Latest news with #CanterburyCrusaders
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Hurricanes shatter Moana dreams and send Blues into Super Rugby playoffs
SYDNEY :The Wellington Hurricanes shattered Moana Pasifika's dreams of a maiden Super Rugby Pacific playoff campaign with a crushing 64-12 victory on Saturday that sent the defending champion Auckland Blues into next week's quarter-finals instead. The Hurricanes cemented fourth place in the final standings and will travel to Canberra next Saturday to play the ACT Brumbies, while the Blues, who earlier beat the New South Wales Waratahs 46-6, will visit the table-topping Waikato Chiefs. In the other playoff, the 12-times champion Canterbury Crusaders will host Queensland Reds, who concluded the regular season on Saturday night with a 52-7 win over Fijian Drua on the back of four first-half tries from winger Lachie Anderson. Moana had hoped to be there too on the back of a breakout season but even redoubtable skipper Ardie Savea was unable to inspire them to the bonus-point victory they needed to edge out the Blues and claim the sixth and last playoff spot. Number eight Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa gave Moana the perfect start at Wellington Stadium with a try after six minutes but Hurricanes were 14-7 up before a quarter of an hour had expired. Hooker Jacob Devery went over on the back of a rolling maul before flanker Devan Flanders showed his footballing skills with a chip and chase for the second try. Savea grabbed a couple of turnovers but it only delayed the inevitable as Hurricanes scrumhalf Cam Roigard went over from an intercept and centre Peter Umaga-Jensen rampaged through the Moana defence to give the home side a 28-7 halftime lead. Umaga-Jensen barged over for his second try 10 minutes after the break before Raymond Tuputupu, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Billy Proctor, Ereatara Enari and Tjay Clarke completed the 10-try rout. "Really pleasing, not only that we got the result, but that we played the way we did going into the finals," said Hurricanes co-captain Du'Plessis Kirifi. "From next week on, you've got to just start again. Start again and go hard." Savea, who scored a consolation try against his old team in the 65th minute off a catch-and-drive, expressed his pride in what Moana had achieved this year. "We're not satisfied," he said. "Our goal was to win the thing and make top six, but that wasn't meant to be." The Blues earlier ended the slender post-season hopes of the Waratahs by running in seven tries in a bonus-point victory at Eden Park to extend their winning streak over the Sydney-based club to 11 matches. Centre Rieko Ioane scored a hat-trick and winger Mark Tele'a two tries on the back of an attack skilfully marshalled by their fellow All Black Beauden Barrett as the Blues gave the Waratahs a lesson in clinical finishing. "We just wanted to play shackle-free and have some fun and I think we did that tonight," said Ioane, who joined Doug Howlett as the Blues' all time leading try-scorer with 55. "We knew how crucial the bonus point was, and to hold them to no tries was awesome." On Friday, the Chiefs locked up top spot in the standings and home advantage throughout the playoffs with a 41-21 victory over the Otago Highlanders and the Crusaders beat the Brumbies 33-31 to win the shootout for second.
eNCA
24-05-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
Winger Reece relishes Super Rugby try-scoring record
CHRISTCHURCH - Canterbury Crusaders winger Sevu Reece said he was delighted to break a "curse" and become Super Rugby's highest try-scorer, lifting his team atop the standings in the process. The livewire Reece burrowed over from close range early in a tense 15-12 win over the Highlanders in Christchurch on Saturday. It was his 66th try, all for the Crusaders and the most by any player in the 30-year history of the competition -- one more than former Hurricanes scrum-half TJ Perenara. Reece, who has played 32 Tests for the All Blacks, said he had feared the record wouldn't come this year after enduring his longest career drought of six straight games without scoring. He finally drew level with Perenara in last week's win over the New South Wales Waratahs before breaking the mark in front of his home supporters, giving him a tally of 66 tries from just 84 games. "At the start of the season when no one was talking about it, I was scoring tries," Reece told Sky TV. "But when everyone started to hype me, I couldn't score. The media would tell me: 'You've got one more to go'. Well that one more took me about seven weeks. "It was like a curse there or something." Reece said he expected his Fiji-based parents will have celebrated the record by drinking a bowl of kava -- a drink consumed socially in the Pacific Islands for its relaxing effects. The 28-year-old conceded the crowd may not have been enthused by the nature of his try, which needed the video referee to confirm after he plunged over beneath a pile of bodies. "I'd have loved to have scored a nice dive in the corner try, or something a bit nicer than that," he said. "But a try's a try and what a place to do it -- here in front of my fans and family. "Honestly. I can't thank my teammates enough and the boys that I've played with in the past." Of the top-10 all-time try-scorers, only Moana Pasifika back Julian Savea is still active, on 63 tries. Victory over the last-placed Highlanders has lifted the Crusaders to 45 points, two clear of the second-placed ACT Brumbies, who they play in next week's final round of the regular season.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Winger Reece relishes Super Rugby try-scoring record
Canterbury Crusaders winger Sevu Reece said he was delighted to break a "curse" and become Super Rugby's highest try-scorer, lifting his team atop the standings in the process. The livewire Reece burrowed over from close range early in a tense 15-12 win over the Highlanders in Christchurch on Saturday. It was his 66th try, all for the Crusaders and the most by any player in the 30-year history of the competition -- one more than former Hurricanes scrum-half TJ Perenara. Reece, who has played 32 Tests for the All Blacks, said he had feared the record wouldn't come this year after enduring his longest career drought of six straight games without scoring. He finally drew level with Perenara in last week's win over the New South Wales Waratahs before breaking the mark in front of his home supporters, giving him a tally of 66 tries from just 84 games. "At the start of the season when no one was talking about it, I was scoring tries," Reece told Sky TV. "But when everyone started to hype me, I couldn't score. The media would tell me: 'You've got one more to go'. Well that one more took me about seven weeks. "It was like a curse there or something." Reece said he expected his Fiji-based parents will have celebrated the record by drinking a bowl of kava -- a drink consumed socially in the Pacific Islands for its relaxing effects. The 28-year-old conceded the crowd may not have been enthused by the nature of his try, which needed the video referee to confirm after he plunged over beneath a pile of bodies. "I'd have loved to have scored a nice dive in the corner try, or something a bit nicer than that," he said. "But a try's a try and what a place to do it -- here in front of my fans and family. "Honestly. I can't thank my teammates enough and the boys that I've played with in the past." Of the top-10 all-time try-scorers, only Moana Pasifika back Julian Savea is still active, on 63 tries. Victory over the last-placed Highlanders has lifted the Crusaders to 45 points, two clear of the second-placed ACT Brumbies, who they play in next week's final round of the regular season. The third-placed Waikato Chiefs are on 41 points but can control their destiny as they have two games remaining. dgi/sco
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
‘Not mine but burden off Indians' shoulders. Many said I won't be able to breach 90m': Neeraj Chopra after Doha success
The Canterbury Crusaders praise veteran fly-half James O'Connor, highlighting his international quality ahead of a potential matchup against the British and Irish Lions. O'Connor, 34, has excelled in Super Rugby, contributing to the Crusaders' success. Coach Joe Schmidt is considering him for the Wallabies, while captain David Havili believes O'Connor's experience could be crucial in the upcoming series.
Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Suaalii to miss Waratahs' clash with Crusaders due to concussion
Australia winger Joseph Suaalii will miss New South Wales Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Canterbury Crusaders next week due to concussion after he was stretchered off in his side's 28-21 loss to the Queensland Reds on Friday. Suaalii sustained a blow to the head just before halftime when he collided with teammate Andrew Kellaway at Sydney Football Stadium, but Waratahs coach Dan McKellar said the 21-year-old had not required hospitalisation after the incident. "We've got access to vision and the analyst told me pretty quickly that he'd got a knee to the head," McKellar told Australian media. "The medical staff were on there quickly and gave him the support that he needed. "He's with his mum and dad now back home, so he'll be OK. Obviously he just gave everyone a fright; you don't want to see any player down on the ground, knocked out." Suaalii joined the Waratahs this season after making a high-profile switch from rugby league's Sydney Roosters and is expected to feature prominently when Australia take on the British and Irish Lions in July and August. He will be sidelined for a minimum of 12 days due to concussion protocols in place in Super Rugby. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
