Super Rugby

Crusaders trounce Sunwolves in Brisbane

All Blacks wing Sevu Reece bagged a brace of tries for the visitors, who moved back to the top of the New Zealand Conference standings.

Reece was also yellow carded in the match for a professional foul.

The Crusaders were well below full strength due to injuries and resting players.

It could well be the Sunwolves' final Super Rugby match now that the season has been suspended due to the coronavirus and New Zealand travel restrictions and quarantine rules.

Super Rugby suspended due to coronavirus

The decision comes after the government announced that travellers entering the country from midnight Sunday must self-isolate for 14 days due to fears over the coronavirus outbreak.

SANZAAR, who run the competition, says it "has no option but to suspend the 2020 Super Rugby tournament" for the foreseeable future after the ACT Brumbies host the New South Wales Waratahs on Sunday.

Canes clinch late win over Chiefs

Jordie Barrett's 40 metre kick in the fourth minute of second-half injury time sealed a 27-24 win for the visitors on Friday night.

The result was a bounce-back for the Hurricanes after their upset loss at home against the Blues last weekend, while the Chiefs suffered their second consecutive defeat in Hamilton.

Discipline had been an issue for the Hurricanes against the Blues, and appeared it may be again as co-captain and halfback TJ Perenara was shown a yellow card for a high tackle in the 57th minute.

Brumbies bring back big guns for Waratahs derby

Fresh off signing a new two-year extension at the club, Slipper returns at loosehead prop alongside Connal McInerney and skipper Allan Alaalatoa in the front row.

Murray Douglas and Cadeyrn Neville have formed a strong partnership in the second row and will get another chance to combine on Sunday.

McKellar has named an unchanged backrow for the fourth consecutive week with Rob Valetini and Will Miller the flankers and Pete Samu at no.8.

Chiefs set to unveil new one-off Super Rugby jersey

The Chiefs Rugby Club will unveil a new jersey to be worn by the team in round ten when they face the Bulls at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday 4 April.

Those attending the match will be the first fans to see the new limited edition jersey and Chiefs members will be given an exclusive pre-sale on Thursday to order before seeing the new strip.

Following the jersey unveiling, fans will have the first opportunity to purchase the new jersey from merchandise stands. Fans will then be able to purchase online once the match has concluded.

Hurricanes prop Tyrel Lomax suspended for three weeks

Lomax was red carded by referee Mike Fraser early in the second half of the Hurricanes' 24-15 defeat in the capital. 

The Sanzaar foul play review committee accepted a guilty plea from Lomax on Sunday night for contravening Law 9.16.

Lomax has been suspended from all forms of the game for 3 weeks, up to and including March 27, meaning he will miss games against the Chiefs (away), Crusaders (away) and Bulls (home). 

Highlanders surrender halftime lead in Pretoria

They have been overrun by the previously winless Bulls in Pretoria, surrendering a 10-5 halftime lead to lose 38-13.

"We'll learn some lessons from our second half," Highlanders co-captain Aaron Smith told South African broadcaster SuperSport.

"Our first half we felt like we controlled the game. We were able to build pressure, keep that territory battle, we were winning that, but we needed to capitalise on more points for the amount of time we spent in their half and 22."

Blues capitalise on Hurricanes ill-discipline

The home side took the lead in the second minute of the game when Ben Lam scored the opening try, but their advantage was temporarily wiped out when Akira Ioane scored a try converted by Otere Black four minutes before half-time.

However a late penalty gave the Hurricanes a 8-7 lead at half-time.

In the second half ill-discipline cost the Hurricanes as they were reduced to 14 men just after half-time when Tyrell Lomax was red carded for a dangerous tackle.

Sotutu rest gives Ioane opportunity

The one-match All Black missed out on a starting spot in the team's first five matches of 2020 thanks to the impressive form of 21-year-old Hoskins Sotutu.

But with Sotutu rested after the Blues back-to-back wins in South Africa, Ioane has been given the number eight jersey for Saturday night's clash with the Hurricanes in Wellington.

The selection was one of several changes to a Blues side on a short week after only returning from their successful trip to South Africa on Tuesday.

Head coach Leon MacDonald said the decisions were based on a finding from last year.

Blues go back-to-back in SA

Backing up their 23-21 win over the Bulls last weekend, the Auckland-based side scored a convincing 33-14 win over the Stormers in Cape Town on Sunday morning (NZ time).

The Blues led 27-14 at halftime, thanks to a brace of tries from English centre-turned-winger Joe Marchant and another from flanker Dalton Papali'i.

The second half wasn't so free-flowing, with the visitors defence shining as the kept the Stormers scoreless and ended their unbeaten start to the season.