Super Rugby Pacific performers of the week for round 5

The fifth round of Super Rugby Pacific saw the top of the table tighten, with the Hurricanes, Blues, and Brumbies each on 15 points. On Friday night in Napier, the Hurricanes overcame the pesky Force 31-23, while the Blues finished the round by clobbering Moana Pasifika 43-7 at Eden Park.

The Brumbies were the latest victims of Fiji’s fortress, downed 42-27 by the Drua in the first-ever fixture in Ba. The Crusaders showed Saturday night is alright for fighting, singing from the same song sheet in a vital 29-18 success over the Highlanders in Christchurch. The Reds made it three in a row, edging the Waratahs 26-17 in Brisbane.

Who were the performers of the week in Round 5 of Super Rugby Pacific?

Devan Flanders (Hurricanes)

Devan Flanders has already played more Super Rugby Pacific in 2026 (4 starts, 287 minutes) than he did last year. In February 2025, he broke his leg in the pre-season, returning to action in May in a 31-27 win over the Reds in Brisbane.

The Hawke’s Bay loose forward was already good before his injury, but has raised his game to a higher level of consistency since returning. Playing at No.8 instead of his usual six, Flanders continued the all-round excellence that has defined his campaign. He topped the carry count with 16, gained 114 metres, and scored the Hurricanes’ third try as the visitors’ challenge faded at the start of the second half. Flanders’ value was further shown by ranking in the top five of the match for tackles, lineout catches, offloads, and defenders beaten.

Flanders’ production was similarly prolific for Hawke’s Bay in the NPC. He started all 12 matches, making his most appearances for the Magpies since 2019, and ranked in the top ten of the competition for tackles (155), carries (145), and lineout catches (37). Flanders was rewarded with All Blacks XV selection and played the full 80 minutes in victories against the Barbarians (33-19) and England A (31-14).

If Flanders’ trajectory (NRZ Chairman Davd Kirk’s favourite word) continues upwards, he should become a serious contender for an All Blacks jersey. What do Simon Parker, Christian Lio-Willie, Samipeni Finau and Luke Jacobson offer that Flanders doesn’t?

The Hurricanes were down 11-5 after a lacklustre first half. Brad Shields, in his 100th start in 132 games for the Hurricanes, began a 21-point unanswered scoring spree in 20 minutes with his 49th-minute charge. Shields also won a vital first-half turnover when the Force were on attack. It was typically industrious fare from a Hurricanes fan favourite.

Isoa Nasilasila (Fijian Drua)

The systematic Brumbies were whipped into a tailspin by a Drua storm. The orthodox disappears in the tropics with props running like centres and wingers tackling like flankers. Holding this seemingly incongruent, flamboyant group together is athletic lock and inspirational captain Isoa Nasilasila. He has played 54 of 60 possible Drua games and featured in 17 of their 20 wins.

Nasilasila was a hive of activity with 14 tackles, robust carries and cleanouts, and won the most lineouts in the greasy conditions. When the Drua conceded their second yellow card to Elia Canakaivata in the 26th minute, the hosts held their nerve. Nasilasila was a study in composure. Within a minute of returning to the field, Canakaivata scored.

The Drua backs were full of vibrance. First five-eighth Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula scored 17 points and spearheaded the attack with flair and authority. The trickery of Tuidraki Samusamuvodre and Ilaisa Droasese rivalled the Flying Karamazov Brothers.

Rob Valetini’s dream came true when he played his 100th Super Rugby match in front of his Fijian parents. The John Eales Medal winner for 2023 and 2024 was typically dynamic, leading the Brumbies in both carries and tackles with 17. Valetini has won 72 matches in the competition. If he were a Kiwi, he might have fixed many of the All Blacks’ blindside problems and probably played about as many Tests as his current 62.

Johnny Lee (Crusaders)

“He’s cut from the same cloth as Ethan Blackadder. He was awesome,” Crusaders stand-in captain Will Jordan (replacing David Havili in the 23rd minute) said of debutant Johnny Lee. The former New Zealand Under-20s and Tasman flanker scored in the 49th and 55th minutes as the hosts turned an 18-12 deficit into a winning lead. Fittingly, it was Blackadder who delivered the pass to Lee for his first try. Despite leaving the field twice for yellow cards to front rowers Codie Taylor and Finlay Brewis, he ranked second among the Crusaders for carries with 10 and tackles with 13.

On Tuesday, an altercation broke out between teammates during the Crusaders’ training. The extent of hostility was disputed by the team and the media. Any Crusaders wishing to enter a fracas with Will Jordan need not bother. You won’t catch him, and neither do the opposition. He scored an expeditious opening try and slashed through the Highlanders like a knight wielding a sabre four more times.

The Highlanders’ initially promising challenge unravelled when an already unstable lineout worsened, with locks Tomas Lavanini and Mitch Dunshea both gone by halftime. First Five-Eighth Cam Millar left in a sickly condition after an hour. Winger Caleb Tangitau is galvanic, an increasingly compelling All Blacks prospect.

Carter Gordon (Reds)

The second coming of Carter Gordon gained further momentum in the Reds’ 26-17 victory over the Waratahs. With the outcome dangling by a thread, the first five-eighth scorched 55 metres in a blistering 75th-minute burst to settle the result. In the 63rd minute, Gordon tied the scores, scooping a half-volley deflection with nimble hands that Steve Smith would have applauded.

Gordon was also the architect of the Reds’ first try. A towering “Garryowen” he hoisted created a bounce that favoured the Reds and led to a try for Harry Wilson. He made 11 tackles without a miss. The Reds made 72 more tackles than the visitors, with Fraser McReight leading with 17. The most vital stop came from fullback Jock Campbell, who prevented Triston Reilly from crossing in the 73rd minute when the score was 19-17. Two minutes later, Gordon soared.

The first hour was forgettable as Louis Werchon and Jake Gordon exchanged “Box Kick-itis,” with 20 kicks from the base of the ruck sent into orbit and little achieved. The Wallabies lost a record 10 Tests in 2025. More imagination will be needed from Australia’s elite to improve those results.

Taufa Funaki (Blues)

The Blues lost starting halfback Sam Nock after 17 minutes, knocked out of the contest by opposite Augustine Pulu in a red card tackle. The abrasive close-quarter nature of the Blues’ attack suited replacement Taufa Funaki, who once recovered from a concussion so severe he says he had to learn how to read and write again.

Funaki sniped frequently, gaining 54 meters with possession and beating five defenders. His approach has always been that of a combative halfback like Pulu in his prime. Funaki’s distribution and decision-making were sharp.

Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa produced another powerhouse display, topping Moana in tackles (20), carries (14), and meters gained. On one charge, it was a wayward plough truck, zigzagging and scattering multiple defenders. Tupou Ta’eiloa is uncapped internationally. Could that change soon?