Feb 28 (Reuters) - Defending champions Canterbury Crusaders claimed a first win of the Super Rugby Pacific season with a 43-33 victory at Waikato Chiefs on Saturday, while Charlie Cale scored a try at the death as the table-topping ACT Brumbies defeated Auckland Blues 30-27.
The Brumbies remain top of the table after three rounds with 14 points, four ahead of second-placed New South Waratahs, who had a bye and have played twice.
Flanker Dalton Papali'i, making his 100th Blues appearance, scored what looked like being the winning try after the teams had been level at 15-15 at halftime in Canberra.
But incessant pressure from the Brumbies as the clock wound down forced a siege of the Blues line and number eight Cale burrowed over from close range.
"I made a lot of mistakes and let my teammates down, but that is rugby, you just have to take your next shot," Cale said.
"Our handling let us down a bit, but the Blues are one of the best teams in the competition. The fact that we can play like that and get the win is good."
Number eight Christian Lio-Willie scored a hat-trick of tries as the Crusaders fought back from 14-0 down to defeat the Chiefs in Hamilton in a repeat of last year's final, bouncing back from last weekend's record 50-24 home loss to the Brumbies.
The Chiefs came away with nothing, denied a bonus point in the final play when Leroy Carter spilled the ball under pressure from Will Jordan as the end-to-end contest provided 11 tries, rich entertainment and a first Crusaders win in 2026.
FIJIAN DRUA GET FIRST WIN OF SEASON
Fijian Drua secured a battling 25-20 win over the Wellington Hurricanes at a rain-soaked Churchill Park in Lautoka, clinching the victory after tries from centre Tuidraki Samusamuvodre and flanker Etonia Waqa earned their first success of the campaign.
Jordie Barrett gave the Hurricanes a seven-point lead nine minutes after the interval with a penalty from inside his own half but Samusamuvodre's interception moments later pulled the hosts level and Waqa dived into the corner.
"It was a great effort from the team," said Drua captain Frank Lomani. "We had spoken about execution the whole week and I think that's what it looks like when we turn up, even though the weather was not on our side."
Queensland Reds downed the Otago Highlanders 31-14 to pick up their first win of the campaign, racing into a 12-point lead through tries from flanker Fraser McReight and hooker Matt Faessler in the opening 27 minutes.
Winger Tim Ryan's try late in the first half tightened the Reds' grip on the match before scores from lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and replacement flanker Vaiuta Latu secured victory and a bonus point for Les Kiss' team.
"We probably didn't start as well as we would've liked and they controlled territory for a while," said Kiss. "But I was really pleased by how we grew into it through our effort."
Western Force also claimed their opening victory of the season with a 35-19 win over Moana Pasifika with lock Allan Craig's last-minute try for the hosts denying the Force a bonus point.
(Reporting by Michael Church and Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
