Super Rugby

The Force started the match brightly, with In-form winger Manasa Mataele racing in for the first try of the match in the eighth minute.

The free-flowing scoring continued in the early stages, with Blues fly-half and All Blacks star Beauden Barrett narrowing the margin to five with a straightforward penalty goal in the 12th minute.

The Blues hit the front in the 19th minute courtesy of a close-range Sam Darry try.

Akira Ioane stormed over in the 21st minute, with AJ Lam adding a third try in the 29th minute, as the Blues took a 22-8 lead into half time.

This weekend is the first 'Super Round' of the competition where the Australian-based sides which include the Fijian Drua, and the New Zealand-based sides including Moana Pasifika, face off for the first time.

All six matches were scheduled to take place at Melbourne's Rectangular Stadium this weekend, but a rash of Covid-19 cases in the Force squad has led to the postponement of Friday's second fixture.

Goodhue will start at second-five against the Rebels in Melbourne on Sunday evening.

Goodhue has been out of action for 12 months after suffering a serious knee injury playing against the Hurricanes in Wellington last April.

He ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, he damaged his medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament attempting a tackle.

The Crusaders are now preparing for a four-match tour in Australia, starting with their Anzac weekend fixture against the Rebels, the last game in Super Rugby Pacific's 'Super Round'.

Barrett has been suspended for 4 weeks after pleading guilty to a high tackle in his side's 27-23 loss to the Blues on Friday night.

He was shown a red card in the 46th minute for his hit on Blues prop Alex Hodgman.

The incident wasn't seen by the referee, but the TMO then instructed the referee to take a look at it and Barrett was sent off.

Leading 17-7 at the break, the Blues clung on to win the bruising contest, successfully defending their line in the dying minutes for a historic victory.

The Blues were the first to score when Stephen Perofeta slotted a penalty in the 9th minute.

The Crusaders hit back through Will Jordan when he received a cut out ball from David Havili to touch down in the 18th minute.

The visitors overcame three yellow cards, two of which reduced them to 13 men for a period in the first half, to claim their sixth successive win.

The Blues defence was impressive, they didn't let the Chiefs score while they were missing players to the sin bin.

The Blues scored a length of the field try to Tom Robinson, which was sparked by Mark Telea and Rieko Ioane and included a Beauden Barrett cross-field kick.

It's the first time the Chiefs have failed to score a point in their 26-year history.

The Hurricanes, led by captain Ardie Savea who scored an impressive try, fought back from 30-15 down in the final 15 minutes but couldn't take the lead from the Chiefs who have now beaten them three times in a row.

The Hurricanes, back at home for the first time in almost a year, will be disappointed following their upset loss to Moana Pasifika last round.

The Chiefs now have four wins from six games while the Hurricanes have two wins from five.

The Crusaders and Blues are the best performing New Zealand sides with each recording five wins from six games.

Centre Bayley Kuenzle proved the hero after the siren, with his 83rd minute penalty goal after 23 phases sealing a crucial 20-18 win for the Force.

The Force braved a frantic opening to proceedings in muddy conditions to open the scoring through former All Black Jeremy Thrush.

The veteran lock powered over from a rolling maul set-piece play in the 18th minute for his 11th career Super Rugby try.

Drua fought back to curb the Force's early scoreboard pressure to register their first try of the match through winger Vinaya Habosi in the 32nd minute.

Despite not being able to call upon 17 squad members through Covid-19 cases and injuries, the Chiefs ran away with the match in the second half to record their third win in four games.

The visitors lead 19-7 at half time thanks to tries from Bryn Gatland, Hamilton Burr and Emoni Narawa.

Jonah Lowe touched down for the Chiefs shortly after the break to extend the lead, before a flurry of tries from Tupou Vaa'i, Pita Gus Sowakula, Brad Weber, Alex Nankivell and Tyrone Thompson blew out the scoreline.

Sione Tu'ipulotu will make his debut on the blindside flank, with fellow 'Ikale Tahi international Solomone Funaki switching to the openside in place of Manu Samoa loose forward Alamanda Motuga, who is sidelined with a wrist injury.

There's also a new pairing in the halves with Samoa's Jonathan Taumateine and former Wallabies pivot Christian Leali'ifano taking the reins from Ereatara Enari and Lincoln McClutchie.

Moana Pasifika held their own in their debut match against the Crusaders in round three, scoring the opening try in the 33-12 defeat.