(Reuters) – Wellington Hurricanes continued their perfect start to the Super Rugby Pacific season with a sixth successive victory on Saturday as the Canterbury Crusaders got their first win of the season to move the defending champions off the foot of the table.
The Crusaders ended their shock losing start to the campaign with a 37-26 win over Waikato Chiefs on Friday in Christchurch, with former Wales international centre Johnny McNicholl scoring two tries to bring relief to coach Rob Penney.
The win was the Crusaders’ first in the six matches since Scott Robertson left the team to take over as All Blacks coach.
“It’s amazing, the boys fronted tonight,” Crusaders captain Tom Christie said. “There’s a long way to go, we can acknowledge that, but it was a step in the right direction.”
The Hurricanes were seven-try 47-12 winners over the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin, though victory may have come at great cost with a serious leg injury suffered by Cam Roigard, one of the stand-out players in the competition.
The scrumhalf was one of seven different try-scorers for the visitors.
“We knew we had to start well and that is what we did in that first half, which is very pleasing,” Hurricanes centre Jordie Barrett said.
“We are thinking of Cam, it is a massive blow for us and it will take its toll on our team. He is an unbelievable player.”
Hurricanes top the table after six rounds with 27 points ahead of the Auckland Blues and ACT Brumbies (both on 22).
Fullback Tom Wright scored two tries as the Brumbies edged hosts Queensland Reds 20-19 in Brisbane, a late penalty from flyhalf Noah Lolesio edging them in front in a seesaw contest.
“It is always hard playing a very classy Reds team and we had to win ugly, but we got over the line,” Lolesio said. “We had to play at our pace and get control.”
BLUES WIN
The Blues followed up last week’s win over the Crusaders by easing to a bonus-point 47-8 victory over Moana Pasifika at Eden Park on Saturday.
All Blacks winger Mark Telea scored a hat-trick of tries and Stephen Perofeta put 17 points on the board in a comprehensive win.
“This game wasn’t going to be easy. They’re a tough side, they’re a lot of our brothers and we grew up playing with them, so we always knew this was going to be a tough match,” Auckland back rower Akira Ioane said.
Fijian Drua overcame a first-half red card for hooker Tevita Ikanivere to notch up a third successive win at Churchill Park in difficult conditions in Lautoka on Saturday with Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula scoring 16 points in the home side’s 31-13 victory over the Western Force.
Tom Horton put the visitors ahead with an early try but the Drua took control as they mastered a waterlogged pitch, with wingers Epeli Momo and Selestino Ravutaumada, and centre Iosefo Masi scoring tries.
Filipo Daugunu’s last-minute try confirmed the Melbourne Rebels’ 27-21 win over the New South Wales Waratahs, the winger sealing a third victory of the season for the team facing serious financial problems.
(Reporting by Michael Church and Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
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