Super Rugby Pacific wrap: Cane train in full steam as Chiefs hit speed wobbles

Monday, 23 March 2026

The Hurricanes streaked away to an impressive win over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday night.

The Cane train is in full steam, while the competition favourites have hit the speed wobbles.

That much is clear after a sixth round of Super Rugby Pacific featuring remarkable massive runs of scoring for the winning teams.

Across the four games involving New Zealand sides over the weekend, there were 50-0, 26-0, 38-0 and 27-0 streaks, as momentum proved monumental across the back half of the contests.

And the Hurricanes were the top of that bunch, registering that half-century in Dunedin on Friday night, in a 50-7 victory that was very much statement-like in what was their first local derby of their campaign.

Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens’s early try for the Highlanders ended up proving the only bright spot for the hosts, in front of a loud, proud student ‘Zoo’ area that made up much of the 13,000 crowd figure at Forsyth Barr Stadium, as Jamie Joseph’s outfit suffered a 10th consecutive loss to the Canes, extending what was already their longest losing run against any opponent.

In what was a scrappy first half, in a game under a roof featuring 34 turnovers conceded, Cam Roigard’s close-range double strike set the Canes back on track, then Ruben Love’s sensational flat cross-kick gave Fehi Fineanganofo the first of his trio of tries.

The blockbusting, soon-to-depart (Newcastle Red Bulls) left winger notched his second hat-trick in five games this season, and finished as game-leader for metres (119) and clean breaks (4), as the visitors cleaned up 259-11 and 11-4 in those categories overall, against a Landers side who were forced into double the amount of tackles, and whose lineout proved a shambles, not helped by the fact they have three contracted locks and one wider-training group one in the casualty ward.

With Love, Roigard and Jordie Barrett in the 9-10-12 axis for the first time since the corresponding fixture in March 2024, this was the kind of emphatic win the Hurricanes would have been craving after their inconsistent opening four games against non-Kiwi opposition.

The Chiefs’ loss to the Brumbies in Canberra would have been a very tough one to swallow for new coach Jono Gibbes.

Now, ahead of their second bye, the table-toppers will be hugely focused on backing up strongly against the Reds in Wellington on Saturday evening, before six derbies in the last eight regular-season rounds.

Chiefs let it Slip

It turned out to be the perfect way for the Brumbies’ James Slipper to celebrate his record-setting 203rd Super Rugby appearance, but the Chiefs had not planned on being that generous to the legendary prop.

At 24-7 up going into the final quarter in Canberra on Friday night, it indeed looked like the visitors were going to spoil the party of ‘Slips’, and send Stephen Larkham’s side crashing to a third-straight loss for the first time since 2022.

But the competition favourites somehow managed to conjure defeat from a position of solidarity, in what will be a mighty-frustrating loss for first-year coach Jono Gibbes, which has seen his side tumble to sixth on the table after a hot start.

Damian McKenzie will be kicking himself after his 77th minute penalty goal miss from handy range which would have nudged his side back in front of a fast-finishing home side, while he will also ponder not going for a drop goal in the 79th, after Simon Parker’s fumble and pop pass ended up seeing speedster Corey Toole snaffle and sprint the length to seal the special win.

Chay Fihaki scored two tries as the Crusaders ran away to a big win over Moana Pasifika.

The Chiefs now head to Perth for what will be an important bounce-back task against a Force side who have been better than their 1-4 record indicates and are coming in fresh off a bye.

Making the trip trickier is the loss of three players out of the Brumbies clash, with lock Tupou Vaa'i (knee) and midfielders Daniel Rona (hamstring) and Lalakai Foketi (hand) returning home to have injuries assessed, replaced by Fiti Sa, Kyle Brown and Daniel Sinkinson.

Blues, Crusaders string wins

After dropping two of their first three games of the season, the Blues have now won three on the bounce, after their big second-half surge against the wasteful Waratahs in Sydney.

The camera shots of Dan McKellar in the coaching box in the first half at Allianz Stadium said it all as the Tahs, who started the season with twin wins but have now dropped three in a row, botched numerous opportunities in a first 40 where they had 66% possession and 75% territory, and dominated 22 entries 12-4 and carry metres 339-50.

From 10-8 down, the Blues then got their rhythm going and proved too tough to stop, notching a 12th-straight win over NSW (beating their franchise-record 11 against the Force), and even banked a bonus point on the stroke of fulltime to remain tied with the Hurricanes at the head of the ladder (having played one game extra), ahead of hosting the Fijian Drua at Eden Park this Saturday night.

The defending-champion Crusaders, meanwhile, have recovered from their 0-2, and 1-3, start, to post back-to-back wins for the first time in 2026, after streaking out to a 50-21 victory over Moana Pasifika on the North Shore.

Having been stunned by Moana in their lone matchup in Christchurch last year, and with the Crusaders carrying a ton of injuries, there may have been a smidge of twitchiness among red and black fans, particularly when up just 17-14 almost 10 minutes into the second half.

But normal service then quickly resumed for Fa’alogo Tana Umaga’s team, which could have been confused with a sieve so far this season, as a stunning 13-minute four-try burst by Rob Penney’s mob saw them run away with a victory that puts them back in the mix ahead of a bye this weekend and then a four-game non-derby stretch through April.

Super Rugby Pacific, Rd 6

At Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin: Hurricanes 50 (Fehi Fineanganofo 3, Cam Roigard 2, Devan Flanders, Bailyn Sullivan, Peter Lakai tries; Ruben Love 5 con) Highlanders 7 (Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens; Reesjan Pasitoa con). HT: 19-7.

At GIO Stadium, Canberra: ACT Brumbies 33 (Hudson Creighton, Ryan Lonergan, Charlie Cale, Declan Meredith, Corey Toole tries; Lonergan 4 con), Chiefs 24 (Liam Coombes-Fabling 2, Damian McKenzie; McKenzie 3 con, pen). HT: 7-17.

At Churchill Park, Lautoka: Reds 21 (Kalani Thomas, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Richie Asiata tries; McLaughlin-Phillips 3 con) Fijian Drua 6 (Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 2 pen). HT: 7-6.

At North Harbour Stadium, Auckland: Crusaders 50 (Chay Fihaki 2, George Bell 2, Braydon Ennor, Sevu Reece, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Kurtis MacDonald tries; Cooper Grant con; Fihaki 4 con) Moana Pasifika 21 (Tevita Ofa, Joel Lam, Siaosi Nginingini tries; Patrick Pellegrini 3 con). HT: 17-14.

At Allianz Stadium, Sydney: Blues 35 (AJ Lam 2, Finlay Christie, Codemeru Vai, Torian Barnes tries; Beauden Barrett 2 con, 2 pen) Waratahs 20 (Jack Debreczeni, Daniel Botha, tries; Sid Harvey 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 8-17.

Points (games played): Hurricanes 20 (5), Blues 20 (6), Brumbies 19 (6), Reds 18 (5), Crusaders 14 (6), Chiefs 13 (5), Waratahs 10 (5), Highlanders 9 (6), Fijian Drua 8 (5), Force 4 (5), Moana Pasifika 4 (6).