Saturday 14 March 2020 17:16, UK
Recap all of Saturday's Super Rugby action as the best from the southern hemisphere club game face off with the Blues, Crusaders, Reds and Sharks victorious.
Winger Rieko Ioane scored two tries as the Blues overran South Africa's Lions 43-10, posting their first home win of the season.
The match continued a major revival for Ioane, who lost his All Blacks starting spot at last year's World Cup in Japan. The Blues last won the Super Rugby title in 2003 but, with recent wins over New Zealand rivals and in matches home and away, are beginning to shape as title contenders.
The match was tight at first and the Blues led by only 15-10 after 35 minutes. But a penalty try just before the break, for a professional foul by Lions flanker Ruan Vermaak, gave the Blues a comfortable lead and confidence going into the second half.
Ioane scored the first try of the match in the eighth minute, using his power rather than speed to break the Lions' defence. The Lions replied with their only try in the 16th minute, breaking down the Blues resistance after multiple phases.
A superb try from full-back Stephen Perofeta after a Lions turnover gave the Blues a 15-10 lead and the penalty try put them comfortably ahead at halftime.
Ioane scored his second soon after the break as the Blues became increasingly dominant. Tries to Gerard Cowley-Tuioti and Hoskins Sotutu earned the Blues a valuable bonus point.
Defending champions Crusaders, reduced to 13 men in the last 15 minutes, stuttered to a 49-14 win over Japan's Sunwolves in Brisbane. The match was transferred from Tokyo as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
A scratch Crusaders lineup lacked the cohesion at first to break down a stubborn Sunwolves defence. Full-back George Bridge brought a touch of class, providing the last pass in tries to Sevu Reece and Tom Christie that gave the Crusaders a 14-7 halftime lead.
The Crusaders started the second half with a try but the Sunwolves replied with a fine solo try from fly-half Garth April to keep the game close at 21-14 after 55 minutes.
Reece's second and a try to Sione Havili gave the Crusaders a 35-14 lead before they were reduced to 14 men when replacement Hugh Roach was shown a red card for elbowing. They were down to 13 men when Reece received a yellow card but still managed tries to Braydon Ennor and Fergus Burke.
At Brisbane in the second half of the doubleheader that included the Crusaders and Sunwolves, the Queensland Reds came back from a 17-0 deficit after 20 minutes to beat the Bulls 41-17.
The Reds scored three tries in each half to claim just their second win of the season, with Queensland captain Liam Wright leading the way.
Only 7,335 fans turned out for the matches in Brisbane, with many heeding virus-linked warnings about large gatherings ahead of a government edict banning non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday which could end the Super Rugby season.
Wright opened the scoring for the Reds with a pick and drive effort but it was his defensive effort just minutes later that turned the match. With the Reds defending deep in their own territory, Wright made a try-saving tackle on Rosko Speckman. He followed that up with a turnover at the tackle, winning a penalty as he attempted to pilfer the ball.
Soon after, Isaac Lucas scored a brilliant team try that passed through several sets of hands before he dived over the line to help the Reds move to within three points at the break. The Reds scored three tries in 12 minutes in the second half to complete the comeback.
The Sharks claimed a 24-14 win over the Stormers in a bruising Super Rugby derby at Kings Park on Saturday.
The win sees the Sharks top the South African Super Rugby Standings as tries from Aphelele Fassi and Makazole Mapimpi plus 14 points from fly-half Curwin Bosch sealed the win.
Herschel Jantjies and Paul de Wet crossed for the Stormers while Damian Willemse added both conversions to keep them in contention and remain in second place in the conference.
The Stormers were lucky not to play the game with 14-men after Johan du Toit took out Sharks scrum-half Louis Schreuder in the air at the very start of the game.
Despite the TMO suggesting a red card, referee AJ Jacobs showed a relieved Du Toit just a yellow card. The illegal challenge ended Schreuder game as he was stretchered off and never returned after failing his HIA.
Saturday's match between the Jaguares and Highlanders in Buenos Aires will be played without fans after the mayor of Buenos Aires banned mass gatherings.
