Rugby-Hurricanes stay top, Crusaders surge in Super Rugby Pacific

The Wellington Hurricanes ran up 50 points for the fifth time ​this season on Saturday to stay top of the ‌Super ​Rugby Pacific standings after the reigning champion Canterbury Crusaders had downed the Auckland Blues in the big tie of round 13.

Winger Josh Moorby scored four tries as the Hurricanes thrashed Moana Pasifika 50-17 in the top-versus-bottom clash at Auckland's North ‌Harbour Stadium despite being without All Blacks Cam Roigard, Ruben Love and Jordie Barrett. Kini Naholo made a storming return from a year-long injury layoff when he came off the bench in the second half, the winger scoring two tries to help the Hurricanes to a five-point lead over the Waikato Chiefs at the top of the standings.

The Crusaders ‌look to be hitting their straps at just the right time after a poor start to the season and ran in four second-half tries on Friday ‌to down the Blues 36-20 despite losing winger Kurtis MacDonald to a red card. Leicester Fainga'anuku was again outstanding in his third outing as a hybrid flanker-centre, starting in the pack before proving equally effective in the backline as the Crusaders turned over a 13-12 halftime deficit. "I just try and keep my feet moving, always find myself in the places where I need to be and contribute as much ⁠as I can ​for the team," said Fainga'anuku, who has ⁠won 12 All Blacks caps as a centre and winger.

"I just love playing rugby." BONUS-POINT WIN The bonus-point victory enabled the fourth-placed Crusaders to cut the gap to the Blues to six points with three ⁠rounds of the regular season remaining before the playoffs.

The Chiefs moved up to second, two points ahead of the Blues, with a 31-21 victory over the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on ​Friday night, effectively ending the Australian side's hopes of a top-three spot and a home playoff. The Reds got to within three points of the lead ⁠when promising youngster Treyvon Pritchard crossed with six minutes on the clock but the Chiefs had the last word when number eight Wallace Sititi crossed for his second try to seal the victory.

The Reds, coached ⁠by ​Wallabies coach-elect Les Kiss, were aggrieved at the officiating and boos echoed around Lang Park when the final whistle was blown. The ACT Brumbies made hard work of it against tough opponents but scored 18 points after the break to beat the Western Force 32-15 in Canberra on Saturday and move above the Reds into fifth ⁠place, two points behind the Crusaders.

The best-resourced Australian team, the New South Wales Waratahs, slumped to a seventh defeat of the season, going down 31-26 to the ⁠Otago Highlanders in Dunedin to all but ⁠drop out of the race for post-season play. The Waratahs were 28-7 down at halftime after powerful Highlanders backs Caleb Tangitau, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens took full advantage of half-hearted tackling.

The visitors did well to battle back to 28-26 with a ‌minute to play but Highlanders ‌flyhalf Cameron Miller slotted a penalty after a Tavatavanawai turnover to complete the scoring. (Reporting ​by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Ed Osmond)