Super Rugby: Round 11 - Hurricanes take top spot from Super Round

We have new league leaders at the end of round 11, as the Hurricanes now sit at the top of the tree with a game in hand on the chasing pack. The Wellington side are level on points with the second placed Chiefs, yet have the extra match in the back pocket which could prove pivotal come the end of the regular season.

The Blues, Crusaders, Brumbies and Reds round off the current play off births from third to sixth place respectively. So, in case you missed any of the action from the Southern Hemisphere's premier club competition this past weekend, we've got you covered with our weekly RUCK Super Rugby recap.

The Crusaders opened Super Round in Christchurch with a 35-20 victory over the NSW Waratahs at One NZ Stadium, avoiding unwanted history in a five-tries-to-two win in front of a packed 25,237 crowd.

The visitors made the brighter start, with Sid Harvey slotting back-to-back penalties to give the Waratahs a 6-0 lead and briefly quieten the home crowd. But the Crusaders soon settled, with Dallas McLeod stepping in from late selection to score the opening try and spark the response.

After a scrappy and physical opening half, Codie Taylor’s rolling-maul finish edged the hosts into a 14-13 lead at the break. The momentum swung further after the restart when Leicester Fainga’anuku powered over, before McLeod grabbed his second following a well-executed attacking move that stretched the Waratahs’ defence.

Despite periods of pressure and some enterprising attacking play, including a spectacular long-range team try finished by Harvey, the Waratahs were repeatedly undone by discipline issues and Crusaders pressure at key moments.

Teddy Wilson’s second-half try briefly reignited hope for the visitors, reducing the gap to eight, but Macca Springer’s incisive finish late on finally put the result beyond doubt as the hosts pulled away.

The win moves the Crusaders to 5-5 and keeps them firmly in touch with the top four, while the Waratahs remain mid-table after a spirited but inconsistent showing.

SCORES
Crusaders 35 (Tries: McLeod 2, Springer, Taylor, Fainga’anuku; Cons: Kemara 5)
NSW Waratahs 20 (Tries: Harvey, Wilson; Cons: Harvey 2; Pens: Harvey 2)

The Hurricanes produced a ruthless attacking display to dismantle the ACT Brumbies 45-12 at Super Round in Christchurch, powering to the top of the table with a statement bonus-point win.

Fehi Fineanganofo was the standout, running in four tries in a devastating individual performance as the Hurricanes’ backline repeatedly punished Brumbies errors. Josh Moorby also crossed twice, while Ruben Love controlled proceedings with an assured display from fly-half, contributing heavily to a dominant first-half showing.

The contest was effectively decided before the break, with the Brumbies compounding their own problems through costly kicking errors and handling mistakes that repeatedly handed momentum back to the Hurricanes. Fineanganofo’s hat-trick try just before half-time capped a miserable opening 40 minutes for the Australians, who trailed 19-0 at the interval.

Any hopes of a fightback were quickly extinguished after the restart. David Feliuai finished a rare Brumbies highlight following a sharp break from Corey Toole, but the Hurricanes immediately responded through Moorby’s first score before Fineanganofo added his fourth in emphatic fashion.

Toole added a second late consolation for the Brumbies, but the Hurricanes had long since taken control, finishing strongly with further tries to underline their superiority.

The result pushes the Hurricanes to the summit of the standings, while the Brumbies slip further into mid-table pressure after a heavy defeat.

SCORES
Hurricanes 45 (Tries: Fineanganofo 4, Moorby 2, Rova; Cons: Love 5)
ACT Brumbies 12 (Tries: Toole, Feliuai; Cons: Edmed)

Beauden Barrett’s golden point penalty sealed a dramatic 36-33 win for the Blues over the Queensland Reds in Christchurch, after a breathless contest swung repeatedly across a tense final quarter.

The Blues looked in control early, racing to a 21-7 lead and later stretching it to 33-21 with just 15 minutes remaining, but the Reds produced a stirring late fightback to drag themselves back into the contest. A converted Louis Werchon try on the siren forced extra time and set up a tense finish.

In golden point, the Blues pinned the Reds deep inside their own half before Fraser McReight was penalised at the breakdown, handing Barrett the chance to settle it. Despite a mixed night from the tee, the veteran fly-half made no mistake with a composed strike from an angle to secure victory.

The Blues had made the stronger start, with Zarn Sullivan crossing twice in the opening half as they built early dominance. However, the Reds refused to go away, with Harry Wilson leading the charge and Tim Ryan finishing a spectacular edge try as momentum shifted.

Even when the Blues threatened to pull away again in the second half, the Reds showed resilience, forcing errors and capitalising through McReight, Wilson and others before Werchon’s late score stunned the home support and sent the game into extra time.

Ultimately, it was the Blues who held their nerve in the decisive moment, edging a third consecutive Kiwi win over Australian opposition in Christchurch and briefly moving into second place on the ladder.

SCORES
Blues 36 (Tries: Sullivan 2, Forbes, Papali’i, Slater; Cons: Barrett 4; Pens: Barrett)
Queensland Reds 33 (Tries: McReight, Wilson, Campbell, Ryan, Werchon; Cons: McLaughlin-Phillips 3, Volavola)

The Highlanders held off a late Moana Pasifika surge to claim a 27-17 victory in Christchurch, surviving a nervy finish to secure an important Super Round win.

The match was tightly contested from the outset, with both sides setting a physical tone in a bruising opening quarter. The Highlanders controlled territory early but were repeatedly denied by a resilient Moana Pasifika defence before Semisi Paea’s yellow card opened the door for Jonah Lowe to score the opening try.

Moana Pasifika responded impressively despite their discipline setback, producing a moment of brilliance through Israel Leota, who soared over Xavier Tito-Harris to claim a spectacular try in the corner. Glen Vaihu then capitalised on space in the defensive line to edge the visitors ahead 10-7 at half-time.

The Highlanders hit back immediately after the restart, levelling through a penalty before taking control with tries to Angus Ta’avao and Adam Lennox. Lennox’s score, finishing off a clever kick and chase, proved decisive as the hosts moved into a commanding position.

Moana Pasifika refused to fade, with Augustine Pulu’s acrobatic finish dragging them back within range and setting up a tense final quarter. However, despite several threatening phases, they were unable to land a decisive blow.

Cameron Millar’s late penalty sealed the result and ensured the Highlanders held on, keeping themselves firmly in touch with the upper half of the table after a hard-fought contest.

SCORES
Highlanders 27 (Tries: Lowe, Lennox, Ta’avao; Cons: Millar 3; Pens: Millar 2)
Moana Pasifika 17 (Tries: Leota, Vaihu, Pulu; Cons: Havili)

The Chiefs wrapped up Super Round in style with a commanding 42-22 bonus-point win over the Fijian Drua, capitalising on costly errors to surge into second place on the ladder, level on points with the Hurricanes.

The Drua made a blistering start when prop Mesake Doge crashed over inside the opening four minutes, but the Chiefs quickly wrestled control with a clinical response. Brodie McAlister finished from a rolling maul before Quinn Tupaea continued his strong form by backing up a Daniel Sinkinson break to edge the hosts in front.

Momentum swung further the Chiefs’ way when Drua fullback Ilaisa Droasese produced a major in-goal error, attempting a risky grubber that was pounced on by Jared Proffit for a crucial score. The visitors punished the mistake again shortly after, with Cortez Ratima extending the lead before Sinkinson grabbed his second from close range following another breakdown in Drua defence.

Despite a spirited response from the visitors, including a powerful long-range try from replacement hooker Kavaia Tagivetaua and a darting finish from Simione Kuruvoli, the Drua were unable to close the gap.

Tepaea Cook-Savage’s late try sealed the result, ensuring the Chiefs finished a high-scoring encounter with authority and maximum points.

SCORES
Chiefs 42 (Tries: Sinkinson 2, Tupaea, McAlister, Proffit, Cook-Savage, Ratima; Cons: McKenzie 6)
Fijian Drua 22 (Tries: Tagivetaua, Doge, Kuruvoli; Cons: Armstrong-Ravula 2; Pens: Armstrong-Ravula)