Chiefs top Super Rugby Pacific after bizarre try sinks Drua

A forearm finish from Jared Profitt and a split-second mistake from Ilaisa Droasese pushed the Waikato Chiefs to the top of Super Rugby Pacific, turning a tight contest into a 42-22 win over the Fijian Drua and a statement on momentum.

The decisive moment arrived late in the first half at Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium, when Droasese appeared to have the ball under control in his own in-goal area. Instead of grounding it to end the play, he tried to grubber it out. Profitt pounced and grounded the ball with his forearm, a bizarre try that changed the match and helped the Chiefs surge to a 28-10 halftime lead. From there, the visitors stretched away in the second half and claimed the bonus-point victory that lifted them level with the Wellington Hurricanes on 36 points, but ahead on wins after 11 rounds.

The sequence also showed how quickly the Chiefs converted pressure into points. Match coverage noted that debutant fullback Isaac Hutchinson had put in the kick under advantage for Daniel Sinkinson to chase before the Drua’s error opened the door. RNZ described the contest as a high-octane scoring spree, and the Chiefs were simply too strong in the chaos when the game became loose and fast. In a league where fine margins matter, one questionable decision in the in-goal area proved more costly than any sustained spell of Drua resistance.

The result closed out a weekend that belonged to New Zealand rugby. All five Super Round matches in Christchurch were won by New Zealand sides, with the Crusaders opening the new stadium on Friday with a 35-20 win over the NSW Waratahs before a sold-out crowd of 25,237. The Hurricanes beat the Brumbies on Saturday, the Blues edged the Reds in golden-point extra time, and the Highlanders finished off Moana Pasifika. The Super Round ran from April 24 to April 26 at the fixed-roof, 25,000-seat venue in Ōtautahi Christchurch, one of the first major chances for fans to see it in use.

That sweep sharpened the wider picture in the competition. After 11 of 16 rounds, the top four teams were all from New Zealand, underlining the country’s hold on the tournament and the growing gap with the Australian and Pacific sides. Chiefs captain Tupou Vaa’i said, “It was a big occasion because of the new stadium here in Christchurch,” and added that it was “awesome to get all the teams here and get three days of quality rugby.” For the Chiefs, it was a night when composure, opportunism and one strange decision combined to decide the table.