Waikato Chiefs continued their 100 per cent start to the Super Rugby Pacifica season with a second-half rally to defeat in-form hosts Wellington Hurricanes 33-17 and claim a seventh successive victory on Saturday.
The Hurricanes, seeking a fifth win in a row, led 17-8 at halftime but were kept scoreless in the second period as the Chiefs flexed their muscles.
They top the table with 31 points from seven games, ahead of ACT Brumbies on points-difference, though the Canberra-based side have played one more game. The Hurricanes are third with 27 points from eight matches.
Flanker Devon Sanders and scrumhalf Cameron Roigard crossed for Hurricanes tries in the first half, following an opener from Chiefs centre Daniel Rona.
But the momentum swung in the second period as the Chiefs woke from their lethargic start and scored three more tries via flanker Pita Gus Sowakula, scrumhalf Cortez Ratima and flyhalf Damian McKenzie.
“Coming off the bye, we were a little slow coming out of the blocks, but we just stuck to what’s worked all season. I told the boys to trust it and it’ll all start coming, sure enough it did,” Chiefs co-captain Brad Weber said.
“The Hurricanes have had a hell of a start (to the season) and played some great footy, so we knew it was going to be an arm wrestle.”
Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea rued his side’s inability to repeat their first-half performance.
“The first half was really good, we did the simple things well. I think the second half let us down. Back-to-back mistakes and you can’t do that to a team like the Chiefs,” he said.
Centre Izaia Perese scored two tries as New South Wales Waratahs claimed a second win of the season with a 36-16 bonus-point victory over Western Force in Sydney.
Waratahs led 22-6 at halftime and were in control of the game until the final 20 minutes when two scores for the Force hinted at a comeback that ultimately never materialised.
The Brumbies were not at their best but completed a 43-28 victory over Fijian Drua in Canberra on Friday.
Winger Ben O’Donnell scored a hat-trick of tries but it was only in the closing stages of the game that the more fancied Brumbies pulled clear on the scoreboard.
“There’s good composure in the team at the moment. We’ve seen that throughout the season so far, we’ve been in a tight tussle for eight rounds now with every team,” Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said.
Queensland Reds claimed a first win outside of Australia in four years as they defeated Moana Pasifika 40-28 in Apia.
Hooker Matt Faessler scored two tries for the visitors but they were denied a bonus point when winless Moana bagged a couple of late scores as flanker Miracle Faiilagi also completed a brace for the hosts, who were making their debut in Samoa.
“(Losing the bonus point) was frustrating … with a lot of teams around us (in the table), those things add up and are important,” Reds coach Brad Thorn said.
Auckland Blues, Canterbury Crusaders, Otago Highlanders and Melbourne Rebels all had byes in this round.
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