The Hurricanes, who have already had their bye, sit with a game advantage on 15 points, while the Blues and ACT Brumbies share the position.
However, the Chiefs and Queensland Reds, who have had their bye, have a chance to move higher while sitting on 13 points.
The Fijian Drua pulled off the upset of the weekend with their 42-27 humbling of the ACT Brumbies, while the Crusaders got their game back on track with a 29-18 win over the Highlanders.
Results from Round Five were:
Hurricanes 31 Western Force 23
The Western Force scored first against the Hurricanes in Napier after an impressive build-up for wing Darby Lancaster to show his attacking skill to score out wide. But home halfback Cam Roigard, who had earlier missed a try from a blindside break and kick ahead that beat him to the dead ball line, made no mistake in the 35th minute when sniping over from a goal line ruck. Nine minutes into the second half, flanker Brad Shields claimed the lead for the first time after a series of rucks on the goal line before he went the other way from the back of the ruck to score. In the 52nd minute, a classic Hurricanes breakout from their 22m area resulted in a tap penalty in the Force’s 22m and flanker Devan Flanders scored. Eight minutes later, first five-eighths Callum Harkin scored from a ruck close to the line, while lock substitute Warner Dearns scored after 69 minutes. The Force came back with another try to Lancaster and replacement forward Lopeti Faifua, but fell short of a loser’s bonus point.
Close as the halftime score was at 5-8 to the visitors, the Hurricanes dominated all the key statistical areas by game’s end. They had nearly 60 percent of possession and territory, dominated the rucks and mauls 98-78, carried 129 times to 96, and required the Force to make 162 tackles against 116. Yet, Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw described the game as a ‘mixed bag’, most especially in the first three-quarters. Co-captain Jordie Barrett said the Hurricanes ‘missed the jump’ on their game due to their own errors. “We gave them a little bit of a leg-up with discipline things.”
Hurricanes 31 (Cameron Roigard, Brad Shields, Devan Flanders, Callum Harkin, Warner Dearns tries; Jordie Barrett 3 con) Force 23 (Darby Lancaster 2, Lopeti Faifua tries; Ben Donaldson con, 2 pen). HT: 5-8
Fijian Drua 42 ACT Brumbies 27
ACT Brumbies wing Hudson Creighton ran onto a kick ahead to score the first Super Rugby Pacific try in Ba, against the Drua, after seven minutes in what was to prove a 10-try fest with the goal-kicking boot of Drua first five-eighths Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula proving the deciding factor in the result. The Drua responded after a superb build-up for flanker Etonia Waqa to run in from 25m to score. But with prop Mesake Doge sin-binned, they also lost No8 Elia Canakaivata as the Brumbies scored through lock Toby McPherson. Being reduced to 13 proved no issue, however, as Armstrong-Ravula landed a penalty goal and with both men back, four minutes before the break, it was Canakaivata who scored beneath the posts for a 20-12 halftime lead.
The Drua’s lineout maul saw hooker Sairusi Ravudi score four minutes into the second half, and six minutes later it was post-lineout play, in heavy rain that saw an unlikely try scored from an Armstrong-Ravula crosskick by fullback Iliasia Droasese. Macpherson scored from untidy Drua play with the wet ball, and then minutes later, replacement Ryan Lonergan scored. Within 10 points, the Brumbies conceded a penalty, which Armstrong-Ravula landed and then, with 10 minutes left, Droasese scored a second after a kick ahead by centre Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, who regained the ball and threw a pass that Droasese grasped to score. The Brumbies scored a last-minute consolation try to wing Andy Muirhead.
Drua 42 (Etonia Waqa, Elia Canakaivata, Sairusi Ravudi, Iliasia Droasese 2 tries: Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 4 con, 3 pen) Brumbies 27 (Hudson Creighton, Toby Macpherson 2, Ryan Lonergan, Andy Muirhead tries; Tane Edmed con). HT: 20-12
Crusaders 29 Highlanders 18
Fullback Will Jordan’s growing stature in the Crusaders’ leadership was evident not only from his game-opening fourth-minute try, but also from his captaincy during the crucial late stages of a tight contest with their southern neighbours, and first-round winners, the Highlanders. Both he and regular captain David Havili had plenty of work to do as three yellow cards to hooker Codie Taylor, prop Finlay Brewis and wing Chay Fihaki hit them hard. While Taylor was off, centre Tanielu Tele’a scored after a tap penalty put flying wing Caleb Tangitau in space to give Tele’a his chance. Soon after Havili left the field injured, Argentine lock Tomas Lavanini showed his halfback skills, clearing a ruck for prop Angus Ta’avao to plunge through a gap and put fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens in. Four minutes later in the 30th minute, a tap penalty provided a chance for prop Fraser Newell to power over underneath the crossbar. A penalty goal by first five-eighths Cameron Millar gave the Highlanders a 15-12 lead.
But in the second half, in the 49th and 54th minutes, new flanker Johnny Lee showed his class. The first saw him link with fellow flanker Ethan Blackadder and take a return pass to score, and the second saw him come through a lineout maul to seal a crucial advantage for the home team.
Crusaders 29 (Will Jordan, Fraser Newell, Johnny Lee 2 tries; Rivez Reihana 3 con, pen) Highlanders 18 (Tanielu Tele’a, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens tries; Cameron Millar con, 2 pen). HT: 12-15
Queensland Reds 26 NSW Waratahs 17
Continuing the turnaround from earlier derbies in the competition, the Reds rebounded from their 12–36 loss in round one to the Waratahs. First five-eighths Carter Gordon had a significant hand in the outcome, his sixth-minute bomb creating a chance that fullback Jock Gordon gathered to put No8 Harry Wilson over for the opening try. Ten minutes later, late Waratahs replacement flanker Jamie Adamson scored from a goal-line ruck.
The scores were level at 7-7 until the 57th minute when a lineout maul saw substitute hooker Ioane Moananu score for the Waratahs. But Gordon capitalised on some untidy Waratahs defence out from their line to gather loose ball to score. Six minutes later, the Reds were guilty of letting the ball slip through from a Waratahs kick ahead, and wing Harry Potter scored. But with 10 minutes left, wing Filipo Daugunu took his chance from his own 22m area by breaking through poor Waratahs’ defence to set up a clear run at the line from second five-eighths Isaac Henry. Seven minutes from the end, centre Triston Reilly’s dive at the corner looked to have reclaimed the lead, but he put part of the ball down on the sideline. From the restart, Gordon found space on the inside near halfway and set off on a thrilling run to seal the win with his try.
Reds 26 (Harry Wilson, Carter Gordon 2, Isaac Henry tries; Louis Werchon con; Jock Campbell 2 con) Waratahs 17 (Jamie Adamson, Ioane Moananu, Harry Potter tries; Sid Harvey con). HT: 7-7
Blues 43 Moana Pasifika 7
Putting their effort into pressuring Moana Pasifika’s pack with close-driving play, the Blues hit early at Eden Park when halfback Sam Nock capped off several pick-and-go plays with the opening try three minutes into the game. Moana Pasifika looked likely after a break by first five-eighths Patrick Pellegrini, but the Blues got the ball, and Nock was taken with a head high shot from his marker Augustine Pulu, whose yellow card was upgraded to red. That only added to the pressure on Moana Pasifika, with wing AJ Lam scoring off a kick by Nock’s replacement Taufa Funaki. Moana Pasifika did pick up a 26th-minute try to hooker Millennium Sanerivi, but that was to be their lot for the remainder of the game, with two tries ruled out for infringements. Prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi went over two minutes after Moana Pasifika’s try.
The Blues opened up in the second half with prop Marcel Renata scoring after six consecutive drives at the line. First five-eighths Beauden Barrett’s 50:22 preceded lock Sam Darry’s 49th-minute try, while wing Codemeru Vai benefitted from a turnover 60m out to run away for a try. Then, after fullback William Havili was sin-binned for a head-high shot on flanker Anton Segner, it was prop Mason Tupaea who completed the scoring.
Blues 43 (Sam Nock, AJ Lam, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Marcel Renata, Sam Darry, Codemeru Vai, Mason Tupaea tries; Beauden Barrett 4 con) Moana Pasifika 7 (Millennium Sanerivi try; Patrick Pellegrini con). HT: 15-7
