THE CANTERBURY CRUSADERS were stunned 20-10 by Fijian Drua on Saturday to equal their worst start to a Super Rugby season while the Wellington Hurricanes battled past the Auckland Blues to remain the only unbeaten team.
The seven-time defending champion Crusaders fell away in the second half in Lautoka to make it three losses in three games under new head coach Rob Penney.
The only other time the powerhouse Christchurch-based side have lost their three opening matches was the competition’s inaugural season back in 1996.
Captain Scott Barrett said the humid conditions in Fiji played a part in their error-ridden display, having led 10-0 at the 20-minute mark before the Drua took control.
“We just weren’t sharp and clinical like we’d hope,” Barrett said.
“We were clear on our game plan, it was pretty simple, but we just didn’t execute.”
The result piles more pressure on Penney, the replacement for Scott Robertson who left to coach the New Zealand All Blacks after steering the Crusaders to the title in each of his seven seasons in charge.
Penney’s side — shorn of several injured or departed All Blacks — opened their Super Rugby Pacific season by losing to the Waikato Chiefs, then the NSW Waratahs before also going down to the Drua.
Fijian-born Crusaders winger Sevu Reece put his side ahead with an early try but the scores were level 10-10 at halftime following a try to Drua winger Selestino Ravutaumada.
Fiji scrum-half Frank Lomani crossed early in the second half and the home side held the upper hand for the remainder of the contest, completing the scoring with a late penalty goal slotted by fly-half Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula.
Hurricanes winger Josh Moorby scored two of their four tries in a 29-21 defeat of the Blues in Wellington.
Winger Kini Naholo crossed once and he burst through four would-be tacklers to set up the Hurricanes’ final try, to Riley Higgins, which sent them top of the table on 13 points.
In Brisbane, the Queensland Reds ended the Chiefs unbeaten start to the season with a stirring 25-19 win, repelling a huge 23-phase move at the death.
“Over the moon, so proud of the effort, it was a memorable one,” said Reds captain Tate McDermott after the three tries to two triumph.
Heading into the match, the Reds had only won two of their last 19 against New Zealand opposition, with both of those victories against the Chiefs.
The Western Force joined the Crusaders as the only other winless team after crashing 22-19 to the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.
The Force led 14-0 but conceded the next 22 points to a Brumbies side who have opened with two wins from three games.
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