(Reuters) – Auckland Blues capitalized on a bye for the Wellington Hurricanes by defeating Western Force 50-3 on Friday, propelling them to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific standings on points difference after round seven. The ACT Brumbies also secured a victory on Saturday against the New South Wales Waratahs, joining the Blues and Hurricanes with 27 points each. The Waikato Chiefs, last season’s losing finalists, trailed in fourth place by four points after a dominant 68-12 win over Moana Pasifika.
At Eden Park in the round opener, scrumhalf Taufa Funaki scored two tries for the Blues, while the pack contributed four more in their commanding win over the Force. Blues flanker Akira Ioane stated, “I think our game plan’s pretty simple. The forwards love rolling up their sleeves. We love confrontation; that’s what we pride ourselves on and I think we did that well tonight.”
Charlie Cale’s try in the dying minutes secured a bonus point for the Brumbies in their hard-fought match against the Waratahs at a rainy Canberra Stadium. Despite dominating possession in the first half, it wasn’t until scrumhalf Harrison Goddard scored on the verge of halftime that the Brumbies managed to breach the Waratahs defense and take a 16-6 lead.
Rob Valetini and Corey Toole added tries in the second half before Cale’s late score, giving prop James Slipper a winning send-off in his 178th Super Rugby match, a record for an Australian player. The Waratahs suffered further setbacks with prop Angus Bell limping off in the first half due to a foot injury, potentially a recurrence of the one that kept him out of the 2023 season.
All Blacks winger Emoni Narawa shone in Hamilton, scoring a hat-trick of tries as the Chiefs bounced back from their previous loss to the Crusaders with a dominant performance at Waikato Stadium. Flyhalf Damian McKenzie orchestrated the Chiefs’ attack, converting nine of the team’s 10 tries in a comprehensive bonus-point victory.
In the late match on Friday, the Melbourne Rebels staged an impressive comeback from a 12-point deficit just before halftime to secure a 41-20 win over the Fijian Drua. The Drua, who remain undefeated at home but winless on the road, faced challenges as both scrumhalf Frank Lomani and replacement prop Jone Koroiduadua received red cards in the second half.
The victory lifted the financially-stricken Rebels into fifth place with 19 points, while the Drua remained in seventh place with 13 points. Their future beyond the current season remains uncertain. The Rebels and Drua will need to regroup and strategize for future matches to improve their standings in the Super Rugby Pacific competition.
It was an eventful round with exciting matches and standout performances from various teams and players. The competition continues to heat up as teams jostle for positions in the standings. Fans can expect more intense clashes and thrilling moments as the Super Rugby Pacific season progresses towards the playoffs.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney and Michael Church, Editing by Ed Osmond)
