G’day G&GRs, hope you are all having a great and relaxing Easter with you and yours. And I hope that you have all had a bucket load of chocolate, hot cross buns, and whisky. I know I have. A split round this weekend, with only three games. And thank god for that, because I don’t know about you, GAGRs, but my tipping isn’t going so well this season! With only three games, this will be an abridged version, so pour yourself a piccolo of that wonderful stuff ☕, slam it down and enjoy.

Super Rugby Pacific 2026 – Round 7

Crusaders 69 defeated Fiji Drua 26

Well, that was less a farewell party and more a full-blown demolition job. The Crusaders didn’t just say goodbye to Apollo Projects Stadium—they nuked it from orbit with a 69-26 pasting of the Fijian Drua, bringing up a tidy 100 wins at the venue in the process. Four titles, a century of victories, and now one last absolute flogging for the highlight reel. Not a bad rental agreement. And if you were scripting the night, you couldn’t have written a better headliner than Codie Taylor. The club stalwart marked his 150th cap by barging over four times—because apparently one try in a milestone game is for amateurs.

From the outset, this had “long night for the Drua” written all over it. Inside three minutes, Chay Fihaki sliced through off an inside ball, and when Will Jordan started throwing no-look loopers, you knew the hosts had come to party. Sevu Reece finished it off, and the floodgates creaked open. Moments later, Leicester Fainga’anuku crashed over, and then came the Taylor maul specials—two carbon-copy efforts that had the Drua pack going backwards faster than a dodgy Uber rating.

At 31-0 after just 23 minutes (thanks to Reece bagging a second off a clever Fainga’anuku kick), this thing was already drifting into cricket score territory. To their credit, the Drua showed some fight. Joseva Tamani got them on the board, and a yellow to Johnny Lee opened the door for Elia Canakaivata to add another. At 38-12 at oranges, it wasn’t pretty—but it wasn’t a total write-off either.

Then Taylor came back out and decided he wasn’t done collecting meat pies. Ninety seconds into the second half—bang, hat-trick. Not long after—bang again. Four tries, milestone match, crowd going off. Cue standing ovation and probably a few tears into plastic cups of mid-strength. The Drua kept swinging. Canakaivata grabbed a second, and former Crusader Manasa Matabele dotted down for a nice “hello again” moment. But every time they looked like they were building something, the Crusaders just hit fast-forward.

Corey Kellow and Fihaki added late icing, pushing the score out to a number that probably flattered the visitors just for sticking around. Next stop: the shiny new digs at One NZ Stadium, with a date booked against the NSW Waratahs during Super Round. But before that, a cheeky Aussie road trip—hello Queensland Reds and Western Force. Pack your sunscreen, lads.

Three Things We Learned

Codie Taylor still runs the show – Four tries in your 150th isn’t normal—it’s ridiculous. The Crusaders’ maul remains a weapon of mass destruction, and Taylor is still the bloke pressing the red button.

The Crusaders don’t do quiet farewells – Some teams ease into a goodbye. Not this mob. 69 points, relentless tempo, and zero interest in sentimentality once the whistle blew.

Drua’s defence needs a serious tune-up on the road – We know they’re dangerous with the ball in hand—but conceding nearly 70 is a reminder that travel still hurts. Fix that, and they’re a genuine threat. Leave it, and it’s going to be a long season away from home.

Chiefs 42 defeated Waratahs 14

Well, that went pear-shaped quickly. One week you’re popping champagne in Canberra, the next you’re stuck in Hamilton, wondering where it all went wrong. The NSW Waratahs got a brutal reality check, going down 42–14 to a clinical Chiefs outfit that doesn’t forgive mistakes — and the Tahs made plenty. Coming off that drought-breaking win over the ACT Brumbies, there was a whiff of “maybe they’ve turned a corner.” Instead, it’s the same old story: flashes of promise, undermined by execution that would make a Colts coach wince.

Same script, different week – To be fair, the Tahs didn’t start horribly. They had moments. They even had opportunities. But as skipper Matt Philip all but admitted post-match, opportunities mean nothing if you butcher them. Dropped ball here. Misread there. Poor kick choices everywhere. Case in point: when Charlie Gamble did the hard work to win a turnover, only for Jack Debreczeni to immediately hand it back with a nothing kick. That’s not just a mistake — that’s a momentum killer. Against the Chiefs, that’s basically a try invitation.

Chiefs do Chiefs things – And surprise, surprise — the Chiefs accepted. It started with a bit of chaos at the back, as Xavier Roe put in a probing kick that exposed young fullback Sid Harvey. Enter Kyren Taumoefolau, who happily cleaned up the scraps. From there, it was rinse and repeat. Josh Jacomb kept the scoreboard ticking, while the big men — Samisoni Taukei’aho and Quinn Tupaea — punched holes through a Tahs defence that spent far too long camped in its own 22.

By halftime, it was 24–7 and, realistically, curtains. Brief flicker, then lights out

There was a hint of a response when Harvey finished off a nice move sparked by Max Jorgensen, but that was about as good as it got. Throwing on Jake Gordon and Folau Fainga’a after the break didn’t change the narrative. The Chiefs just shifted up another gear. Tupaea grabbed a second, Samipeni Finau crashed over to seal the bonus point, and the result was done and dusted long before the final whistle. A late consolation from Pete Samu did little more than tidy up the scoreboard before Taumoefolau added the final insult.

The big picture – This is the Waratahs in a nutshell right now: capable of knocking over anyone on their day, but just as capable of falling in a heap the week after. The Chiefs, meanwhile, look every bit like a side that knows exactly who they are. Clinical, physical, and ruthless when you let them into your half, which the Tahs did far too often.

Three things we learned

Field position still rules everything – You cannot invite a side like the Chiefs into your 22 and expect to survive. The Tahs played far too much footy in their own end, and the scoreboard reflects exactly what happens when you do that.

Effort isn’t the issue — execution is – No one’s questioning the work rate. But at this level, effort without polish is just wasted energy. The dropped balls and poor decisions are killing any momentum they build.

The Tahs are still a rollercoaster – Beat the Brumbies one week, blown off the park the next. Until the Waratahs string together complete 80-minute performances, they’ll stay stuck in that frustrating middle ground — dangerous, but not dependable.

Western Force 42 defeated Queensland Reds 19

The Twiggy Forrest All Stars get the Jobe done, whilst the Reds positively Screw the Pooch – Well, well, well… just when you thought the Queensland Reds were building something resembling momentum, along come the Western Force to tip over the esky, nick the last cold one, and stroll out of Suncorp Stadium with a bonus-point win.

Let’s not beat around the bush: this was a proper ambush. The Force rocked into Brisbane without Zac Lomax (scratched late with hammy tightness) and with a road record that would make even the most optimistic punter wince. Eleven losses from their last twelve away games? Twenty-two from twenty-four? That’s not a stat, that’s a cry for help.

And yet… here we are. Instead of folding like a cheap camping chair—as they’ve done a few times this season after promising starts—the Force actually finished the job. Novel concept. At the centre of it all was Ben Donaldson, who outplayed his opposite, Carter Gordon, in a tidy little Wallabies audition. Donaldson ran straight, kicked smart, and—crucially—kept the scoreboard ticking. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective. Very effective.

Up front, Franco ‘FISM’ Molina decided he quite liked scoring tries, bagging a first-half double and then adding a third after the siren just to rub a bit of salt into Queensland’s wounds. With Jeremy Williams out, Molina didn’t just fill the gap—he parked a truck in it. Former Red Mac Grealy chimed in with a try of his own, because of course he did. You just knew that was coming. Meanwhile, Jock Campbell and plenty of his mates had nights they’d rather forget.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Force—injuries to Tom Robertson and Darby Lancaster took some gloss off proceedings—but they kept their composure when it mattered. Even when Filipo Daugunu streaked away for a late length-of-the-field effort that threatened to ruin the party, the Force had the final say. Cue Molina again, crashing over after the hooter to lock away a bonus point and send the Reds faithful trudging toward Caxton Street, wondering what on earth just happened.

For the Reds, it’s back-to-back losses and a missed opportunity to climb the ladder. For the Force, it’s proof that maybe—just maybe—they can turn “promising” into “profitable.”

Three things we learned

1. The Force can actually finish games (who knew?) – We’ve seen this movie before: strong start, halftime lead, second-half fade. Not this time. The Force stayed composed, kept executing, and iced the game. It’s amazing what happens when you play for 80 minutes.

2. Donaldson is making the No.10 jersey a real conversation – Outplaying a direct rival in Carter Gordon won’t go unnoticed. Ben Donaldson is building a compelling case with his control, kicking game, and willingness to take the line on.

3. The Reds’ consistency is still MIA – Beat a rival one week, fall in a heap the next. The Queensland Reds have the cattle, but their execution—and at times their accuracy under pressure—just isn’t where it needs to be. If they’re serious about finals, these are the games they simply have to win.

The Super Rugby Pacific ladder

This split round has really had some moves to the Ladder. The Reds, after their appalling performance for the second week in a row, have slipped down to just keep themselves in the top 6. The Chiefs have consolidated themselves in third. There are still only 4 points differentiating 3rd to 6th position on the ladder. And the season only gets harder from here. As one of my old military colleauges used to say, “There is no easy day! The Easy day was yesterday!”

Next week has some really interesting match-ups. But one thing is guaranteed, that is that the Tahs won’t lose courtesy of the bye. Anyway, GAGRs, time I love you and left you, as I write this on Easter Sunday afternoon, there is a very large Laphroaig and more Easter Eggs calling me. Over to you, GAGRs! Have at it.