The penultimate spherical within the common season of Super Rugby Pacific settled 4 of the highest six playoff spots.
The Hurricanes edged the Reds 31-27 in a thriller to substantiate their playoff place. The Reds are prone to advance too after incomes championship factors within the slender defeat.
The Chiefs have been scary in opposition to Moana Pasifika, the Crusaders heaped extra distress upon the Highlanders, and the Waratahs are nonetheless alive. Who have been the standout performers in Rugby 14 of Tremendous Rugby Pacific?
Tom Christie (Crusaders)
Few players thrive more in an ugly arm-wrestle than Crusaders openside Tom Christie. The hosts made 127 more tackles than the Highlanders, still winning 15-12.
Christie made 29 tackles, 11 more than the next-best player, Christian Lio-Willie. Furthermore, he snaffled the breakdown turnover that was soon turned into the winning try by Tamaiti Williams; Christie attached to the loosehead’s shoulder in an ugly 71st-minute drive over. Williams wasn’t supposed to play. Instead, he lasted 80 minutes, making 14 tackles and anchoring the stronger scrum.
In the last ten minutes, Christie pulled down a rampaging Timoci Tavatavanawai (21 carries) and was lurking near a ruck and a lineout when the Highlanders lost possession attacking inside Crusaders territory.
The Highlanders were down 10-0 after 15 minutes, but eventually dominated the next hour. With seven defeats by a converted try or less in 2025, they have simply forgotten how to win. Three kicks over the dead-ball line in the second half are more unforgivable than Cam Millar’s miss from a penalty shot 40 metres out in front that could have sent the game to extra time.
“That’s the southern derby, bro,” Williams laconically quipped after the whistle.
Meanwhile, Sevu Reece scored a dubious 15th-minute try that gave the All Blacks winger exclusive ownership of the Super Rugby record for most tries. Was Reece’s try a try?
Maybe 92-year-old Ian Brackenbury Channell, Aka ‘The Wizard,’ is still practising Black Magic. Otago fans remember the David Latta penalty in 1994 with the ‘The Wizard’ cheering in the background?
Reece has scored 66 tries in 84 matches. TJ Perenara has 65 in 163 matches, Julian Savea 62 in 164, Israel Folau 60 in 97, and Doug Howlett 59 in 104.
Billy Proctor (Hurricanes)
The Hurricanes are unbeaten in the five games Billy Proctor has played in 2025. In the 31-27 victory against the Reds on Friday night, Procter scored a try while gaining 66 metres with 16 carries and beating nine defenders. He also made eight tackles and won a breakdown turnover.
Down 27-26, Proctor had two vital touches in a second try for Fehi Fineanganofo that propelled the visitors to what proved to be a winning lead. The Hurricanes have reached the playoffs for a 16th time with a tenth consecutive win against the Reds.
Proctor will surely add to the two All Blacks Tests he played in 2024. The prolific Rieko Ioane has only scored three tries in his last 44 games.
Leroy Carter (Chiefs)
The Chiefs 85-7 slaughter of Moana Paskika in Hamilton was the third-largest victory by any side in Super Rugby history.
In a game so open and lopsided, classy All Blacks Sevens exponent Leroy Carter was always going to thrive. He did that with three tries, four line breaks and a 119 metres gained.
Carter has scored nine tries in 11 appearances in 2025. Might he enter the All Blacks conversation?
In addition to his clinical finishing, Carter is adept at the tackle jackal with his Sevens background. Though an infrequent kicker of the ball, he has played halfback for Bay of Plenty and trained at No.9 for the Chiefs.
Incumbent left winger Caleb Clarke has underwhelmed for the Blues. It’s worth noting his international form was solid in 2024 with eight tries in nine Tests, though none of those were on the Northern Tour.
Pace versus power? Point of difference versus proven?
Darby Lancaster (Waratahs)
The Waratahs season is still alive after a miraculous 89th-minute try by winger Darby Lancaster to sink the Force 22-17 in extra time in Perth.
Lancaster had to avoid two covering defenders, the touchline and then still keep hold of the ball, while diving full-stretch in the air.
Earlier, Lancaster had scored a try and in a tight tussle he was one of the most penetrative Waratahs backs.
The Waratahs snapped a four-game losing streak and will likely make the top six playoffs if they beat the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday night and the Hurricanes do them a favour against Moana Pasifika in Wellington.
Lancaster burst onto the scene in the Australian Sevens and Under 20s. In 2024, he scored four tries in nine games for the now-defunct Melbourne Rebels, including a hat-trick in a 47-31 win against the Highlanders at AAMI Park. That performance caught the eye of Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt. He was capped in the 41-29 win against Georgia in Sydney.
Meanwhile, the Force finished Super Rugby Pacific winless in their last six games after winning half of their first eight.
Openside Carlo Tizzano had another productive night with 18 tackles and a dozen carries. He tops the competition tackle count with 198. More remarkably, he scored 13 tries, breaking the record for most tries by a forward in a single Super Rugby season. That record was previously shared by four players: Malcolm Marx (Lions, 2018), Folau Fainga’a (Brumbies, 2019), Codie Taylor (Crusaders, 2023) and Hoskins Sotutu (Blues, 2024) with 12.
