Round 10 of Super Rugby Pacific delivered dramatic finishes, defensive grit, and decisive results.
From James O’Connor’s match-winning penalty after the siren in Christchurch to the Drua’s continued dominance at home, this week saw title contenders take shape and playoff pressure ramp up.
- Crusaders 25 – 22 Blues
- Fijian Drua 28 – 14 Waratahs
- Moana Pasifika 0 – 24 Brumbies
- Chiefs 46 – 10 Highlanders
- Force 17 – 17 Hurricanes
Here are all the results and match recaps from Round 10:
O’CONNOR CLUTCH PENALTY SINKS BLUES IN DRAMATIC FINISH AT CHRISTCHURCH
Crusaders 25 – 22 Blues (HT: 14-7)
James O’Connor was the hero in Christchurch as the veteran flyhalf slotted a long-range penalty after the siren to secure a nail-biting 25-22 win for the Crusaders over the Blues in Round 10 of Super Rugby Pacific. In torrential conditions brought on by Cyclone Tam, the match turned into a gritty forwards battle that went right down to the wire. Tamaiti Williams opened the scoring just two minutes in, capitalizing off early territory to crash over from close range. The Blues worked their way back through a try to lock Josh Beehre, but the Crusaders regained the lead on the stroke of halftime with a superb line break and finish by fullback Will Jordan, thanks to a clever offload from David Havili. Christian Lio-Willie added a third Crusaders try early in the second half, giving the hosts a 19-7 advantage. But the Blues rallied with two quick tries — one to Hoskins Sotutu and another to AJ Lam following a brilliant offload from the number eight — leveling the match at 19-all. Beauden Barrett nudged the Blues ahead with a penalty in the 67th minute, only for O’Connor to respond minutes later. With the match seemingly heading for extra time, a late scrum penalty gave the former Wallaby a chance from nearly 40 meters — and he made no mistake, nailing the clutch kick to give the Crusaders their sixth win of the season.
CRUSADERS
- Tries: Williams (2’), Jordan (40’), Lio-Willie (45’)
- Conversions: Kemara (3’, 40’)
- Penalties: O’Connor (72’, 80’)
BLUES
- Tries: Beehre (24’), Sotutu (58’), Lam (64’)
- Conversions: Barrett (25’, 59’)
- Penalties: Barrett (68’)
DRUA DIG DEEP TO SINK WARATAHS IN LAUTOKA HEAT
Fijian Drua 28 – 14 NSW Waratahs (HT: 18-7)
The Fijian Drua extended their fortress record at Churchill Park to eight straight home wins with a gutsy 28-14 triumph over the NSW Waratahs in Round 10 of Super Rugby Pacific. Playing in oppressive heat and humidity, the hosts dominated the first half, capitalizing on a staggering 66% possession rate to put the Waratahs under sustained pressure. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula opened the scoring with two early penalties before flanker Motikiai Murray sliced through soft Waratahs defense for the opening try. Just before halftime, Ponipate Loganimasi punished more flimsy tackling to score Drua’s second and give them an 18-7 lead at the break. NSW’s only highlight in the first half came through back-rower Langi Gleeson, who scored just two minutes after entering the match. Injuries plagued the Tahs with Ben Grant, Charlie Gamble, and Teddy Wilson all forced off, but they managed to fight back in the second half. Replacement hooker Julian Heaven crashed over in the 56th minute to reduce the deficit to seven. However, the Waratahs couldn’t break through again, and their comeback hopes faded as the Drua’s defense stiffened. To make matters worse for the Waratahs, a penalty try after the fulltime siren denied them a losing bonus point and sealed a statement win for the Drua. NSW has now lost nine consecutive away games and remains winless on the road in 2025.
FIJIAN DRUA
- Tries: Murray (23’), Longanimasi (39’), Penalty Try (80’)
- Conversions: Armstrong-Ravula (24’)
- Penalties: Armstrong-Ravula (3’, 14’, 51’)
WARATAHS
- Tries: Gleeson (26’), Heaven (57’)
- Conversions: Edmed (27’), Creighton (58’)
BRUMBIES BLANK MOANA PASIFIKA IN GRITTY BONUS-POINT WIN ON THE ROAD
Moana Pasifika 0 – 24 Brumbies (HT: 0-5)
The ACT Brumbies notched back-to-back victories for the first time this season with a hard-fought 24-0 shutout of Moana Pasifika in Pukekohe. Despite dominating their past two encounters with Moana (scoring over 120 points combined), this Round 10 clash proved a far tougher test as the Brumbies were held scoreless until the final play of the first half. In a bruising, stop-start contest, winger Corey Toole broke the deadlock with a brilliant counter-attacking try on the stroke of halftime, pouncing on an Andy Muirhead chip to give the visitors a 5-0 lead. Up until that point, both teams had come close but failed to finish, with Moana having a try overturned by the TMO and Tom Hooper spending 10 minutes in the bin. Replacement hooker Billy Pollard made the difference after the break, scoring two textbook maul tries to extend the lead to 17-0. Toole then sealed the bonus point with his second try in the 76th minute, capping off a sharp sequence started by Harrison Goddard and finished by fullback Tom Wright’s slick assist. While not a free-flowing affair, the Brumbies’ discipline, set-piece strength, and clinical finishing proved decisive. The shutout marks Moana Pasifika’s first scoreless outing in Super Rugby Pacific and propels the Brumbies up to second place ahead of a blockbuster clash with the Hurricanes.
MOANA PASIFIKA
- No scoring
BRUMBIES
- Tries: Toole (40’, 74’), Pollard (55’, 67’)
- Conversions: Meredith (68’, 75’)
CHIEFS DOMINATE SECOND HALF TO CRUSH HIGHLANDERS AND RECLAIM TOP SPOT
Chiefs 46 – 10 Highlanders (HT: 13-10)
The Chiefs reclaimed top spot on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder with a dominant 46-10 victory over the Highlanders in Hamilton, blitzing their southern rivals with 33 unanswered points in a devastating second-half display. After a tightly contested first half that ended 13-10 in favour of the hosts, the Chiefs turned on the afterburners in the second. Damian McKenzie orchestrated the attack with precision, bouncing back from last week’s loss to the Waratahs with a flawless performance off the tee — nailing five conversions and two penalty goals. Kaylum Boshier was the star of the surge, bagging a quickfire brace as part of a stunning 17-minute stretch where the Chiefs ran in four tries. Leroy Carter, Samipeni Finau, and Samisoni Taukei’aho also crossed the line as the home side left the Highlanders in their wake. The Highlanders had shown early promise, with Sosefo Kautai scoring their lone try and Cameron Millar adding the extras plus a penalty, but they had no answers for the Chiefs’ pace, power, and precision in the second stanza. The 36-point margin belied a hard-fought opening half but underscored the Chiefs’ title credentials heading into the final stretch of the season.
CHIEFS
- Tries: Narawa (9’), Carter (43’), Boshier (50’, 58’), Finau (53’), Taukei’aho (75’)
- Conversions: McKenzie (10’, 44’, 51’, 54’, 59’)
- Penalties: McKenzie (8’, 30’)
HIGHLANDERS
- Tries: Kautai (28’)
- Conversions: Millar (29’)
- Penalties: Millar (4’)
FORCE AND HURRICANES PLAY OUT DRAMATIC DRAW AS DROP-GOAL HITS THE POST
Western Force 17 – 17 Hurricanes (HT: 14-5)
The Western Force and Hurricanes played to a thrilling 17-17 draw in Perth, with a last-gasp drop-goal attempt from Ruben Love crashing into the post in golden point extra time, denying the visitors a dramatic win. In a tense and physical Round 10 clash, both sides had opportunities to seal the result late, but neither could land the final blow. The Hurricanes struck first through winger Fehi Fineanganofo, who scored in the corner after eluding two defenders in the 11th minute. The Force responded swiftly through Bayley Kuenzle, marking his return from injury with a powerful finish to level the match. Carlo Tizzano’s breakdown dominance sparked a key first-half surge, setting up Mac Grealy to score off a brilliant cut-out pass from Nic White. Ben Donaldson’s conversion gave the Force a 14-5 lead at the break. The Hurricanes roared back in the second half, with Callum Harkin slicing through the defense to close the gap, before Fineanganofo’s second try put the visitors ahead 17-14. Donaldson nailed a clutch 78th-minute penalty to force extra time, and had two chances to win it — missing a long-range penalty and seeing a drop-goal attempt charged down. In the final moment, Love’s clean strike looked destined to win the match, but the upright denied the Hurricanes victory as the match ended level.
WESTERN FORCE
- Tries: Kuenzle (15’), Grealy (39’)
- Conversions: Donaldson (16’, 40’)
- Penalties: Donaldson (79’)
HURRICANES
- Tries: Fineanganofo (11’, 63’), Harkin (48’)
- Conversions: Harkin (49’)
STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 10
With five rounds remaining, the competition is entering its critical phase.
The Chiefs reclaimed the top spot, the Brumbies secured back-to-back wins, and the Crusaders proved they’re still in the mix. As teams fight for playoff positioning, Round 10 served as another reminder that every point counts in a tight Super Rugby Pacific table.
Who impressed you most in Round 10? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s talk rugby.
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