Super Rugby

Crusaders rest key All Blacks for Super Rugby Trans-Tasman clash against Western Force

Mo’unga is one of four players who started in last week’s 54-28 thumping of the Waratahs in Wollongong who have been benched or rested for this Friday’s match at Orangetheory Stadium.

In his place has come 21-year-old first-five Fergus Burke, who will start in his first-ever game for the Crusaders.

Mo’unga, who has been the subject of plenty of attention in recent weeks due to his sterling performances in Super Rugby this season, will be joined on the sidelines by two other All Blacks, Sam Whitelock and Sevu Reece, who both started off the bench last week.

Damian McKenzie suspended from Super Rugby

The SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee has ruled McKenzie out for three weeks following his red card for a dangerous tackle on Reds halfback Tate McDermott in the 22nd minute of the Chiefs' 40-34 to the Reds in Townsville on Saturday night.

Any incident of foul play involving contact with the head starts with a potential six week suspension.

McKenzie's guilty plea and judicial record saw the time on the sidelines reduced to three weeks by the committee of Adam Casselden, Mike Mika and Stefan Terblanche.

Highlanders clinical in Rebels defeat

The Rebels, who have yet to win in the competition this season, briefly took an unexpected one point lead early in the second half when George Worth slotted over his penalty from near the halfway line.

But after Uelese was shown the yellow card for kicking the ball away, the Highlanders took control, with a penalty try putting them back in front before tries from Josh Dickson and Jona Nareki effectively clinched the game.

Crusaders extend Waratahs losing record

The loss was the Waratahs' 11th in a row this year and leaves them one defeat short of equaling Melbourne Rebels' record 12-game losing streak for an Australian team in Super Rugby.

Eight different players scored tries for the Crusaders while Richie Mo'unga kicked 14 points as Scott Robertson's side moved back to within a point of the Hurricanes.

The New Zealanders took an early lead through Mitchell Drummond's eighth minute try, but the kicking of Will Harrison kept the Waratahs in touch and the Crusaders were made to work for the win.

Reds capitalise on Chiefs' ill-discipline

New Zealand teams had won all of the first 13 contests in the competition, a streak continued on Saturday with third straight wins over Australian opposition for the Crusaders and Blues.

A rout looked on the cards when the Super Rugby AU champion Reds raced out to a 33-3 halftime lead after Chiefs playmaker Damian McKenzie had been dismissed for a dangerous tackle in the 22nd minute.

Hurricanes blow away Force

Rayasi's fellow winger Wes Goosen, flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi, hooker Asafo Aumua, centre Ngani Laumape and fullback Jordie Barrett also nabbed tries as the home side ran out convincing bonus-point winners at Maclean Park.

The Perth-based Force raced out to a 6-0 lead on the back of two Domingo Miotti penalties but were outmuscled in the tackle area and made mistakes at crucial moments.

Highlanders move Rebels match to Sydney

The two teams were scheduled to meet in Queenstown on Sunday.

But a Covid-19 outbreak in Victoria this week, and a lockdown announced on Thursday, meant that was no longer possible after the New Zealand government extended their pause on quarantine-free travel from the state.

The Rebels had flown to Sydney on Wednesday, in the hope of then transferring to Queenstown.

But New Zealand's Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the team were covered by the travel pause because they were in Melbourne when it came into affect on Tuesday night.

Crusaders not fooled by depleted Reds' limp loss to Highlanders

The Crusaders’ head coach expects a vastly different team to front against them in Brisbane on Saturday night, not one still coming down from a triumphant final, and one missing a host of key players.

He also knows the Super Rugby Aotearoa champion Crusaders must be significantly better in multiple areas after their tense 31-29 win against the Brumbies in Christchurch on Saturday night.

NZ teams go unbeaten in round one of Super Rugby trans-Tasman

Domingo Miotti missed a chance to see the Western Force to a home win over the Chiefs in Perth as they went down 20-19 while Noah Lolesio missed a similar last-gasp chance to earn the ACT Brumbies a draw with the Crusaders in Christchurch, handing the New Zealanders a 31-29 win.

The Blues, meanwhile, pulverised the Melbourne Rebels 50-3.

The trio of New Zealand wins added to Friday's success for the Highlanders, who outmuscled Australian champions Queensland Reds, and the Hurricanes, who beat the New South Wales Waratahs.

First blood for New Zealand in trans-Tasman Super Rugby

The Highlanders trounced Australian champions the Queensland Reds 40-19 before the Hurricanes beat the NSW Waratahs 64-48 in a Sydney try-fest.

Predictions that the six-week contest would be one-sided in favour of the New Zealand sides looked on the money when Highlanders centre Scott Gregory cantered over the line for the first try of the competition after just 35 seconds in Dunedin.