Super Rugby: Hurricanes dispatch Blues; Chiefs see off Brumbies, Waratahs thrash Sunwolves
Last Updated: 07/07/18 6:26pm
Keep across all of Saturday's Super Rugby action as and when it happens with our round-ups and highlights.
Friday saw two Super Rugby games take place, with the Crusaders and Rebels victorious, and you can read round-ups and catch the highlights of those games right here.
Find all the details for Saturday's action below...
Hurricanes 42-24 Blues
Ngani Laumape scored four tries and set up another for Julian Savea as the Hurricanes ended a three-game losing run and kept alive their hopes of a home quarter-final.
Laumape scored twice in the first half and his bullocking running set up Savea, all from attacking scrums, while he grabbed his third from an attacking lineout late in the second half.
Blues No 8 Akira Ioane's try had followed two from his brother Rieko to make the score 28-24 with 15 minutes remaining before Laumape completed his hat-trick by finishing off an intercept made by Beauden Barrett, who had also crossed earlier.
The Hurricanes now have 50 competition points, are second in the New Zealand conference and fourth overall, five ahead of the Chiefs, who they play next week in Hamilton
Chiefs 24-19 Brumbies
Damian McKenzie again showcased how dangerous he is at turning defence into attack as he scored one try and set up another to help the Chiefs to a tense victory over the Brumbies in Hamilton on Saturday.
McKenzie's influence was telling in the tight game, with the utility back sparking, then finishing off a counter-attack to score, while his intercept of Joe Powell's pass set up Johnny Fa'auli's five-pointer in the second.
The Brumbies, who were kept scoreless in the first half, fought back in the second with tries to winger Henry Speight (two) and fullback Tom Banks but could not snatch the win.
Waratahs 77-25 Sunwolves
Israel Folau, Taqele Naiyaravoro and Alex Newsome all scored two tries as the Waratahs ran rampant against a Sunwolves side reduced to 14 men for about 40 minutes and to 13 for the final 10 in Sydney to seal the Australian conference title and a guaranteed home quarter-final.
The Japanese team had winger Semisi Masirewa sent off in the final minute of the first half for a lifting tackle on Bernard Foley while Fumiaki Tanaka was sin binned for a dangerous tackle on Jake Gordon in the 70th minute.
Sekope Kepu, Kurtley Beale Ned Hanigan, Nick Phipps, Curtis Rona and Michael Wells all also crossed for the home side, who moved to 44 points, nine ahead of the Rebels and into the playoffs for the first time since 2015 with the victory.
Michael Leitch and Aki Yamada, who grabbed a second try after halftime, scored for the visitors, who had been in the game and trailing only 24-18 when Masirewa was sent off.
Bulls 43-34 Jaguares
The Jaguares were denied top spot in the South African conference after letting a 19-0 lead slip in Pretoria to end their seven-match winning streak in Super Rugby.
They remain three points behind the table-topping Lions in the conference with a game to go, as full-back Emiliano Boffelli also missed a late conversion that would have given them a losing bonus-point.
The Bulls scored their tries through centres John-Ben Kotze and Jesse Kriel, scrum-half Embrose Papier, wing Jamba Ulengo (two) and lock Marco van Staden.
The Jaguares managed five tries of their own, a fine solo effort from fly-half Nicolas Sanchez to go with a brace each from flank Pablo Matera and scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou.
Stormers 27-16 Sharks
The Sharks' hopes of making the play-offs were dealt a blow in the form of a 27-16 loss to the Stormers at Newlands in the last game of the weekend.
Fly-half Robert du Preez kept his side ticking with his boot, but the visitors' inability to score tries cost them as they went into the break 21-9 down thanks to scores from Cobus Wiese, EW Viljoen and Rymond Rhule.
The Sharks hit back early in the second half when Kobus van Wyk went over, but Joshua Stander then put the Stormers 24-16 ahead with a shot at goal. Du Preez had a chance to bring his side to within five points with a penalty attempt of his own in the 72nd minute, but he pushed it wide. Stander then knocked over another penalty to give his side a comfortable victory in Cape Town.
The Sharks now need to beat the Jaguares in their final outing and hope the Rebels lose to the Highlanders if they are to sneak into the quarter-finals. The Stormers cannot progress to the knock-outs despite their victory.
