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Must-win matches shake up the playoffs race in Super Rugby Pacific

Published: 04 May. 2025, 15:20

Les Kiss, center, listens as Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh, right, talks about Kiss' appointment as the next Wallabies head coach as current coach Joe Schmidt, left, watches in Sydney, Australia, on April 30. [AP/YONHAP]

In a weekend of must-win matches in Super Rugby Pacific, some teams have achieved and others stumbled in the six-team playoffs race.

The defending champions, Blues, were at the top of the must-win category, having begun to lose touch with sixth place when they were beaten a week ago by the Queensland Reds. It was the seventh loss of the season for the Auckland-based team.

They had to win Friday against the sixth-place Western Force, and they did — 40-19 in a match that was closer than the margin indicated. The Blues’ victory depended a great deal on their scrum dominance.

The win lifted the Blues to sixth while the Perth-based Force dropped to seventh, based on points differential.

Coach “Stern” Vern Cotter had made clear his displeasure after the Blues’ loss to the Reds left their season dangling by a thread with matches remaining against the Force, the Fijian Drua in Fiji, Moana Pasifika and the New South Wales Waratahs.

“It’s never really nice when your coach is questioning your attitude,” Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu said. “But I think that’s what we needed — a bit of a wake-up call."

The Wellington-based Hurricanes needed to back up last week’s performance against the Canberra-based Brumbies, when they became the first New Zealand team to win in Australia this season. That win lifted them into the top six but into a very tight struggle to hold onto a playoffs place.

They produced another upset, beating the top of the table Chiefs 35-17 with the help of four second half tries by winger Bailyn Sullivan who replaced Kini Naholo at halftime. Naholo, who has scored eight tries this season, suffered a serious knee injury.

The Hurricanes moved up to fifth place after Round 12, four points ahead of the Blues, with matches remaining against the Highlanders, the Crusaders and Moana Pasifika.

The Chiefs remained atop the standings in a points tie with the Christchurch-based Crusaders who couldn’t take advantage of the Chiefs’ loss because of a weekend bye.

The Brumbies stayed in third place after a 40-17 win over the Waratahs, who dropped to eighth place, still only a point out of sixth. The Queensland Reds stayed in fourth, despite an upset 36-33 loss to the Fijian Drua.

Les Kiss comments after being named as Rugby Australia's next Wallabies head coach in Sydney, Australia on April 30. [AP/YONHAP]

The Fijian Drua maintained an outstanding home record when they beat the fourth-placed Reds in Suva on Saturday.

The win echoed the Drua’s 41-17 win over the Reds in 2023 and 28-19 win in 2024.

So far this season, the Drua have won three of five home matches but haven’t yet managed to win away from home and are at the bottom of the table.

Over the last three years, the Drua have had 19 home matches and won 14. That includes victories over the Crusaders, Waratahs and the Force. But the Reds especially have struggled in Fiji.

The Drua sealed their win with a 79th minute try on Saturday to replacement Isikeli Rabitu, dealing a blow to the Reds in their first match since their head coach Les Kiss was named to succeed Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach.

Former Wallabies utility Kurtley Beale scored a try to mark his return to rugby after a 10-month break, for the Western Force against the Blues.

The 36-year-old Beale didn’t shirk contact in his first match since sustaining a ruptured Achilles in a Sydney club game.

He played at fullback and turned in a solid 72 minutes before being substituted. Beale had a number of neat touches before crossing in the left corner for a second-half try.

AP