Reds hold on to defeat Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific and Highlanders beat Moana Pasifika

Winger Tim Ryan scored two tries to lift his tally to five tries in his last two matches as the Queensland Reds beat the Christchurch-based Crusaders 33-28 on Saturday in Super Rugby Pacific.

Ryan scored three tries last weekend in the Reds’ 41-34 loss to the Auckland-based Blues and added a double as the Reds came out on top in another high-scoring match against the defending champions.

The Reds had the upper hand in the first half and led 14-7 at halftime and 21-7 after 42 minutes. But the Crusaders stormed back into the match in the second half and came close to a comeback win.

Ryan’s second try helped the Reds hold on for their first win in Christchurch in 25 years.

“It’s massive,” Reds captain Liam Wright said. “The boys really banded together after a season full of close losses. We knew if we could take it to them early, they would come back but we did a great job to hold on. Some big moments there from key players.”

Wallabies backrower Fraser McReight was one of those players. He scored a try and provided the last pass in another in an outstanding performance in the first half.

Former Wales international Leigh Halfpenny had a chance to score his first points for the Crusaders in Super Rugby with an 11th-minute penalty. But the fullback who scored more than 800 international points for Wales hooked the ball well wide of the uprights from close range.

Halfpenny has had to wait until the 11th round of the season to play his first Super Rugby match after suffering a serious chest injury in a pre-season game.

McReight’s try gave the Reds a 7-0 lead which became 14-0 after Ryan scored in the 26th minute.

The Crusaders hit back before halftime with a try to center Dallas McLeod who inserted himself in a blindside surge after a lineout drive. Halfpenny converted for his first points in Super Rugby.

The Reds scored a critical try two minutes after the break through one-test All Blacks prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen.

The match then opened up and the Crusaders scored through backrowers Corey Kellow and Quentin Strange to level the score at 21-21. No. 8 Harry Wilson put the Reds ahead with a 62nd-minute try and Ryan’s second try stretched the Reds’ lead to 33-21.

In Hamilton, Daniel Rona scored three tries and flyhalf Damian McKenzie scored a try among 16 points as the Chiefs beat the Western Force 56-7.

Earlier, more than 10,000 people turned out in heavy rain in the Tonga capital Nuku’alofa to watch Moana Pasifika beat the Dunedin, New Zealand-based Highlanders 28-17 in the first Super Rugby match played in the Pacific Island nation. Tonga became the 11th country to host a Super Rugby match.

Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens scored two first-half tries for the Highlanders who led 19-17 at halftime. Both teams tried to play entertaining rugby in increasingly difficult conditions on a sodden field.

Cameron Millar kicked four penalties, the only points of the second half.

The Highlanders’ win keeps them inside the top-eight playoff zone for another week while Moana Pasifika are beginning to slip from playoff contention.

___

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby