Quade Cooper became the Reds’ all-time leading Super Rugby point-scorer,
overtaking Elton Flatley’s mark of 629 on Friday night

by Brendan Bradford –

The Sharks are top of the Super Rugby table with 14-points from three matches while the Waratahs and Chiefs sit second and third on 10 and eight points respectively from their two matches. The Brumbies and Reds are on nine points in the Australian conference while the Bulls (10-points) and Lions (eight points) are second and third in the South African conference.

The Chiefs are the only New Zealand side in the top six with the Highlanders the next best in eighth place. The Hurricanes are last on the ladder with three losses in three outings.

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HURRICANES v BRUMBIES –

Flyhalf Matt Toomua was influential for the Brumbies before leaving the field in the second half with a shoulder injury.

After dealing with the news openside flanker David Pocock would be sidelined with a knee injury for a second consecutive season, the Brumbies extended the Hurricanes’ losing run to seven with a bonus point 29-21 win in Wellington on Friday.

Penalties were the only points scored in the opening half an hour before TJ Perenara finished off a brilliant team try to give the home-side a 13-3 advantage. The Brumbies had looked likely throughout the opening passages and quick-fire tries to Jesse Mogg and Robbie Coleman shot the 2013 finalists into a 15-13 lead at the break.

The Brumbies pressured early in the second half and Tevita Kuridrani used his size and strength to punch a hole in the Canes defence for the visitors’ third try. More penalties made the score 22-16 as the Brumbies dominated the second half. Eastwood forward Locky McCaffrey sealed the bonus point win with a try in the left corner with seven minutes to play. Hurricanes forward Blade Thompson scored in the shadow of fulltime but Barrett missed the conversion and the Brumbies earned the points.

Brumbies 29 (Jesse Mogg, Robbie Coleman, Tevita Kuridrani, Lachlan McCaffrey tries; Nic White 3 cons, 1 pen) bt Hurricanes 21 (TJ Perenara, Blade Thompson tries; Beauden Barret 1 con; 3 pens)

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REDS v CHEETAHS –

Both of these sides are capable of producing fireworks but four tries in the opening 11 minutes was a little more than anyone bargained for at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

The Reds started with a quick penalty try before the Cheetahs hit back with tries to winger Francois Venter and an intercept runaway to flanker Boom Prinsloo. The Reds responded through speedster Rod Davies to level the score at 14-all with just 11 minutes played.

After trading penalties, Chris Feauai-Sautia capitalised on a Will Genia quick tap to barge over and when hooker James Hanson sniped down the right touchline for the bonus point try, the Reds went into the break leading 29-20.

Feauai-Sautia latched onto a Quade Cooper grubber for his second five-pointer of the night while the Reds’ flyhalf landed two more penalties to become the side’s all-time leading Super Rugby point scorer. Substitute flyhalf Elgar Watts kept the Cheetahs in it at 40-33 in the dying stages but another Cooper penalty – his 18th point of the night – sealed the entertaining victory.

Queensland Reds 43 (Chris Feauai-Sautia 2, Rod Davies, penalty try, James Hanson tries; Quade Cooper 3 cons, 4 pens) defeated Cheetahs 33 (Francois Venter, Boom Prinsloo, Elgar Watts tries; Johan Goosen 2 cons, 4 pens; Watts con).

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CRUSADERS v STORMERS –

The Crusaders earned their first win of the season with a hard fought 14-13 come from behind victory over the Stormers in Christchurch on Saturday.

Unable to capitalise on superior first-half territory and possession, the Crusaders had to settle for a 3-3 score-line at halftime.

The Stormers went ahead with a penalty early in the second half and extended the lead in sensational fashion in the 52nd minute when Jean de Villiers hit a gap and chipped over the top for Damian de Allende to dot down.

Crusaders flyhalf Tom Taylor pegged back the deficit with a penalty and debutant replacement midfielder Kieron Fonotia finished off a sweeping backline move to put the home-side within two points of the Stormers. Tom Taylor missed the conversion but made no mistake with a 38-meter penalty a few minutes later to set up the 14-13 win.

Crusaders 14 (Kieron Fonotia try; Tom Taylor 3 pens) bt Stormers 13 (Damian de Allende try; Demetri Catrakilis con, 2 pens)

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Western Force captain Matt Hodgson scores in his side’s first win of the season.

FORCE v REBELS –

The Rebels couldn’t continue their impressive Round Three form, getting thrashed 32-7 by the Force in Perth on Saturday night. It took the West Australians 77-minutes to get on the scoreboard last weekend, but they piled on four tries in the opening half an hour for their first win of the season.

Former All Black halfback Alby Mathewson got the ball rolling after just two minutes with a brilliant dummy from the base of a ruck and when Luke Morahan finished off a simple overlap seven minutes later, the Force looked like breaking their four game losing streak against the Melbourne side.

Two Sias Ebersohn penalties extended the lead to 20 and in his 100th game, Force skipper Matt Hodgson pounced on a loose ball close to the line to take a 25-0 lead after as many minutes.

A Junior Rasolea off-load just before the half hour mark gave Angus Cottrell a short run to the line for a 32-0 lead and the Force’s first bonus-point try in 28 matches.

The Rebels stemmed the flow for the next 50 minutes but could only add a solitary try after the fulltime siren to substitute Telusa Veainu.

Western Force 32 (Alby Mathewson, Luke Morahan, Matt Hodgson, Angus Cottrell tries; Sias Ebersohn 3 cons, 2 pens) bt Rebels 7 (Telulsa Veainu try, Bryce Hegarty con).

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BULLS v BLUES –

Bulls flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter on the charge against the Blues in Pretoria.

The Bulls recorded their second win in succession with a four try 38-22 defeat of the Blues in Pretoria on Sunday morning.

Coming off a gutsy come from behind win over the Crusaders the week before, the Blues made a promising start but conceded the first points when Bulls flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter took advantage of some weak goal-line defence after an attacking scrum.

Twenty year old Blues flyhalf Simon Hickey landed four first half penalties but Potgieter scored a drop goal and a penalty of his own in addition to tries to Jonathan Ross and Jan Serfontein for a 25-12 advantage to the home-side at the break.

Another Potgieter penalty after halftime gave the Bulls a 16-point lead and from there they went looking for the bonus point try.

Blues replacement Peter Ahki narrowed the gap with his first ever Super Rugby try while Hickey’s conversion and another penalty put the visitors back in contention at 28-22 before Potgieter landed his 21st point of the night with a 66th minute penalty.

After searching for a fourth try for almost 40 minutes, the Bulls were finally rewarded when Marcel van der Merwe burrowed over the line.

Bulls 38 (Jacques Potgieter, Jonathan Ross, Jan Serfontein, Marcel van der Merwe tries; Potgieter 2 cons, 3 pens, drop goal; Handre Pollard con) bt Blues 22 (Peter Ahki try; Simon Hickey con, 5 pens)

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SHARKS v LIONS –

In a switch from the centres to flyhalf, Sharks and Springbok superstar Francois Steyn starred as the Durban side defeated the Lions 37-23 at Kings Park.

Regular playmaker Pat Lambie was struck with fever before kick-off but the cool-headed Steyn scored 17-points in a flawless kicking performance and led the side with confidence.

Steyn converted first half tries to Paul Jordaan and Jacobus Reinhach and landed three penalties for a 23-9 halftime lead. Super Rugby leading point-scorer Marnitz Boshoff scored all nine points for the Lions in the half.

Odwa Ndungane scored the Sharks’ third try in the 49th minute but the Lions racked up 14-unanswered points with tries to Francois de Klerk and Deon van Rensburg to narrow the gap to 30-23.

Like the Bulls, the Sharks were made to wait until the last minute for their bonus point try as Marcel Coetzee scored from a classic rolling maul.

Sharks 37 (Paul Jordaan, Jacobus Reinhach, Odwa Ndungane, Marcel Coetzee tries; Francois Steyn 4 cons, 3 pens) bt Lions 23 (Francois de Klerk, Deon van Rensburg tries; Marnitz Boshoff 2 cons, 3 pens)