Saturday 7 March 2020 20:14, UK
Recap all of Saturday's Super Rugby action as the best from the southern-hemisphere club game face off with the Blues, Rebels and Sharks victorious.
The Hurricanes produced a gutsy effort but ultimately came up short as the Blues secured a 24-15 win in their Super Rugby derby in Wellington on Saturday.
The home side played most of the second half with 14 men after Tyler Lomax was red carded for a shoulder charge to the head of Stephen Perofeta, and they suffered further setbacks when Vaea Fifita and Jordie Barrett were yellow carded in the game's closing stages.
The result is a momentous one for the Blues as it ends a nine-match losing streak against the Hurricanes which started in March 2015. Akira Ioane and Mark Telea crossed the whitewash for the Blues and they were also awarded a penalty try while Otere Black succeeded with two conversions and a penalty.
For the Hurricanes, Ben Lam and Kobus van Wyk scored tries and Jordie Barrett added a conversion and a penalty.
A strong second-half showing overcame some disciplinary issues and allowed the Melbourne Rebels to secure an emphatic 37-10 win over the Lions at AAMI Park in Super Rugby on Saturday.
The South African outfit have had a very poor start to the 2020 season, their only win so far coming in Round 2 against the Reds and the gulf in class between the two sides was evident from early on.
Matt Toomua got the hosts on the board with a 13th minute penalty following a sustained period of pressure and that was quickly followed up just six minutes later by the game's first try via Andrew Kellaway.
Richard Hardwick, Isi Naisarani, Dane Haylett-Petty and Kellaway notched further tries thereafter for the Rebels.
The Sharks moved to the top of the Super Rugby standings with a hard-fought 33-19 victory over the Jaguares in Durban.
Leading by 10 points at the break, the South African outfit were able to extend their lead early in the second half before holding on to inflict a third defeat of the season on their South American opponents.
The Sharks were ahead after just four minutes when some lovely hands saw the ball worked out wide to big lock Hyron Andrews, who scythed through the defence to score.
A Makezole Mapimpi try was chalked off a few minutes later when the TMO spotted a knock-on in the build-up, but the hosts were soon over again anyway when a quick tap-and-go caught the Jaguares defence napping, allowing Sikhumbuzo Notshe to cross the line for their second five-pointer.
The Bulls snapped a four-game losing streak with a well-deserved 38-13 win over the Highlanders in Pretoria.
The Highlanders had the better of the first half and took a five-point lead into the break, but the second half was all Bulls, as winger Rosko Specman scored an impressive hat-trick to take the game beyond the visitors.
