Scary Chiefs torch Moana Pasifika
The scary Chiefs torch Moana Pasifika as Cortez Ratima scores in their Super Rugby clash in Hamilton.
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Perth Now
41 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Brumbies into Super Rugby semi-final with 'Canes win
The ACT Brumbies have booked a Super Rugby Pacific semi-final berth with a gutsy 35-28 playoffs win over the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium. The home side's forward pack were prolific, with hooker Billy Pollard scoring a double, in the Brumbies' five-tries-to-four victory over the Wellingtonians on Saturday night. The Brumbies will now need to make history by beating the ladder-topping Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend to avoid a fourth straight semi-final exit against a New Zealand club. No Australian side has won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of the competition. The tried-and-tested methods of rolling mauls and pick-and-drives paid dividends for the Brumbies. After the Hurricanes opened the scoring through fullback Ruben Love, a Brumbies maul from a lineout in opposition territory slowly but surely rolled over the tryline, with Pollard the man to dot down through a sea of bodies. Fatafehi Fineanganofo hit back for the visitors before Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa burrowed over after a succession of pick-and-drives on the Hurricanes' line. With three minutes left in the first half, the Brumbies opted not to take a penalty goal from right in front, instead chancing their arms again with another lineout. Their gamble paid off with Pollard managing to break off the blindside and dive onto the tryline to give the Brumbies a seven-point lead at the break. The sides traded seven-pointers in the second half, with a try to Brumbies fullback Tom Wright cancelled out by one from Bailyn Sullivan. Veteran Brumbies prop James Slipper scored with another pick-and-drive before Hurricanes substitute Pasilio Tosi narrowed the gap to one try to ramp up the tension in the dying minutes. The Hurricanes burst into the Brumbies half through a Callum Harkin linebreak in the final minute but Luke Reimer stepped up for the home side to steal the pill and settle the victory. The defending champion Blues' last-gasp win over the Chiefs earlier in the night heaped the pressure on the third-placed Brumbies, who knew a loss would consign them to bowing out before the semi-finals for the first time since 2018. Instead it was the fourth-placed Hurricanes who reached the end of the road in their season.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Blues keep Super title defence alive with last-gasp win
Josh Beehre has scored a converted try after the hooter as the Blues kept their Super Rugby Pacific title defence alive with a 20-19 victory over the ladder-topping Chiefs in Hamilton to scrape into the playoff semi-finals. The Chiefs still advance to the last four under the "lucky losers" rule, but it was do-or-die on Saturday for the sixth-placed Blues who produced a suitably desperate performance. A try from centre Daniel Rona and 14 points from the boot of Damian McKenzie looked to have earned the Chiefs the win but the Blues pounded away at the line in a frantic finish before lock Beehre reached over to score and Beauden Barrett converted. "There's been a whole lot of ups and downs through our season, and... although there's another week for us, we've got to enjoy that kind of moment," said Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu. "I'm glad we were able to sort of grind it out in that last 10 minutes." The match at Waikato Stadium was dominated by a titanic forward battle complemented by a dazzling duel between All Blacks playmakers McKenzie and Barrett. Three penalties from McKenzie to one from Barrett gave the Chiefs a 9-3 lead at halftime after both sides bombed what looked like certain tries. Chiefs centre Rona burst down the left wing in the 27th minute and while his kick infield looked to have given Cortez Ratima a try on a plate, the scrumhalf knocked on with the line at his mercy. McKenzie gave the Chiefs a 6-3 lead with his second penalty four minutes later and hit the turf soon afterwards after being tripped by Ricky Riccitelli while chasing a Shaun Stevenson chip through. That earned the hooker 10 minutes in the sin bin and McKenzie added his third three-pointer from the resultant penalty but Barrett was not done with his contribution to the first half. The twice World Player of the year chipped the ball over the home defensive line at midfield, got to it first and volleyed it past the last defenders but was unable to get his hands on it under the posts. Barrett cut the deficit with his second penalty soon after the break but McKenzie responded in kind three minutes later and the Chiefs were 19-6 ahead just before the hour mark. The home side laid siege to the Blues try line and a superbly judged pass from McKenzie sent Rona through a gap in the defensive line for the first try of the game. Caleb Clarke got across the try line for the Blues minutes later only to have the ball knocked out of his grasp but forward Kurt Eklund was able to force his way over for a converted try that cut the deficit to 19-13 with 15 minutes to play. Blues number eight Hoskins Sotutu was denied what would have been a winning try when he was called back for crawling and it was left to Beehre to secure the victory. "I thought we had that game in the bag," said Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'i. "I guess footy's a strange game sometimes and you can start on a high and then it can humble you real quick. "I guess we've still got a life now, and our season's not over yet."
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Queensland Reds left frustrated by another early exit from the Super Rugby Pacific finals series
Putting in a 'great shift' is little consolation for a Queensland Reds side sick of falling at the first hurdle in the Super Rugby Pacific finals series. For the fourth successive year, the Reds have been knocked out in the first week of the finals – each time in New Zealand – after being thumped 32-12 by the clinical Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday night. The Crusaders also beat the Reds at the same stage of the playoffs in 2022, while it was the Chiefs who were responsible for Queensland's week one finals exits in 2023 and last year. Queensland coach Les Kiss has no doubt his team is good enough to progress further along the finals round, but the Reds are yet to prove they are genuine contenders for the Super Rugby Pacific crown. 'This is a point that we've stopped at each year and we've got to be able to find a way to get through to that next level for sure,' Kiss said. 'We've got enough good people in the organisation, from the players right through to our professional rugby staff, so we can do it. We know that. 'I really feel for them all because they put a great shift in this year, all of them, and to finish up like this is despondent.' Injuries didn't help the Reds' cause this season, but Kiss felt the experience gained by a host of emerging players would benefit Queensland in the future. 'We used 38 players this year. That's one thing I'm very proud of,' he said. 'We didn't have a good injury run. That happens, but the boys who stood up and came in, (centre) Dre Pakejo for one, (back-rower) Joe Brial … had a massively good year. 'Young men that keep stepping up for us, that's really pleasing. I'm very proud of the program that delivers that.' The Reds started the season impressively and were on target to achieve their goal of a top-three ladder finish, which would have guaranteed them a qualifying final on home spoil, after being in first spot after seven rounds. However, they lost five of their remaining eight regular season matches – including a shock 36-33 loss to Fijian Drua in Suva on May 3 – that resulted in them placing fifth on the table. 'We certainly lost a Fiji game that we shouldn't have over there … so we still have to own some of the errors that we can improve on, however it was a competition that was compelling,' Kiss said. Reds skipper Tate McDermott said despite Friday night's loss it wasn't all 'doom and gloom' for Queensland. 'We're really disappointed that our journey again finishes in the quarter-finals, but we've just got to regroup and go again next year,' the star halfback said.
