Rugby-Top four win, Reds break hoodoo as Tonga welcomes Super Rugby

Rugby Union – Rugby World Cup 2023 – Final – New Zealand v South Africa – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – October 28, 2023 New Zealand’s Mark Telea in action REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/ File Photo

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Wellington Hurricanes, Auckland Blues, ACT Brumbies and Waikato Chiefs won to cement their positions at the top of Super Rugby Pacific table as the competition entered the last third of the regular season in round 11.

Rugby Union – International – England v New Zealand – Twickenham Stadium, London, Britain – November 19, 2022 New Zealand’s TJ Perenara performs the haka before the match REUTERS/Toby Melville/ File Photo

The Queensland Reds clung onto the coat-tails of the top four with a first win over the Canterbury Crusaders in New Zealand since 1999 while torrential rain failed to dampen spirits as Super Rugby arrived in Tonga for the first time.

The Hurricanes suffered their defeat this season at the Brumbies last week but rebounded with a ruthless 41-12 demolition of New South Wales Waratahs at Sydney Football Stadium to open the weekend’s action.

Hard-nosed forward play and powerful running in the backline helped the New Zealanders to a 26-0 lead at the break and winger Salesi Rayasi came off the bench to cross twice in the second half.

Hurricanes scrumhalf TJ Perenara scored the final try in the last minute, his 64th Super Rugby five-pointer putting him top of the all-time scoring chart ahead of Julian Savea.

The Blues had a tougher time against the Melbourne Rebels on Friday evening but they too secured a bonus point with a 38-11 victory at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

Winger Mark Telea and lock Sam Darry each grabbed a brace of tries as the Blues ensured they would remain a point behind the Hurricanes ahead of next week’s top-of-the-table clash in Auckland.

The Brumbies, Australia’s top contenders, rounded out the weekend with a tense 28-20 win over a spirited Fijian Drua in Canberra.

A brace of tries from centre Len Ikitau and another by prop Allan Alaalatoa gave the Brumbies a 21-3 lead, but the visitors responded with scores from lock Isoa Nasilasila and scrumhalf Simione Kuruvoli to close the gap to four points.

Replacement flanker Luke Reimer scored a fourth try for the home side to deny the Drua a losing bonus point.

“We started well in the first 10 minutes but we took the foot off the gas and they put us under pressure. It was a tough game,” Ikitau said.

CHIEFS RUN RIOT

The Chiefs produced a nine-try 56-7 demolition of bottom side the Western Force as Daniel Rona, usually a centre but playing on the wing, crossed for a hat-trick of scores against the outclassed visitors in Hamilton.

The hosts racked up 29 points in the first half-hour to take the game away from the Force, and Emoni Narawa, Damian McKenzie, Tupou Vaa’i, Bradley Slater, Tyrone Thompson and Josh Ioane also bagged tries in the one-sided contest.

“It is a bit of a challenge (playing on the wing), but I am just happy to be out there, whether it is at 13 (centre) or not,” Roda said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Reds handed the reigning champion Crusaders an eighth loss of the season, and only a second at home to Australian opposition since 2004, to send Wales great Leigh Halfpenny home a 33-28 loser on his Super Rugby debut.

Winger Tim Ryan, who scored a hat-trick in a losing cause against the Blues last week, grabbed tries either side of halftime and the Reds held off the Crusaders in a dramatic finish to snap a 25-year losing streak in Christchurch.

“It’s massive, the boys really bonded together after a season full of close losses,” said Reds captain Liam Wright. “Jeez we did a great job to hold on, there were some big moments from key players.”

The pitch at Teufaiva Sport Stadium was turned into a quagmire by persistent rain for Saturday’s early kickoff, Moana Pasifika’s first home match in the Tongan capital of Nuku’alofa.

Otago Highlanders, marshalled by locally-born Folau Fakatava, gatecrashed the party with a 28-17 victory but that did little to reduce the sense of occasion with the Crown Prince of the island nation in attendance.

“For me this is more than rugby,” said All Blacks scrumhalf Fakatava. “The crowd, first time in Tonga, making history. I’m grateful to be here to play in front of Tongan fans and my family.”

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney and Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)