Super Rugby Round 3 Wrap

Edward Briggs

Round 3 of Super Rugby Pacific produced another weekend of momentum swings and dramatic finishes. The Western Force continued their strong start, the Reds capitalised on Highlanders mistakes, and the Brumbies delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the season so far in Canberra.

Western Force 35 – Moana Pasifika 19

The Western Force took control early in Pukekohe and never truly let Moana Pasifika back into the contest.

Ben Donaldson set up the opening try with a clever kick to the corner that allowed wing Darby Lancaster to gather the bounce and score after five minutes. Moana responded through hooker Millennium Sanerivi from a lineout drive, but the visitors steadily built their advantage before the break.

Centre George Bridge came close to scoring before lock Darcy Swain finished the job moments later, and Bridge grabbed a try of his own early in the second half after sustained pressure near the line. Late maul tries from Carlo Tizzano and Leonel Oviedo extended the lead, while Moana Pasifika grabbed consolation scores through Melani Matavao and Allan Craig.

Queensland Reds 31 – Highlanders 14

Missed chances hurt the Highlanders in Brisbane as the Reds capitalised to secure a convincing home win.

An early opportunity went begging for the visitors when lock Will Stodart was held up over the line, and the Reds soon made them pay. Fraser McReight raced onto a kick ahead to score before hooker Matt Faessler added another from a driving maul.

Adam Lennox briefly pulled the Highlanders back into the match before Tim Ryan restored the Reds’ buffer just before halftime. Lucas Casey powered over early in the second half to narrow the margin, but the Reds sealed the result with tries to Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and replacement forward Vaiuta Latu.

Fijian Drua 25 – Hurricanes 20

The Drua claimed a hard-fought win in heavy conditions in Lautoka, overcoming the Hurricanes in a physical encounter.

Fehi Fineanganofo opened the scoring for the Hurricanes before Peter Lakai crossed from a powerful lineout drive. The Drua responded through flanker Motikiai Murray after sustained pressure from their kick-and-chase game.

Jordie Barrett helped extend the Hurricanes’ lead with a long-range penalty early in the second half, but the match turned moments later when Tuidraki Samusamuvodre intercepted a pass to run in and level the scores. The decisive moment came late when a sweeping Drua passing move created space for Etonia Waqa to score the winning try.

Crusaders 43 – Chiefs 33

The Crusaders outscored the Chiefs in a high-tempo contest after recovering from an early deficit.

The Chiefs made a fast start with tries to Quinn Tupaea and Etene Nanai-Seturo, but the Crusaders hit back through hooker George Bell before Noah Hotham and Christian Lio-Willie both crossed as the visitors built a halftime lead.

Lio-Willie added two more tries in the second half, while David Havili also scored after a strong break from Will Jordan. A clever kick ahead from Taha Kemara helped set up another Crusaders score late on as they pulled away in a game packed with attacking moments.

Brumbies 30 – Blues 27

The Brumbies produced a dramatic late comeback in Canberra, scoring after the siren to edge the Blues.

Declan Meredith opened the scoring with a clever kick-and-chase effort, though Caleb Clarke responded quickly for the visitors after intercepting a loose pass. The teams traded tries through Billy Pollard and AJ Lam as the contest remained finely balanced.

The Blues looked to have the game under control in the second half, with Clarke adding another try and Dalton Papali’i also crossing. But a late sin bin to Stephen Perofeta shifted the momentum. The Brumbies surged downfield in the dying moments and, after relentless pressure near the line, No.8 Charlie Cale forced the ball down on the chalk to snatch a memorable victory.

Three rounds in, the competition is already shaping into a tightly contested season. Several sides have shown flashes of attacking brilliance, but as this weekend proved, discipline, set-piece control, and late composure can still decide matches in the closing moments.