The five performers of the week from Super Rugby Pacific round nine

After nine rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, the top six have opened a five-point gap on the next five.

On Friday night in Dunedin, the Highlanders squandered the chance to tighten the table, losing 14-10 to the Brumbies, who have won four consecutive games against Kiwi opponents, their longest run since 2005.

The Hurricanes top the table after thumping the Blues 42-19 in their eagerly anticipated clash at Hry Stadium in Wellington.

The Fijian Drua and Queensland Reds got their campaigns back on track with wins over the Western Force 24-22 and Crusaders 31-26, respectively.

Predictably, the Chiefs walloped Moana Pasifika 62-17 in Rotorua.

Who were the performers of the week in Round 9 of Super Rugby Pacific?

Ethan De Groot (Highlanders) 

“She’s a tough gig being a Highlanders supporter,” grumbled Ethan De Groot after the Highlanders’ heartbreaking sixth consecutive defeat to the Brumbies. The All Blacks loosehead prop left the field after the Highlanders won their third scrum penalty to one in the 67th minute. The hosts led 10-7 and were clearly gaining ascendancy.

Besides the scrum, De Groot’s match-leading three turnovers, 16 tackles, and physical presence almost battered the robotic Brumbies into a complete malfunction.

Cruelly, his back-breaking industry was undone in the 69th minute when Highlanders replacement hooker Henry Bell was yellow carded for a head-on-head tackle spotted by the television match official before a scrum five meters from the Brumbies line.

Two penalties piggybacked the Brumbies inside the Highlanders 22, and suddenly the visitors’ machine reset. After a TK Howden lineout steal, Brumbies loose forward replacement Luke Reimer charged down an attempted clearance from halfback Adam Lennox. The Brumbies then monopolised possession with short, thrustful surges. Wallaby Reimer plunged over for a match-winning try.

He also made four tackles and pilfered a turnover in an influential 17 minutes. Earlier, Ryan Lonergan scored a pivotal try in his 100th appearance for the Brumbies. The five-time Wallaby halfback has enjoyed 67 Brumbies victories.

Most of the match was a buffet of bungles. The Brumbies were unimaginative and sloppy. The Highlanders’ struggling lineout now resembles slapstick from a Mel Brooks film. Even Lennox failed to throw the ball straight.

It’s a shame because hooker Jack Taylor has all the other attributes necessary for an All Black. Trooper Howden was again inspirational, making 23 tackles, the eighth consecutive time he’s passed ten tackles in a match.

Wingers Caleb Tangitau and Jona Nareki are dynamite when the Highlanders hold onto the ball instead of kicking it away, something they curiously do more than any other team. Ironically, Nareki did score a cracking chip-and-chase try.

Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs)

The sparkling form of Quinn Tupaea continued in the Chiefs’ ninth consecutive rout of Moana Pasifika. Tupaea scored a try, delivered the last pass in two others, and ranked in the top five for carries (11), meters gained (136), defenders beaten (5), and linebreaks (3). From an attacking perspective, those numbers are as complete as it gets. Tupaea has also been impenetrable on defence in 2026 and is one of the best at the jackal turnover.

Tupaea has always had raw talent, but since returning from his horrific ACL injury, he has become a more complete and mature player, adding better kicking and distribution to his repertoire.

His potential clash with Jordie Barrett against the Hurricanes next Saturday promises to be a mouthwatering duel. Tupaea has won three of eight matches against the Hurricanes, including the 2024 semi-final in Wellington (30-19).

Tupaea arguably produced the best performance by an All Black midfield back in a couple of seasons when he scored two tries and set up another for Leroy Carter in a 28-14 win against Australia in a soggy Perth in 2025.

Meanwhile, Damian McKenzie became the all-time leading try-scorer for the Chiefs, breaking the record with his 43rd try. He surpassed the previous record set by Sitiveni Sivivatu, who also scored 29 tries in 45 Tests for the All Blacks.

Warner Dearns (Hurricanes)

The Hurricanes hadn’t beaten a top-five side in 2026 nor the Blues since 2024, losing five of their last six games. Any suggestion that they were flatrack bullies was emphatically dispelled at Hnry Stadium when the second-placed visitors were put away 42-19.

The Blues weren’t allowed to impose their methodical aggression. They were blown away by the hosts’ pack, which demolished them in the scrums and spoiled their lineout.

Japanese captain Warner Dearns has provided the Hurricanes with a powerhouse lock similar in size and approach to Brodie Retallick, something they’ve never really had. Early on, Dearns stole two Blues lineouts, thwarting potentially dangerous mauls that form the foundation of the Blues’ game. Dearns has had at least one lineout steal in the last seven games and claimed the most lineout catches for the Hurricanes on the night with five.

Additionally, he made 15 tackles, charged with gusto, and supplied awesome support play in a near-length-of-the-field scoring movement sparked by two Cam Riogard kicks.

The All Black halfback was once again frantic and clinical, sparking a backline that featured another headline-grabbing performance from Callum Harkin, who scored two tries and led the game in metres carried and line-breaks.

The Hurricanes last scored 42 points against the Blues at Hnry Stadium in 2018 when Ngani Laumape scored four tries.

The Blues can take some consolation from the stoic fight of flanker Anton Segner. The underrated 24-year-old German made two inspired linebreaks and charged for a Blues-leading 106 meters. He also won seven lineouts and made 11 tackles. He’s won 33 of his 45 games for the Blues.

Isikeli Rabitu (Fijian Drya)

Another classic win by the Drua at Churchill Park, improving their record at the Lautoka fortress to 12 wins in 16 games and denying the Force their first victory in Fiji. Rabitu played fullback for the first time this season and was devastating.

He made three line-breaks from eight carries, playing a hand in a stunning try to Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula and scoring one himself. Rabitu is no stranger to dramatic moments in a Drua jersey. In 2025, he scored a last-minute try to sink the Reds 36-33.

The Drua only won five of their nine lineouts against the disruptive Force and were camped in their own territory for most of the second half, but found a way to win with electrifying attacking interventions from Rabitu and Virimi Vakatawa, who stormed for 153 meters gained on 14 carries.

The Drua was forced to make 47 more tackles than the Force. Lock and captain Isoa Nasilasila topped the tackle count with 19. Vakatawa even made 11 tackles.

Filipo Daugunu (Queensland Reds)

In his 100th Super Rugby appearance, in front of the 2011 Super Rugby winning Reds, Wallaby winger Filipo Daugunu played like a man possessed. It was the Reds’ first victory against the defending champion Crusaders at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane since 2012.

Daugunu topped the carries (13), meters gained (155), offloads (3), and tackle count (11) in a feverish display. He poached a now-trademark ruck turnover, too. Most vitally, when the game was hanging by a thread, tied 19-19 after 73 minutes, he sharply accelerated and clattered through for the winning try.

In his 100 matches, Daugunu has achieved 51 wins and scored 32 tries. Born in Fiji, he moved to Brisbane for the 2017 season and was a standout for Queensland Country in the National Rugby Championship before being called up to the Reds squad to make his Super Rugby debut in 2018.

He made his Wallabies Test debut in 2020, scoring against the All Blacks in a 16-16 draw in Wellington and featured in five Tests during a COVID-19-affected campaign. Daugunu has been a regular Wallaby since 2024. He scored two unforgettable tries in a 36-28 win against Wales in Melbourne and another in a 25-16 win in Sydney. In 2025, he played 10 Test matches.

Meanwhile, the Reds have won six of their last eight matches against New Zealand opposition in Brisbane.