The Hurricanes maintained their lead with their win over the Crusaders while the Blues over-rode a determined first-half from Moana Pasifika to hold second place.
The Reds moved to top Australian side with their win over the Brumbies who slipped to sixth, five points ahead of the Drua, Waratahs and Highlanders, each on 20 points.
Three in the top six, the Hurricanes, Chiefs (3rd) and Reds (4th) have the advantage of a game in hand.
Hurricanes 38 Crusaders 31
Two tries, one to high-flying 2026 try scorer Fehi Fineanganofo, his 15th for the season, and one to Crusaders flanker replacement Dom Gardiner left fans on both sides with plenty to debate after their contest at Hnry Stadium. Crusaders fans felt a forward pass was involved in the Hurricanes’ try, while home fans were left bemoaning the lack of a TMO check on whether Gardiner’s try saw the ball over the line. But, after all the debate, the Hurricanes maintained their competition -leading impetus while winning on the road has become a burr under the Crusaders’ saddle, now having won only three from eight away from home. Once the driving back kicking game lost its attraction, play did open up with work-in-progress flanker Leicester Fainga’anuku powering over for the Crusaders’ opening try. A quick tap taken by halfback Cameron Roigard was carried forward by flanker Brayden Iose for Du’Plessis Kirifi to score under the crossbar.
Two Hurricanes tries in two minutes just before half-time proved crucial. The first to wing Josh Moorby was from first five-eighths Ruben Love’s shallow crossfield bomb, with centre Billy Proctor and flanker Peter Lakai combining to put Moorby in. Then, Roigard fed a long pass to Iose on the left flank. His infield kick off his right foot bounced to Roigard, who scored. Down 10-24, Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham sniped around a ruck to sprint in for the try. But, the Hurricanes responded quickly, as prop Xavier Numia’s impetus from a ruck saw replacement hooker Raymond Tuputupu burst onto a Roigard pass to score. Working a lineout move, replacement Rivez Reihana joined the line to run in unchallenged to get the Crusaders back within seven. Fineanganofo and Gardiner then scored their contestables before the Hurricanes had their win.
Hurricanes 38 (Du’Plessis Kirifi, Josh Moorby, Cameron Roigard, Raymond Tuputupu, Fehi Fineanganofo tries; Ruben Love 5 con, pen) Crusaders 31 (Leicester Fainga’anuku, Noah Hotham, Rivez Reihana, Dom Gardiner tries; Taha Kemara con, pen; Rivez Reihana 3 con). HT: 24-10
Waratahs 17 Force 20
Time was running out for both the home-town Waratahs and the Force to challenge for a final six-berth, and the tightness of their Sydney encounter reflected that. It was into the 33rd minute before the opening try was scored, from a five-metre tap penalty that saw the forwards butt heads to get a grounding before the ball was released for first five-eighths Lawson Creighton to corkscrew his way over on the blindside. A similar rotation formula was applied by Force wing Dylan Pietsch a minute from half-time, after strong runs were made by centre George Bridge and second five-eighths Hamish Stewart, to give Pietsch his chance after 22 phases.
The Force looked to have blown a scoring chance after failing to make the most of a sizzling midfield break by first five-eighths Ben Donaldson, but they somehow managed to maintain control of the ball. By resetting, they created a chance that allowed fullback Mac Grealy to run off a ruck down the blindside and scramble a pass to an unmarked Pietsch, who scored his second try. Donaldson landed a 69th-minute penalty goal, which proved decisive as a try to home hooker Folau Fainga’a from a tap penalty five metres out, got the Waratahs in with a chance, four minutes from the end. However, the Force held on, moving to ninth on the ladder on 18 points, two points behind the Highlanders and Waratahs, who both have 20.
Waratahs 17 (Lawson Creighton, Folau Fainga’a tries; Sid Harvey 2 con, pen) Force 20 (Dylan Pietsch 2 tries; Ben Donaldson 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 10-10
Drua 24 Highlanders 14
Early Highlanders pressure in Ba went unrewarded, and it was cruel fortune when, in the ninth minute, centre Tuidrake Samusamuvodre’s intercept in the Drua’s 22 took them down to the Highlanders’ 22m. Quick support saw the ball to wing Frank Lomani. He fed the ball back infield for second five-eighths and French international Virimi Vakatawa to score. Five minutes later, Tavatavanawai held his feet in a tackle in the Drua 22m and wriggled free of his tackler to spread the ball for wing Jonah Lowe to cross in the corner. In the 24th minute, Drua fullback Isikeli Rabitu joined the line to beat the tackles of halfback Folau Fakatava and wing Jona Nareki to score, then, after 37 minutes, a lineout drive following a penalty kick to the corner, saw flanker Viveni Lasaqa cross as the Highlanders went to the break leading 14-12.
A superb try, two minutes into the second half, after a change of direction by halfback Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, standing off the ruck, saw the ball moved quickly to Rabitu, who stepped into another gap and raced 40m to score his second. In the 48th minute, flanker Elia Canakaivata, playing his 50th game for the side, blasted through a midfield gap, linked with lock Temo Mayanavanua and then, after three drives at the line, it was Canakaivata who scored under the crossbar. The Highlanders pressured but two knock-ons in-goal, the first by Lasaqa, then another by replacement hooker Soane Vikena, who took a long lineout throw after a penalty resulting from the sin-binning of Rabitu, only to also lose the ball.
Drua 24 (Virimi Vakatawa, Isikeli Rabitu 2 Elia Canakaivata tries;Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 2 con) Highlanders 14 (Jonah Lowe, Viveni Lasaqa tries; Cameron Millar 2 con). HT: 12-14
Moana Pasifika 19 Blues 45
Cross-town rivals they may be, but the Blues may yet thank Moana Pasifika for the first-half hurry-up they were given. The final score reflected nothing of the first-half contest the Blues had on their hands. Fired up by knowing they were getting under the Blues’ skin, Moana Pasifika proved physical in the extreme, especially when they spent much of the first quarter camped in the Blues' half and receiving a string of penalties that allowed them to pull plays, especially at lineouts, and from tap penalties that directly led to two tries to hooker Millenium Sanerivi. The first was from a midfield lineout, and the second from a tap move that exposed the shortcomings of the Blues' defence. Blues prop Marcel Renata kept them in the game off a strong drive by lock Sam Darry to score their first try, and good work by wing Kade Banks out wide allowed the Blues to go to the break up 14-12.
From the start of the second half, there was a different intent in the Blues' play as lock Patrick Tuipulotu set the example for his side with a try that was followed in quick succession by tries to replacement hooker James Mullan and first five-eighths, who marked his return with a well-taken try. Replacement prop Chris Apoua scored from a goal-line ruck to give Moana Pasifika a chance to deny the Blues a bonus point, but with 10 minutes remaining, the Blues contained the home team in their territory while replacement five-eighths Beauden Barrett and replacement loose forward Terrell Peita, who was on debut, scored tries to put the cherry on top of the second-half performance.
Moana Pasifika 19 (Millenium Sanerivi 2 Chris Apoua tries; Willam Havili 2 con) Blues 45 (Marcel Renata, Kade Banks, Patrick Tuipulotu, James Mullan, Stephen Perofeta, Beauden Barrett, Terrell Peita tries; Perofeta 4 con; Barrett con). HT: 2-14
Reds 30 Brumbies 21
Looking to avoid consecutive losses to their Brisbane rivals, the Brumbies were quick to strike, in the wake of a 50:22 by wing Andy Muirhead. From the resulting lineout, the Brumbies won a five-metre penalty, which halfback Ryan Lonergan tapped and almost scored, but in the resulting ruck, lock Lachlan Shaw drove across to score. Moments later, the Reds were forced to move the ball from a static lineout maul, but after a strong burst by second five-eighths Hunter Paisami, a ruck was set and lock Lukhan Salakaia Loto returned the favour with the try. Storming Joe Brial was quick to take advantage of a squirted breakdown ball and charged 50m upfield before being halted. But a screwed scrum, a minute out from half-time, was worked to the blind before coming back to the open side for halfback Kalani Thomas to slip a kick to the in-goal, where centre Josh Flook had the speed to score.
First five-eighths Harry McLaughlin-Phillips’ penalty goal extended the lead to 20-7 two minutes into the second half, but the Brumbies lifted with a powerful rumble to the line for flanker Rob Valetini to score. Then, with 54 minutes gone, the power of second five-eighths David Feliuai, who had featured in Valetini’s try, was rewarded for another break by scoring under the bar for the Brumbies to claim the lead 21-20. But that fired the Reds and six minutes later, lock Seru Uru drove low and hard at the line to regain the lead with his try. And when replacement back Ben Volavola landed a penalty goal, it became a bridge too far for the Brumbies.
Reds 30 (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Josh Flook, Seru Uru tries; Harry McLaughlin-Phillips 3 con, 2 pen; Ben Volavola pen) Brumbies 21 (Lachlan Shaw, Rob Valetini, David Feliuai tries; Ryan Lonergan 3 con). HT: 17-7
