs won a scrum penalty metres from the Blues’ line. Wallace Sititi tapped at pace and muscled through several defenders to score beside the posts. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 26–15 Blues)

49 mins – KEY MOMENT: Lam was put into space on the right wing and took off for the corner, but Jacomb produced a brilliant try-saving knock of the ball just before Lam could ground it.

53 mins – TRY BLUES: After sustained pick-and-go pressure near the line, debutant Eli Oudenryn reached out and dotted it down. Sullivan misses. (Chiefs 26–20 Blues)

56 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Kaylum Boshier burst into space down the blindside and offloaded to Sinkinson on the right wing, who had a free run to score his second. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 33–20 Blues)

59 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Sinkinson intercepted a loose Finlay Christie pass. Liam Coombes-Fabling slammed a deep kick downfield that took a rude bounce over Perofeta’s head and fell straight into his own arms on the chase. He slipped out of Perofeta’s clutches and streaked away from 30 metres to score. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 40–20 Blues)

63 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Jacomb threaded a grubber into the left corner for Samipeni Finau to gather on the bounce. Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi then picked and drove at pace, powering through to score in the corner. Jacomb misses. (Chiefs 45–20 Blues)

68 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Strong scrum from the Chiefs, with Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi firing it to Paul in midfield. Paul stepped outside his defender with ease and dived over to the left of the posts. Jacomb converts and the Chiefs bring up 50. (Chiefs 52–20 Blues)

70 mins – TRY BLUES: Hoskins Sotutu fired an offload out the back for Corey Evans, who found Caleb Clarke crashing over down the left. Sullivan converts. (Chiefs 52–27 Blues)

74 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Taumoefolau burst into space on the left wing after a brilliant ball from Brodie McAlister and popped it back inside to Finau, who strolled over untouched. Tepaea Cook-Savage converts. (Chiefs 59–27 Blues)

80+3 mins – TRY BLUES: Perofeta floated a pass over the top and the ricocheting ball landed in Xavi Taele’s lap to claim a consolation try in the final play. Sullivan converts. (Chiefs 59–34 Blues)

Full-time: Chiefs 59–34 Blues

Match report

The Blues arrived in Hamilton knowing what was required. A win would reclaim third place and a home qualifying final at Eden Park. A loss would send them to Christchurch to face the Crusaders — a ground where they have lost 14 of their last 15. They got neither a win nor a contest, capitulating in the second half as the Chiefs ran in six tries after the break to turn a competitive derby into a 25-point rout in front of 19,950 at FMG Stadium Waikato.

It was all the more damaging because Jono Gibbes’ side were missing a stack of frontliners. Captain Luke Jacobson, fellow All Blacks Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i, Quinn Tupaea and Simon Parker were all rested, while Damian McKenzie remained sidelined with concussion. The Blues, too, were without Beauden Barrett (quad), Patrick Tuipulotu (neck) and Dalton Papali’i (broken jaw), but this was a match they should have been desperate enough to win regardless. Instead, they suffered a third straight defeat — their longest New Zealand derby losing streak since 2019–2020.

The visitors started sharply. Barnes crashed over in the third minute after Nock identified space on the short side, and Sullivan added a penalty on 25 minutes after Gardner warned Sititi for repeated team infringements. At 10–0, the Blues were dominant. They had territory, intensity and the better of the scrum. But they could not convert pressure into points. Clarke lost the ball reaching for the line after a trademark charge, Renata spilled it inside the 22, and the lineout — with hooker Mullan’s throws repeatedly missing target — was a recurring problem.

The Chiefs needed just one opportunity, and Paul provided it. Jacomb’s flat pass sent the midfielder through a gaping hole and he drew Perofeta before slinging it wide to Taumoefolau, who strolled over in the corner untouched. Jacomb missed the conversion but the dam had broken. Five minutes later, Thompson’s lineout maul try put the Chiefs in front for the first time, and Sinkinson’s first — off a slick cut-out ball from Jacomb — extended the lead to 19–10. Three tries in ten minutes, 19 unanswered points, and the momentum had swung completely.

Lam’s try on the stroke of half-time, finishing off quick hands from Perofeta, narrowed the gap to 19–15 and gave the Blues hope. Sullivan missed the conversion from the touchline but the visitors had at least stopped the bleeding heading into the break.

That hope lasted six minutes. The Chiefs won a scrum penalty metres from the Blues’ line and Sititi — captaining the side for the first time — took a quick tap and charged through several defenders to score beside the posts. It was a statement from the All Blacks No. 8 and set the tone for what was to come. Jacomb converted for 26–15.

The Blues had one golden chance to stay in the contest. Lam was put into space on the right wing and took off for the corner, but Jacomb produced a try-saving intervention, knocking the ball free just before Lam could ground it. It was a turning point. Six minutes later, Oudenryn — the 20-year-old debutant and son of former Warriors winger Lee Oudenryn — powered over after sustained pick-and-go pressure to make it 26–20. The Blues were still alive.

Then the Chiefs cut loose. Boshier burst down the blindside and offloaded to Sinkinson for his second in the 56th minute. Three minutes later, Coombes-Fabling produced the try of the night — intercepting after Sinkinson had pinched a loose Christie pass, then launching a deep kick downfield that bounced over Perofeta’s head, regathering on the chase, slipping out of the fullback’s clutches and racing away to score. Jacomb converted both and the scoreboard read 40–20.

From there, it was one-way traffic. Ah Kuoi powered over in the corner after Jacomb’s grubber was gathered by Finau. Paul stepped outside a weak tackle attempt from Codemeru Vai after another dominant scrum to bring up the half-century. Finau added a ninth try after Taumoefolau burst away down the left following a brilliant McAlister pass. Cook-Savage converted for 59–27. Clarke and Taele grabbed consolation tries for the Blues in the final ten minutes, with Taele’s score in the 83rd minute preventing the margin from becoming the largest ever between the two sides.

Jacomb was outstanding throughout, converting six of eight and controlling proceedings with boot and hand. Paul filled the void left by Tupaea with a complete performance in midfield. And Sititi led from the front in every sense, his physicality and work rate setting the standard. For the Blues, Segner never stopped working and Barnes was strong early, but the second-half collapse was damning. Their lineout was poor, their defence leaked badly after the break, and their attack lacked the precision to punish a side missing so many first-choice players.

The result confirms the qualifying final draw. The Chiefs, 11–3 and locked in second, host the Reds in Hamilton next Saturday night. The Blues finish 8–6 in fourth and face the Crusaders at One New Zealand Stadium — a ground where the defending champions remain unbeaten — next Saturday afternoon. Given the Blues’ spiralling form and the Crusaders’ 32-from-32 home play-off record, Vern Cotter’s men face an enormous task to keep their season alive.

Match details

Chiefs 59 (Tries: Daniel Sinkinson 2, Kyren Taumoefolau, Tyrone Thompson, Wallace Sititi, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Reon Paul, Samipeni Finau; Conversions: Josh Jacomb 6/8, Tepaea Cook-Savage 1/1)
Blues 34 (Tries: Torian Barnes, AJ Lam, Eli Oudenryn, Caleb Clarke, Xavi Taele; Conversions: Zarn Sullivan 3/5; Penalties: Sullivan 1)
Half-time: 19–15

Venue: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Attendance: 19,950
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)

Teams

Chiefs: 15 Liam Coombes-Fabling, 14 Daniel Sinkinson, 13 Daniel Rona, 12 Reon Paul, 11 Kyren Taumoefolau, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Wallace Sititi (c), 7 Jahrome Brown, 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 3 George Dyer, 2 Tyrone Thompson, 1 Jared Proffit.
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Benet Kumeroa, 18 Keran van Staden, 19 Fiti Sa, 20 Kaylum Boshier, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Tepaea Cook-Savage, 23 Lalakai Foketi.

Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 AJ Lam, 13 Xavi Taele, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Sam Nock, 8 Malachi Wrampling, 7 Anton Segner (c), 6 Torian Barnes, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Josh Beehre, 3 Marcel Renata, 2 James Mullan, 1 Mason Tupaea.
Replacements: 16 Eli Oudenryn, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Flyn Yates, 19 Laghlan McWhannell, 20 Hoskins Sotutu, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Corey Evans, 23 Codemeru Vai.

What’s next

Qualifying finals:
Friday 5 June, 7:05pm NZST: Hurricanes (1st) v Brumbies (6th) at Sky Stadium, Wellington
Saturday 6 June, 4:35pm NZST: Crusaders (3rd) v Blues (4th) at One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Saturday 6 June, 7:05pm NZST: Chiefs (2nd) v Reds (5th) at FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

Manasa Mataele scored a hat-trick to give the Fijian Drua a shock second-half lead, but the Queensland Reds’ set-piece muscle proved decisive as they ran in seven tries to four in a 45–24 bonus-point win at Suncorp Stadium.

Key moments

12 mins – TRY DRUA: Manasa Mataele intercepted Carter Gordon’s pass intended for Lachie Anderson and sprinted 60 metres to score in the left corner. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula misses the conversion. (Reds 0–5 Drua)

25 mins – TRY REDS: The Reds’ lineout maul drove forward from seven metres out with Matt Faessler at the back to crash over. Gordon converts. (Reds 7–5 Drua)

27 mins – INJURY: Hunter Paisami limped off with a knee injury. Filipo Daugunu replaced him.

30 mins – TRY REDS: First-touch try for Daugunu. Josh Flook threw a short ball off the deck for the replacement, who ran a great line and scored under the posts. Gordon converts. (Reds 14–5 Drua)

34 mins – TRY REDS: Daugunu returned the favour. Off the back of a maul, Daugunu popped a short ball outside for Flook, who sliced through a gap on the angle and raced 25 metres to score. Gordon converts. (Reds 21–5 Drua)

38 mins – TRY DRUA: The Reds turned it over five metres from their own line but the Drua counter-rucked and reclaimed possession. Meli Tuni picked from the base and powered over. Armstrong-Ravula converts. (Reds 21–12 Drua)

Half-time: Reds 21–12 Drua. The Drua started brightly but fell away through the middle of the half. The Flook–Daugunu combination was electric, while Fraser McReight was outstanding at the breakdown. Mataele’s intercept gave the visitors the early lead but three Reds tries in quick succession flipped the contest. Paisami’s knee injury is a concern ahead of the play-offs.

45 mins – TRY DRUA: Manasa Mataele chipped ahead from the breakdown, regathered on the bounce and dotted down under the posts for his second. Kemu Valetini converts. (Reds 21–19 Drua)

48 mins – TRY DRUA: Hat-trick for Mataele. The Drua hacked a loose ball downfield and regathered on the Reds’ 22. Virimi Vakatawa took it on and delivered a crossfield kick that bounced perfectly for Mataele to pluck and score in the left corner. Valetini misses. (Reds 21–24 Drua)

50 mins – MISSED PENALTY DRUA: Valetini pushed a kickable penalty to the left. (Reds 21–24 Drua)

55 mins – TRY REDS: Dominant scrum from the Reds drove forward from five metres. Harry Wilson kept it on the toe at the back, picked up and fell over the line. Gordon converts. (Reds 28–24 Drua)

59 mins – TRY REDS: Another rolling maul from the Reds, set up from a lineout ten metres out. The Drua could not hold it and Faessler scored his second at the back. Gordon misses the conversion. (Reds 33–24 Drua)

70 mins – TRY REDS: Anderson burst through a gap and offloaded for Seru Uru, who crashed over in contact ten metres in from the left edge. Gordon converts. (Reds 40–24 Drua)

74 mins – TRY REDS: Yet another lineout maul. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto brought it down and the Reds drove over with Richie Asiata finishing at the back. Ben Volavola misses. (Reds 45–24 Drua)

Full-time: Reds 45–24 Drua

Match report

This was a match of two distinct halves, with a chaotic ten-minute spell bridging the gap between them. The Reds led 21–5 and looked comfortable. Then Manasa Mataele produced three tries in ten minutes either side of the break to hand the Drua a 24–21 lead. Then Queensland’s forwards reasserted themselves through scrum and maul to score 24 unanswered points and pull clear. It made for an absorbing, unpredictable contest on a clear evening in Brisbane, even if the result was never truly in doubt once the Reds’ set piece clicked into gear.

There was a late change for the Drua, with captain Temo Mayanavanua ruled out before kick-off. Joseva Tamani started at lock in his place, Mesake Vocevoce joined the bench, and centre Tuidraki Samusamuvodre assumed the captaincy. It was a disruption the visitors could have done without, though it did not seem to affect them early on. The Drua won an early penalty through Kitione Salawa’s work at the breakdown and spent the opening minutes camped inside the Reds’ half, forcing Queensland to scramble in defence.

The opening try reflected the Drua’s willingness to play on the edge. Gordon’s pass towards Anderson on the Drua’s 10-metre line was telegraphed, and Mataele — the former Force winger — read it perfectly, picking off the intercept and sprinting 60 metres to score in the left corner. Armstrong-Ravula missed the conversion, but the Drua had the early lead and the momentum to go with it.

The Reds’ response was built on forward grunt. McReight was outstanding at the breakdown throughout the opening quarter, winning turnovers and slowing the Drua’s ball. On 25 minutes, the Reds’ lineout maul ground forward from seven metres out with Faessler piloting it home at the back. Gordon converted and the hosts were level.

Two minutes later, the mood shifted. Paisami went down after an awkward tackle, clutching his heavily strapped left knee. He limped off and cut a despondent figure on the bench in the second half, wearing a large knee brace. Scans will determine the extent of the damage, but his play-off availability is in serious doubt. “I haven’t got the full story at this stage,” coach Les Kiss said. “Obviously concerned if he isn’t going to be all right.”

Daugunu’s introduction as Paisami’s replacement proved an unexpected silver lining. On his very first touch in the 30th minute, the wing-turned-centre ran a sharp line off Flook and scored under the posts. Four minutes later, Daugunu returned the favour — popping a short ball outside for Flook, who sliced through the Drua defence on an angle and raced 25 metres to score. The Flook–Daugunu combination was electric, two tries created out of instinct and understanding. Gordon converted both and the Reds led 21–5.

The Drua refused to go quietly. On the stroke of half-time, the Reds turned the ball over five metres from their own line but the visitors counter-rucked ferociously, reclaiming possession for prop Tuni to pick and drive over. Armstrong-Ravula converted and the deficit was cut to 21–12 at the break.

Whatever departing coach Glen Jackson said at the interval, it worked. Within three minutes of the restart, Mataele had his second. Zuriel Togiatama — playing his 50th match for the franchise — popped a pass outside and Mataele chipped ahead, regathered on the bounce and dotted down under the posts. Valetini converted and the gap was just two points.

Three minutes later, the Drua hit the front. A handling error from Salakaia-Loto gifted them possession, which was hacked downfield and regathered on the Reds’ 22. Vakatawa, on as a half-time replacement, took it on and delivered a crossfield kick that bounced perfectly for Mataele, who plucked it out of the air and dived over in the left corner for his hat-trick. Valetini missed the conversion but the Drua led 24–21. “It’s pretty special, but I would trade that for a win any time,” Mataele said afterwards.

The moment that swung the match back came in the 50th minute. The Drua won a penalty on the Reds’ 10-metre line and Valetini opted for goal, but pushed it left. It was a decision they would rue. Gordon thumped the restart 70 metres downfield and forced Issak Fines-Leleiwasa into touch on his own 22, handing the Reds the territorial advantage they needed.

From there, the Reds’ set piece took over. On 55 minutes, a dominant scrum drove forward from five metres with Wilson keeping it on the toe at the back before picking up and falling over the line. Gordon converted and the Reds were back in front at 28–24. Four minutes later, another rolling maul from a lineout ten metres out proved unstoppable, with Faessler scoring his second at the back. The Drua simply could not contain the Reds’ forward power and the game was slipping away.

The final quarter was one-way traffic. Anderson burst through a gap on 70 minutes and offloaded for Uru, who had been excellent throughout, to crash over in contact. Then on 74 minutes, Salakaia-Loto brought down another lineout and the Reds drove over with replacement hooker Asiata finishing at the back. Gordon converted the first and Volavola missed the second, but the bonus point was secured and the scoreboard read 45–24.

The result improved the Reds’ regular-season record to 8–6 and lifted them to 37 points. Their hopes of finishing fourth were already extinguished by the Crusaders’ 47–14 demolition of the Hurricanes earlier in the evening, and they are likely to finish sixth assuming the Brumbies beat Moana Pasifika on Saturday. That would send them to Wellington to face the table-topping Hurricanes in a qualifying final. Star fullback Jock Campbell, rested for this match, revealed at half-time he was dealing with a minor groin niggle but backed himself to be fit for the play-offs.

For the Drua, it was a familiar story: moments of brilliance undermined by an inability to sustain pressure against a physically superior pack. Mataele’s hat-trick was stunning, Valetini’s kicking game was composed, and the likes of Isoa Nasilasila and Vilive Miramira worked tirelessly around the park. But a final record of 5–9 and a 10th-place finish will be disappointing for Jackson in his final season as coach. Scrumhalf Tate McDermott summed it up: “It’s always a great contest against the Drua. It’s always unpredictable.”

Match details

Reds 45 (Tries: Matt Faessler 2, Josh Flook, Filipo Daugunu, Harry Wilson, Seru Uru, Richie Asiata; Conversions: Carter Gordon 5/6, Ben Volavola 0/1)
Drua 24 (Tries: Manasa Mataele 3, Meli Tuni; Conversions: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 1/2, Kemu Valetini 1/2)
Half-time: 21–12

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)

Teams

Reds: 15 Treyvon Pritchard, 14 Lachie Anderson, 13 Josh Flook, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Tim Ryan, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight (c), 6 Seru Uru, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Josh Canham, 3 Zane Nonggorr, 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Richie Asiata, 17 George Blake, 18 Massimo De Lutiis, 19 Vaiuta Latu, 20 Joe Brial, 21 Louis Werchon, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Filipo Daugunu.

Fijian Drua: 15 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 14 Manasa Mataele, 13 Tuidraki Samusamuvodre (c), 12 Isikeli Rabitu, 11 Taniela Rakuro, 10 Kemu Valetini, 9 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 8 Elia Canakaivata, 7 Kitione Salawa, 6 Vilive Miramira, 5 Joseva Tamani, 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 3 Samuela Tawake, 2 Zuriel Togiatama, 1 Meli Tuni.
Replacements: 16 Sairusi Ravudi, 17 Peni Ravai, 18 Mesake Doge, 19 Mesake Vocevoce, 20 Etonia Waqa, 21 Isoa Tuwai, 22 Simione Kuruvoli, 23 Virimi Vakatawa.

What’s next

The Reds are likely to finish sixth and travel to Wellington to face the Hurricanes in a qualifying final next Friday. The Fijian Drua’s season is over, finishing 10th under departing coach Glen Jackson.