A tough week for Austalia’s Super Rugby teams.
How did the results fall across the weekend?
Blues vs Highlanders
Flanker Shannon Frizell has announced himself to Super Rugby with a hat-trick of tries for the Highlanders who have outclassed the Blues 34-16 in Auckland.
In another disastrous night for the Blues, the visitors scored five tries to two at Eden Park to notch a fifth win from seven games and keep pace with the competition leaders.
The injury-wracked Blues’ playoff hopes are looking increasingly bleak after crashing on Friday night to a sixth loss and their 15th-successive defeat in a Kiwi derby.
RESULT
Blues 16
Tries: Ruru, Manu
Pens: Gatland
Highlanders 34
Tries: Frizell 3, Hunt, Hammington
Cons: Sopoaga 3
Pens: Sopoaga
Waratahs vs Lions
The Waratahs’ winning run is over, with a lacklustre Waratahs outfit losing to the Lions in Sydney, 29-0, in their first scoreless Super Rugby outing.
It was a night of unwanted records for the Waratahs, in their biggest loss against their South African rivals, 10 points greater than their defeat in Johannesburg last year, ending NSW’s run of four wins in their past four games.
The Waratahs were keen to measure themselves against a Super Rugby yardstick and the Lions showed them the gap they need to bridge before a month of trans-Tasman matches.
Read full match report here.
RESULT
Waratahs 0
Lions 29
Tries: Tambwe, Smith, Vorster Shoeman
Cons: Jantjies 2
Pens: Jantjies
Crusaders vs Sunwolves
The Crusaders have survived a scare from the last-placed Sunwolves to win a Super Rugby match spoiled by some freakish Christchurch weather.
The defending champions emerged 33-11 winners on Saturday in Christchurch, finally quelling their Japanese opponents with two quick tries midway through the second half.
Until then, the winless Sunwolves had threatened a monumental upset, trailing 14-11 nearing the final quarter.
RESULT
Crusaders 33
Tries: Crotty 2, Todd, Mataele, Stratton
Cons: Delany 3, Hunt
Sunwolves 11
Tries: Little
Pens: Parker 2
Reds vs Chiefs
The worst first half of the Queensland season has seen them slide to a fourth straight loss, falling 36-12 to a Chiefs outfit that was in no mood to take any prisoners.
It was an historic night for Queensland, their 1000th capped game, but it will long be a night they would rather forget.
The Reds were wretched in the first half.
Basic skill errors and a complete absence of defensive initiative invited the Chiefs to run all over them and that’s exactly what the visitors did.
Read the full match report here.
RESULT
Reds 12
Tries: Kerevi 2
Cons: Lance
Chiefs 36
Tries: Ardron, Ngatai, Retallick, Polwart, Taukei’aho
Cons: D McKenzie 2, M McKenzie 2
Pens: D McKenzie
Rebels vs Bulls
Melbourne’s Super Rugby misery in South Africa has continued with the Rebels falling to a 28-10 loss against the Bulls in Pretoria.
The Rebels were looking for a breakthrough win on South African soil but again fell short on Saturday, unable to claw their way back from an 18-point halftime deficit at Loftus Versfeld.
Compounding the disappointment, Melbourne may be without three Wallabies for their next clash with the Stormers in Cape Town with skipper Adam Coleman, fullback Dane Haylett-Petty and hooker Jordan Uelese suffering injuries.
Read the full match report here.
RESULT
Bulls 28
Tries: Strauss, Kriel, Rossouw
Cons: Pollard 4
Rebels 10
Tries: Ruru
Cons: Debreczeni
Pens: Debreczeni
Sharks vs Stormers
Burly prop Thomas du Toit crashed over for a late try as the Sharks claimed a crucial 24-17 victory over the Stormers in a South African Super Rugby derby at King’s Park.
The match was full of errors but sprung to life in the second half as the Sharks kept their play-off hopes alive and inflicted a sixth defeat of the season on the ailing Stormers.
Brilliant centre Lukhanyo Am and flanker Jean-Luc du Preez also crossed for the home team, who move to 18 points in the South African conference, 12 behind runaway leaders the Lions.
The Stormers scored their tries through wing Raymond Rhule and hooker Ramone Samuels, and were always in the game as they led 7-3 at halftime.
RESULT
Sharks 24
Tries: Am, du Preez, du Toit
Cons: du Preez 3
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Pens: du Preez
Stormers 17
Tries: Rhule, Samuels
Cons: Willemse 2
Pens: Willemse
Brumbies vs Jaguares
A dismal 25-20 Brumbies loss to the Jaguares has completed a winless weekend for Australia’s Super Rugby sides.
Sunday’s defeat completed a quartet of losses to foreign teams through the weekend, with the Waratahs, Reds and Rebels all conceding their fixtures before the Brumbies this weekend.
The Brumbies were on the back foot from the start of the match, never finding the lead against the Argentinians, who have now won three of their four encounters against Australian teams this season, and their last four on Australian soil.
Read full match report here.
RESULT
Brumbies 20
Tries: Banks 2, Peni
Cons: Hawera
Pens: Hawera
Jaguares 25
Tries: Orlando, De la Fuente, Boffelli
Cons: Sanchez 2
Pens: Sanchez 2
Yellow Card: Emiliano Boffelli (48’)