Corey Toole runs with the ball during round one Super Rugby Pacific match between Fijian Drua and ACT Brumbies at HFC Stadium. Photo: Pita Simpson/Getty Images
They were close, but yet so far. At least for the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, it was, in the first round of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific competition.
The Fijian Drua lost the plot and handed the Brumbies their first win on Fiji soil, with the visitors winning Saturday's tough clash 36-32 in Suva.
It was a game they should have won, had they kept their cool and discipline, especially in the last 10 minutes when all hell broke loose for them and the thousands of fans who packed the National Stadium in Laucala.
And in Perth, the story of disappointment was perched across the Moana Pasifika change-room.
The North Harbour-based side was on the verge of a famous win over the Western Force, but Wallabies flyhalf Ben Donaldson broke the defence and scored under the post, handing his side a close 45-44 win in their first round clash.
Drua disappointed
Fiji Drua co-captain Tevita Ikanivere said they had let themselves down and was disappointed with the way the game ended.
He said they gave away possession at critical times and ill-discipline did not help them.
"Disappointing," he said post-match, addin that, "We gave away penalties and did not control what we should have controlled."
While the side had hit back from an early 7-0 deficit after the Brumbies had taken the lead early, they failed to continue the momentum in the second spell.
"We did well in the first half but we were not able to continue with that in the second half," Ikanivere said.
Indiscipline let the Drua down today with two yellow cards and the side also gave away easy penalties.
Ikanivere split the Brumbies defence to set-up halfback Simione Kuruvoli for a try under the crossbar, which Caleb Muntz converted.
Muntz nailed two successive penalties as the Fijians trailled 13-17 before debutant Ponipate Loganimasi scored a try out wide.
Loganimasi finished off a move that saw the Drua a 20-17 lead at half time.
Winger Vuate Karawalevu, who was yellow carded in the first half, scored a double in the second half to give the Drua some hope.
Karawalevu's double put the Drua ahead 32-24 at the 60-minute mark.
But flanker Reimer dived across the line in the 67th minute and burrowed over again in the 74th for the visitors to go ahead 34-32.
Replacement halfback Frank Lomani lost a big opportunity to give the Drua territorial advantage in the second half, when he decided to take a quick tap and ran the ball from a penalty in midfield, his ensuing action ending in a knock-on which the Brumbies countered to gain much needed territory deep inside the Drua half.
Then it was replacement winger Peni Matawalu, a natural halfback, who lost possession when he opted to take on the Brumbies defense when a chip and chase option would have ensured Drua played inside the opposition's 22 metre zone.
Drua will travel to Napier for their second game against the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Mac Grealy scores a try during the round one Super Rugby Pacific match between Western Force and Moana Pasifika. Photo: James Worsfold/Getty Images
Force steal win in Perth
Playmaker Donaldson scored a miracle try and kicked the conversion to steal a win over Moana Pasifika in a point-scoring bonanza in Perth on Saturday night.
Donaldson found a hole in the Pasifika defence after 26 phases and ran almost 70 metres to touch down in the 83rd minute, before converting his try for the 45-44 win.
"It felt like we were going nowhere," Donaldson told Stan Sport.
"Credit to our forwards, we spoke all week about getting set early, speed to set, and providing the platform for us and we just try and find gaps on the outside. I'm just happy with that result."
Super Rugby media reported with new captain, All Blacks superstar Ardie Savea, at the helm, Moana looked headed for an upset victory at HBF Park.
Looking to honour his Samoan heritage, Savea joined the Moana after 12 seasons with the Hurricanes and the No.8 was a constant threat in attack and defence.
Exciting young winger Kyren Taumoefolau collected a double among Moana's haul of six tries and his side led 44-31 after 75 minutes.
More than 50 points were scored in the first half alone in hot conditions, with the home side trailing by three points at the break.
They scrambled back from a 3-17 deficit with Force flanker Carlo Tizzano crossing twice to reduce the margin to three points, 27-24.
Pietsch came off the bench early in the second half and made an immediate impact, running on to a long cut-out pass from fellow Wallaby, scrumhalf Nic White.
He dashed 40 metres and was brought down just short of the line, with prop Marley Pearce finishing off the try for the Force to go ahead 31-29 after 49 minutes.
Force fans were then silenced for much of the second half as Pasifika stormed to the lead, adding three second half tries including one while Force prop Tom Robertson was yellow carded with their scrum struggling.
But the home crowd were on their feet to cheer Donaldson home for the unlikely win.
Savea said it was a disappointing loss.
"In our change room they are really down because we should have won that," Savea said post-match.
"Rugb is a cruel game, The Force hung in there.
"We got get those lessons and move on."
Savea said he was happy with the players, who gave their all.
He said it was disappointing that some of the things they should have controlled better let them down.
""We made our tackles," he said.
"We misread on D and that resulted with a try under the post. Hugely disappointed because some of the things that let us down were in our control. We will look at them and get them fixed."
The side travel to play the Reds in Brisbane in round two.
Head coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga said it was a tough and cruel game.
"We worked pretty hard to get to where we got to," he said. "Sports can be cruel sometimes. Our boys gave what they could, and we could not ask more than that as a coach."
Umaga said they have a short turn around before facing the Reds, who had a bye last weekend.
Damian McKenzie of the Chiefs dives to score a try. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Chiefs avenge final loss
Damian McKenzie scored two tries as his Chiefs beat the Blues 25-14 on Saturday, avenging their 2024 final loss.
McKenzie crossed twice in the second half and finished with 20 points as the Chiefs fought back from an eight-point deficit in wet conditions at Eden Park.
The Blues won the all-New Zealand final 41-10 at the same venue eight months ago.
The home side looked ready to repeat that outcome after tries by Dalton Papali'i and AJ Lam put them 14-6 ahead at halftime.
Super Rugby media reported that the Blues paid for their indiscipline in the second half, with the Chiefs hitting the front in the final quarter after Josh Fusitua was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle.
Debut winger Leroy Carter put the visitors ahead before fullback McKenzie slid over to secure the win, using his pace to outstrip the defence for a second time.
"It's an outstanding feeling. The Blues are the benchmark, they were last year," McKenzie said.
"I thought our forwards really muscled up, met fire with fire and allowed us to score some tremendous tries.
"It's always difficult coming up to Auckland. We haven't won here since 2020 so this is a great start."
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu said his team showed signs of early-season rust.
"We probably came into the game relying on our forward pack prowess, but I think the Chiefs just turned up better than us," he said.
Max Jorgensen of the Waratahs is tackled by Tanielu Tele'a of the Highlanders. Photo: Dan Himbrechts AAP / www.photosport.nz
Waratahs win at home
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii made an impressive debut as the NSW Waratahs snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the Highlanders in Sydney on Friday night.
A rousing last-minute try from replacement prop Siosifa Amone earned the Waratahs a thrilling 37-36 win in a rollercoaster encounter that featured 10 lead changes at Allianz Stadium.
The Tahs had looked finished after the Highlanders hit the front for a fifth time shortly after Amone bagged his first try of a memorable Friday night double in the 66th minute.
Super Rugby media reported that while he was far from his brilliant best, the Waratahs almost certainly would have lost without Suaalii and his series of classy touches.
The prized signing showcased his freakish aerial skills first, then kept the Tahs in the contest with his silky running game.
New coach Dan McKellar was hoping Suaalii could get his hands on the ball as much as possible, and debuting at fullback, the 21-year-old wasted no time making his mark on the match.
He soared high in the second minute to steal a Jake Gordon box kick from the clutches of Highlanders winger Michael Manson.
Suaalii repeated the effort shortly after, only for his tap-back this time to fall straight into the arms of Highlanders halfback Nathan Hastie, who promptly sent winger Caleb Tangitau on a virtual free run down the left sideline to open the scoring.
James O'Connor of the Crusaders. Photo: John Davidson / www.photosport.nz
Crusaders start well
Former Wallabies star James O'Connor and young scrumhalf Kyle Preston made impressive debuts off the bench to help the Crusaders to secure a 33-25 season-opening Super Rugby Pacific win over the Hurricanes in Christchurch on Friday night.
O'Connor was introduced into the action in the 57th minute and had several nice touches, but none better than a lovely short pass to put Will Jordan on the attack as the Crusaders trailed in the final quarter.
All Blacks winger Sevu Reece crossed the try line a couple of phases later to put the Crusaders in front for the first time, before O'Connor slotted the conversion to make it 29-25.
Super Rugby media reported that O'Connor turned down a small-money offer to stay at the Queensland Reds before being handed a lifeline by the Crusaders, who are the 34-year-old's fourth Super Rugby club after debuting at the Western Force back in 2008, followed by two seasons at the Melbourne Rebels.
