Rugby-Super Rugby week six
April 1 (Reuters) - Highlights from week six of Super Rugby:
REDS 15 HURRICANES 34
The Hurricanes pulled away from the Queensland Reds with an inspired second-half performance to win their Super Rugby match in Brisbane 34-15 on Saturday and maintain the dominant record of New Zealand sides.
Australia's five Super Rugby teams have not beaten a side from New Zealand this season.
Julian Savea and TJ Perenara scored in the first half for the defending champions. Vince Aso claimed a try after the break while brothers Jordie and Beauden Barrett crossed over late to confirm the bonus-point win for the Hurricanes, who also had three tries ruled out by the television match official.
It was the fifth straight loss for the Reds who scored through Chris Kuridrani and Scott Higginbotham after a yellow card to Hurricanes' Ngani Laumape to trail 14-12 at halftime.
READ MORE
Chiefs tame Bulls as milestone man Messam celebrates win
Highlanders coach rubs salt into Rebel wounds
Wallabies flyhalf out again as concussion linger
Australian players' union launches petition
Messam to reach 150th Super Rugby cap milestone
ARU, Force reject report of Super Rugby exit
New Zealand Super Rugby conference
Australia Super Rugby conference
Africa 1 Super Rugby Conference
Africa 2 Super Rugby Conference
Super Rugby 2016 at a glance
Super Rugby 2016 fixtures
Super Rugby champions
WAIKATO CHIEFS 28 BULLS 12
The Waikato Chiefs fended off a dogged challenge from the Bulls before roaring home in a 28-12 win in Hamilton on Saturday to continue their unbeaten start to the Super Rugby season.
The Chiefs lost co-captain Sam Cane to concussion in the fourth minute and trailed 9-3 at half-time but tries after the break to winger Shaun Stevenson, fullback Damian McKenzie and replacement prop Atunaisa Moli sealed their fifth successive win.
All Blacks flanker Liam Messam celebrated his 150th match for the Chiefs, helping to secure a bonus point by killing off a late raid on the try-line by the Pretoria-based Bulls.
The South Africans battled hard but were kept try-less at Waikato Stadium, with flyhalf Handre Pollard kicking their entire score in penalties.
AUCKLAND BLUES 24 WESTERN FORCE 15
Fullback Michael Collins sprinted nearly half the field for a late try to secure the Blues their third win of the season.
Dragged into an arm-wrestle for much of the match at Eden Park, the Blues' bench dominated the last quarter, with replacement winger Rieko Ioane conjuring a breathtaking team try in the 65th minute.
His brother Akira and winger Matt Duffie scored the Blues' other tries in a four-minute burst before halftime.
Lock Richie Arnold crossed for the Force in the first half and winger Dane Haylett-Petty grabbed a consolation try in the 78th minute as the Perth side slumped to their fourth loss of the season.
HIGHLANDERS 51 REBELS 12
Centre Malakai Fekitoa scored two tries to lead the Otago Highlanders to a convincing 51-12 win against the winless Melbourne Rebels in Dunedin on Friday.
Centre Richard Buckman, number eight Luke Whitelock, flanker Gareth Evans and replacement hooker Greg Pleasants-Tate also scored in the 2015 champions' bonus-point victory to move to fourth in the New Zealand conference.
Flyhalf Marty Banks made five conversions and three penalties for a haul of 19 points with the boot.
With Australian conference places in doubt for 2018, it was another insipid performance from the Rebels, whose tries came from wing Tom English and centre Reece Hodge. (Compiled by Ian Ransom and Sudipto Ganguly, Editing by John O'Brien and Ed Osmond)
