The Crusaders marked their revival with a home town 33-25 win over the Hurricanes, while in the upset of the round, the Chiefs beat the defending champion Blues 25-14 at Eden Park.
The Highlanders and Moana Pasifika fell by close margins to Australian sides, while the Brumbies finally broke Australia's duck in Fiji.
Crusaders 33 Hurricanes 25
The Hurricanes' inability to get across the goal line in the second half proved costly as the home side lifted their game, courtesy of some dynamism from wing Sevu Reece, who chased the ball all over the field, injecting himself into crucial plays. He had one try declined due to a perceived knock-on but later got his reward. And that's not to forget his delicate centre-kick that created a chance for debut halfback Kyle Preston to score – the middle try of his hat-trick, which got the Crusaders within a point after being down 14-22 at the turn.
Preston's arrival was all the more impressive after having to start in the first 10 minutes when Noah Hotham suffered an ankle injury. The experienced hands of fullback Will Jordan and captain and second five-eighths David Havili created opportunities for the Crusaders to build their second-half momentum. Another debutant, lock Antonio Shalfoon, was important in the forward effort. Under the Crusaders' pressure, the Hurricanes failed to recapture the assurance that marked their two first-quarter tries scored by hooker Jacob Devery.
Crusaders 33 (Kyle Preston 3, Cullen Grace, Sevu Reece tries; Taha Kemara 3 con; James O'Connor con) Hurricanes 25 (Jacob Devery 2, Kini Naholo tries; Harry Godfrey 2 con, pen; Callum Harkin pen). HT: 14-22
Waratahs 37 Highlanders 36
Early tries to the Highlanders through wing Caleb Tangitau and co-captain and second five-eighths Timoci Tavatavanawai pressured the home team in Sydney before halfback Jake Gordon's break saw prop Taniela Tupou fling a long pass to flanker Rob Leota who got the Waratahs on the try-scoring board and a 13-12 halftime lead.
That proved a forerunner to a second half in which the lead changed eight times – a true contest of thrust and counterthrust. Replacement prop Siosifa Amone scored twice, including the last-minute match-winner from a goalline ruck. Hooker Dave Porecki and wing Max Jorgensen completed the six-try haul, while Highlanders win Tangitau scored a second, with replacement loose forward Veveni Lasaqa and prop Sefo Kautai crossing. The game marked a positive start for the home side, who dominated the statistics, especially in beating 33 defenders to 20, making 180 passes to 117 while winning 100 rucks to 66, highlighting their 57 percent advantage in possession.
Waratahs 37 (Siosifa Amone 2, Rob Leota, Dave Porecki, Max Jorgensen tries; Tane Edmed 2 con, 2 pen; Jack Bowen con) Highlanders 36 (Caleb Tangitau 2, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Veveni Lasaqa, Sefo Kautai tries; Sam Gilbert 3 con, pen; Cameron Millar con). HT: 13-12
Fijian Drua 32 ACT Brumbies 36
Breaking a Super Rugby Pacific barrier by becoming the first Australian side to record a win on Fijian soil, the Brumbies hinted at their competitiveness in 2025 by refusing to buckle to the power and athleticism of the home side. With 18 minutes left, the Drua were on fire after two tries in five minutes to debut wing Vuate Karawalevu to lead 32-24. However, the Brumbies kept their heads, and flanker Luke Reimer was rewarded for an outstanding contribution in the loose by scoring tries in the 69th and 75th minutes to secure the win. He made eight tackles and won four turnovers. The Drua contributed to an exciting contest in which another wing on debut, Ponipate Loganimasi, scored.
Unusually, the Brumbies made more carries (106-81), gained more metres (456-438) and made more passes (151-103) than the usually flamboyant home side. Yet they were forced to make more tackles (115-101) but were more accurate, missing 11 compared to 19 by the Drua. Two yellow cards and an 11-7 penalty disadvantage also proved costly for the home side.
Drua 32 (Simione Kuruvoli, Ponipate Loganimasi, Vuate Karawalevu 2 tries; Caleb Muntz 3 con, 2 pen) Brumbies 36 (Luke Reimer 2, Ollie Sapsford, Rhys van Nek, Billy Pollard, Ryan Lonergan tries; Noah Lolesio 2 con; Declan Meredith con). HT: 20-17
Blues 14 Chiefs 25
Hitting the defending champion Blues in the area of strength that dominated their 2024 success paid off big time for the Chiefs in Auckland. Although trailing 6-14 at halftime, the statistics that mattered were all in the Chiefs' favour, and they hammered that advantage home in the last half hour of the contest when scoring 19 unanswered points. Their domination in the loose, where No8 Luke Jacobson and flanker Kaylum Boshier excelled, took its toll on the Blues' defence in the final 30 minutes.
That was when Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan unleashed his substitutions, but the most crucial change was the transfer of fullback Damian McKenzie to first five-eighths. His impact was crucial. Debutant Josh Jaycomb handled the first 50 minutes well, but the injection of McKenzie's speed and experience into the role opened holes in an already affected Blues defence. The Blues' missed tackle count was 30 to 13 by the Chiefs. McKenzie scored two tries and added 10 points from his boot to give the Chiefs an impressive start to their campaign. Yet the Blues were not without hope. A possible try to wing Mark Telea was ruled out at a crucial stage in the second half, and the Chiefs seized their chance to shut out any further Blues opportunities.
Blues 14 (Dalton Papali'i, AJ Lam tries; Beauden Barrett 2 con) Chiefs 25 (Damian McKenzie 2, Leroy Carter tries; McKenzie 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 14-6
Western Force 45 Moana Pasifika 44
The Force overcame significant handicaps to succeed against an impressive Moana Pasifika in Perth. The Force gave up 13 penalties to eight and had the game's only yellow card. While having to make fewer tackles (154-171), they missed 34 compared to Moana Pasifika's 20 and they made only three clean breaks while the visitors made nine. However, one of those three was a sizzling breakout from within their territory by first five-eighths Ben Donaldson. Wearing the Moana Pasifika defence down with a long series of rucks, the Force released the ball to their backs where they had the advantage of more players. That gave Donaldson an opening, and he raced 65m to score under the crossbar.
It completed a stunning second half in which Moana Pasifika scored tries to wing Kyren Taumoefoalau, his second, replacement back Sione Tupou Ta'eiloa and halfback Jonathan Taumateine within 12 minutes before Force wing Dylan Pietsch, on debut, responded from having a try denied in a goalline ruck by charging into the backline from the resulting scrum in the 76th minute. With the Force holding onto the ball and driving hard, the break finally came three minutes into injury time for Donaldson to seal the win with a 20-point contribution.
Force 45 (Carlo Tizzano 2, Mac Grealy, Marley Pearce, Dylan Pietsch, Ben Donaldon tries; Donaldson 6 con, pen) Moana Pasifika 44 (Kyren Taumoefoalau 2, Jackson Garden-Bachop, Pepesana Patafilo, Sione Tupou Ta'eiloa, Jonathan Taumateine tries; William Havili 3 con, pen; Jackson Garden-Bachop con, dropped goal). HT: 24-27