Crusaders

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.

Despite having plenty thrown at them after the break, the home side hung on for a 17-14 victory in Christchurch on Friday night.

The visitors never stopped coming throughout the second half and with just three minutes to play there was one last opening when Crusaders replacement hooker Shilo Klein was sent off for a high tackle on Highlanders prop Ethan de Groot.

But the Crusaders managed to close it out in the final moments, meaning a strong defensive effort was eventually rewarded.

The home side looked in control of the blockbuster encounter until a last gasp try secured an epic 24-21 win for the Chiefs.

Desperate defence from the Crusaders on their goal line as the final whistle beckoned was not enough to prevent the Waikato side prevailing.

For the Chiefs, Rameka Poihipi, scored the decider, with another two tries to Shaun Stevenson. The Waikato-side also claimed its first win since 2016 over the powerhouse Canterbury team.

Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan said his players competed at the set piece and showed plenty of determination.

Ryan is also assistant coach of the Flying Fijians - Fiji's national team.

His input has seen a huge improvement in Fiji's forward play.

This was put on show last year when Fiji's loose forwards embarrassed the All Blacks at the ruck in Dunedin, the All Blacks of course won the encounter 57-23 and the second test 60-13.

Ryan was called on by Fiji coach Vern Cotter in 2020 and will stay with Fiji until the 2023 World Cup in France.

He said he was stoked about the Fiji Drua's maiden victory at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

It will be Moana Pasifika's first game in the competition after they had the first two games, against the Blues and the Chiefs, postponed because of Covid-19 within the ranks.

Moana Pasifika continue to be based in Queenstown while some of the other teams have left for home.

Coach of the Crusaders Scott Robertson said he expects Moana Pasifika to play with passion in their debut game.

The team has yet to play a game in the competition, after they missed the first two rounds when several players tested positive for Covid-19.

Both players and management spent ten days in self-isolation at a Queenstown hotel.

Moana Pasifika halfback Ereatara Enari said the last two weeks have been a challenging time for the team as they recover from physical inactivity.

Moana Pasifika have had their first two games postponed after an outbreak in their squad in Queenstown.

Robertson confirmed the Crusaders will leave the Super Rugby bubble in Queenstown and return to Christchurch after Friday's game against the Highlanders in Dunedin and he concedes that could put the team at greater risk of exposure to the virus.

"Someone's going to get it and it will be no fault of their own.

The playmaker, and fellow All Black Ethan Blackadder, remained in Christchurch and are set to miss the first three weeks of Super Rugby Pacific.

Mo’unga, who is utilising a clause in his contract to take an extended break, and Blackadder (hamstring) will miss games against the Hurricanes, Highlanders and Moana Pasifika.

As long as the Queenstown bubble isn’t extended beyond round three, the Crusaders will return to Christchurch after their game against the competition newbies in Dunedin on March 4.

Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge confirmed on Monday morning that the match, originally scheduled for Blenheim’s Lansdowne Park on February 11, will be played “behind closed doors’’ in Christchurch.

Mansbridge said the “substantial cost of delivering this fixture at a regional venue, paired with the current Omicron situation in New Zealand and the country’s move overnight to the red traffic light setting, means hosting the fixture at its current venue is now untenable”.

Home jerseys for the Hurricanes, Chiefs and Highlanders are advertised for sale in the UK and Ireland, as well as alternative jerseys for the Crusaders, Chiefs and Highlanders. No Blues designs were advertised.

The Crusaders alternative jersey is a complete redesign from this year's version, complete with a representation of the Southern Alps across the chest.

“Displaying a snow-capped version of the home shirt's Southern Alps graphic, this Crusaders rugby jersey transports its unifying message to away grounds,” the website said.