A WA Force player scores against the NZ-based Chiefs. Photo: Super Rugby Pacific
There were mixed fortunes for two Australian sides on Anzac Day when they came up against New Zealand sides in round 10 of 2025 Super Rugby Pacific competition.
In Brisbane on Friday night and in the wet, Tom Lynagh scored two tries and defended well in the Queensland Reds’ 35-21 win over the Auckland-based Blues.
While denied a bonus point by a late Blues try, the result snapped the Reds’ two-game losing streak and left them entrenched in the top four.
“He’s not afraid to take it on and today he took some good options,” Reds coach Les Kiss said of Lynagh on Friday.
“There was a big step up … the boys ran it beautifully in defence. They’re a hard team to hold back when they get a bit of momentum on,” he told interviewers.
“We didn’t win every battle but we won enough of the important ones.”
Blues coach Vern Cotter pulled no punches after another sorry performance.
“We’re a better team than that and those are the conversations we’re having at the moment,” he said of the quiet performances of his many stars.
“We’re easily satisfied, don’t have that same hunger (as last season).
“I just want to see the team fight a bit. I don’t mind going down but going down when we don’t give the best of ourselves is always a bit difficult to accept.”
CHIEFS RUN AWAY FROM FORCE
In the other Anzac Day fixture, the Chiefs dismissed the Western Force 56-22 in their first game at Tauranga in 12 years.
Their bonus point win shot the table-leading Kiwi side clear of other contenders with five rounds left before the finals.
Stung by the late loss of skipper Jeremy Williams, the Force tried to take the game to their hosts but their injury-depleted squad couldn’t maintain the pace.
The Chiefs led 25-15 at the break after they had trailed 12-10 at one stage when flyhalf Ben Donaldson’s quick restart from a Chiefs try caught the hosts napping for winger Harry Potter to collect the ball on the ground and score.
BRUMBIES BLOW THEIR CHANCE
The ACT Brumbies remain in third place on the points table after an upset 35-29 loss to the Hurricanes in Canberra on Saturday.
The Brumbies hadn’t lost at home to the Hurricanes since 2017 and had won five of their past six clashes – until Saturday.
IN OTHER GAMES …
A 34-15 win to Auckland-based Moana Pasifika over the Fijian Drua at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday kept them in contention for a finals berth.
Defence helped propel the Crusaders to a 43-10 win over their Highlanders hosts in Dunedin in a NZ derby.
NSW had the bye.
