Super Rugby Round 15 Wrap

Edward Briggs

The Hurricanes locked up top spot, the Crusaders and Brumbies secured their playoff places, and the Reds survived a major scare to edge closer to qualification. Meanwhile, the Western Force were officially eliminated despite another brave late-season effort.

Crusaders 36 – Chiefs 32

The Crusaders secured their finals berth and strengthened their push for a home qualifying final with a dramatic win over the Chiefs in Christchurch.

In a match full of momentum swings, the Chiefs repeatedly answered Crusaders tries through the first half. Kyren Taumoefolau opened the scoring before Leicester Fainga’anuku responded from close range, while Samisoni Taukei’aho continued his outstanding season with another rolling maul try. Jamie Hannah and Josh Lord also crossed as the visitors held a narrow halftime advantage.

The Crusaders finally seized control midway through the second half through replacement Johnny McNicholl, whose double kept the hosts alive after the Chiefs had stretched their lead through Josh Jacomb’s boot.

Ultimately, David Havili proved decisive. After pinning the Chiefs deep with a superb 50-22, the Crusaders captain backed up a Fainga’anuku offload to score the winning try with four minutes remaining.

The Chiefs nearly stole victory after the siren with a length-of-the-field counterattack, but the Crusaders held firm to preserve their unbeaten record at One NZ Stadium.

Brumbies 21 – Waratahs 14

The Brumbies locked in a finals place and pushed the Waratahs to the brink with a hard-fought derby win in Sydney.

Despite dominating territory and possession early, the Waratahs somehow found themselves trailing 14-0 at halftime after wasting several opportunities. Veteran lock Cadeyrn Neville produced one of the key moments of the match when he hauled down Jack Bowen in a desperate try-saving tackle before later crossing himself after strong work from Ryan Lonergan and Billy Pollard.

Allan Alaalatoa’s try appeared to put the game beyond reach at 21-0, but the Waratahs rallied late through Isaac Kailea and Max Jorgensen to create a tense finish.

The Brumbies held on to confirm their playoff position and remain firmly in contention for a top-four finish, while the Waratahs now require results elsewhere to keep their season alive.

Reds 33 – Moana Pasifika 31

The Reds survived a furious comeback from Moana Pasifika to move within touching distance of finals qualification.

Queensland appeared in complete control after tries to Tim Ryan, Josh Canham and Treyvon Pritchard established a 26-7 lead early in the second half. Ryan finished with a double, while Jock Campbell was heavily involved throughout the contest.

But Moana Pasifika responded with enormous emotion in what could prove to be their final home match. Augustine Pulu opened the scoring inside 90 seconds before Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, a penalty try and a dazzling Israel Leota effort flipped the game on its head.

Patrick Pellegrini’s late penalty gave Moana a five-point lead with only minutes remaining, but the Reds produced one final set-piece play from a scrum for Campbell to score near the posts in the 79th minute. Ben Volavola converted to steal the win and leave Moana heartbroken after one of their best performances of the season.

Hurricanes 45 – Highlanders 28

The Hurricanes officially secured top spot on the ladder with another high-powered attacking display against the Highlanders.

Josh Moorby continued his remarkable season by scoring inside two minutes before later adding a second brilliant individual effort. The task became significantly harder for the Highlanders after Daniel Lienert-Brown was sent off for a high shot on Devan Flanders.

The Hurricanes capitalised immediately. Kini Naholo crossed twice, Du’Plessis Kirifi scored after a sweeping counterattack, and Ruben Love produced a dazzling solo try as the hosts surged clear.

The Highlanders showed resilience through Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Lucas Casey, but they could never consistently contain the Hurricanes’ speed and attacking depth. Eretara Enari’s late try sealed another bonus-point victory and confirmed the road to the title now runs through Wellington.

Force 19 – Fijian Drua 15

The Western Force kept fighting until the very end, but their finals hopes officially ended despite defeating the Drua in Perth.

Carlo Tizzano opened the scoring from a rolling maul before the Drua responded through Kitione Salawa and Zuriel Togiatama to take a halftime lead. The visitors looked dangerous throughout the opening half with their offloading game and attacking enterprise causing constant problems.

The Force fought back after halftime through Vaiolini Ekuasi before Zac Lomax crossed in controversial fashion after what appeared to be a forward pass from Mac Grealy.

Needing a bonus-point victory to stay alive in the finals race, the Force thought they had found a late fourth try through Jeremy Williams, only for the TMO to rule it out for an earlier knock-on.

The win was ultimately not enough to keep their season alive, mathematically eliminating the Force despite a strong late-season surge.