WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The 11th round of Super Rugby was played over an Anzac Day long weekend when bonds between Australians and New Zealanders forged in war were reinforced on playing fields in both countries.
There were three trans-Tasman matches during the round, and New Zealand clubs won two of them.
The Hamilton-based Chiefs beat the Western Force 56-22 and the Wellington-based Hurricanes became the first New Zealand franchise to win in Australia this season when they beat the Canberra-based Brumbies 35-29. Queensland Reds beat the Auckland-based Blues 35-21 in Brisbane.
The Player of the Match in the Reds-Blues match was awarded the Sellars-Dixon Medal, commemorating Queensland flyhalf Billy Dixon and Auckland hooker George Dixon, both of whom died in World War I.
Queensland captain Tate McDermott has called for the Reds-Blues match to become a regular Anzac Day fixture.
“Anzac Day is an incredibly special day for a number of reasons. Hopefully, we can bring people together and do our small part in showing what the Anzac spirit means,” McDermott said.
Anzac Day commemorates the Australia New Zealand Army Corps and remembers the war dead of both nations. It falls on April 25, the anniversary of the Gallipoli landings in World War I in 1915 when Australians and New Zealanders landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey.
More than 8,000 Australians and almost 3,000 New Zealanders died at Gallipoli and through that sacrifice their nations have been linked ever since in war and peace.
There have been 15 matches this season between teams from Australia and New Zealand and the tally is seven wins, seven losses and a draw for each nation. Of those games, 11 have been won by the home team and only three by away teams.
Two of the away wins were by Australian teams in New Zealand. No New Zealand team had been able to win in Australia until the Hurricanes broke the drought in the Australian capital on Saturday.
“I’ve been playing Super Rugby for eight or nine years now and I’ve never won in Canberra,” Hurricanes captain DuPlessis Kirifi said. “So to come over here and get one across is pretty pleasing, not just for the game itself. Our season was on the line.
“It’s no easy feat coming here and beating the Brumbies at home.”
Previously, the Brumbies beat the Blues 21-20 in Auckland in Round 4 and the Queensland Reds beat the Highlanders 29-23 in Dunedin in Round 6. A 17-17 stalemate between Western Force and the Hurricanes in Round 10 could not be broken by golden point extra time.
Those results may underline the critical importance of home advantage in the playoffs. At the end of the regular season, the top six teams will progress to the playoffs with the top three teams having home advantage on the first weekend.
For the remainder of the playoffs, including the final, the top-ranked team will play at home.
After the 11th round the Chiefs and Christchurch-based Crusaders lead the standings with 37 points — the Chiefs ranked ahead on points differential. The Brumbies dropped back to third place in a costly loss to the Hurricanes, who moved up to fifth. The Reds are fourth and the Western Force sixth.
Ikitau to Exeter
Brumbies and Wallabies center Len Ikitau has signed a new two-year deal with Rugby Australia which locks him in for the 2027 World Cup but also allows him a short sabbatical with the English club Exeter.
The 26-year-old veteran of 39 tests will join Exeter later this year but return to Australia in time for the 2026 international season.
“I’m really happy to have my future sorted and I can now put my full focus into performing well for the Brumbies and hopefully the Wallabies later this year,” Ikitau said. “To know (I’ll) be coming back home to Canberra and the Brumbies is very reassuring, especially with the home Rugby World Cup not far away.”
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Steve Mcmorran, The Associated Press
