Reds’ Wellington Win Sparks Wallabies’ Anxiety Over Kiss

The Hurricanes Dominate in Round 7

That’s seven rounds of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season in the books. The Hurricanes are sitting pretty at the top of the ladder ahead of their second bye this weekend, with Clark Laidlaw’s side joined in their Round 7 win by the Highlanders, Waratahs, Blues, and Chiefs.

Reds Fail First Kiwi Test

With four wins on the trot, including their first ever over the Fijian Drua in Fiji and a last-gasp victory over the Brumbies in Canberra, the Reds had steadily built a resume to suggest they could challenge for the title. But everyone knows you can never truly call yourself a contender until you claim victory on New Zealand soil, and their 52-14 defeat to the table-topping Hurricanes proved they’re still far from the mark.

It was hardly a dream start in Wellington after they conceded in the opening minutes through a Filipo Daugunu missed tackle, but they hit back just moments later with a brilliant response through Jock Campbell. The Reds hung with the Hurricanes for the opening 15 minutes; but you need much more than 15 minutes of good rugby to win a rugby match, especially in New Zealand.

While the Hurricanes also took some time to adjust to the pace and conditions being played out, the wheels quickly started to come off for the Reds. Their defence, that had been so lauded this season, was cut to shreds, missing 23 tackles with a completion rate of just 81%. Their handling and accuracy was poor, and they looked dead on their feet before the halftime siren.

It was akin to watching the Waratahs from last week; dropped balls in try-scoring situations, mistimed passes, offloads that should never have been given; the Reds were desperate to play fast and loose but failed to bring the accuracy needed to execute.

They made more carries, had more possession and territory, and yet struggled to breach the Hurricanes’ defence, often finding a yellow-and-black wall in front of them that was unwilling to budge. It was clear Louis Werchon and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips ran out of ideas early, with the halves pairing kicking aimlessly into Hurricanes territory — they were inaccurate, too, and quickly had the Reds on the defensive once more.

Queensland’s forward pack was often too slow to the breakdown, opening the door for Du’Plessis Kirifi and his teammates to slow the ball or win the turnover, or they were simply outmuscled in the contact.

Perhaps what’s most disappointing for the Reds was the Hurricanes made even more errors. Turning the ball over 20 times compared to the Reds’ 13, while they conceded 11 penalties to eight. The difference was simple though, the Hurricanes were quick to shut down opportunities off broken play, while they made sure to punish the Reds’ errors.

It’s not all doom and gloom for Les Kiss though after Tom Lynagh came on for his first minutes of the season late in the match, while Tate McDermott is set to return in a few weeks’ time.

Next week’s clash against the Force in Brisbane will give them an opportunity to reset before they cross the Tasman once more for back-to-back Kiwi clashes against the Crusaders and Blues – two matches they can’t afford to drop if they are to be any chance of a top-two finish.

But the big concern for the Reds – and the Wallabies going forward too – is that they seem to have no ability to problem solve on the run. As good as their up-tempo, high offload game, their manipulation of defensive lines and creation of space inside the 15-metre channels, can be, when the Reds cannot get it going they appear devoid of other ideas.

When Kiss takes over the Wallabies later in the year, opposition teams are likely to employ a rush defence that will shut space down out wide. If Australia’s forwards can’t get defensive lines going backwards through the middle, some long evenings await Kiss in the international arena.

The Hurricanes Are Ruthless

Meanwhile, a pre-match poll questioning whether the Hurricanes were the real deal now no longer needs to be asked after the men from Wellington easily dismantled the Reds from the opening minute, ran wild despite some poor handling of their own, and scored over 50 points for the third time this season.

With wins over the bottom five teams to start the year, questions about the Hurricanes’ title claims were valid. But after this performance there won’t be any more need to worry.

Cam Roigard got the Canes rolling early, before Fehi Fineanganofo scored his hat trick off some huge defensive efforts, while Kirifi dominated the 80 minutes with 19 tackles, 11 carries and multiple breakdown steals.

Reds coach Les Kiss wasn’t wrong when he later told: “I said before we came here that we’re playing the best team in the comp and they played like they’re the best team in the comp. We weren’t as good as we could have been, without a doubt, but they’re going to be a difficult team to beat this year.”

The Hurricanes face a much tougher back half of the campaign, headed by a swathe of Kiwi derbies, but their third 50-plus point scoreline of the year is more than enough evidence to show they can be right there on the final day of the season.

Canberra Triumph Should Be a Turning Point for Waratahs

The Waratahs aren’t among the elite teams in Super Rugby Pacific, but they have what it takes to scrap for a finals spot after snapping an eight-game losing streak in Canberra, on Friday night.

Just six days after they blew a 12-point lead over the Blues, having butchered nine clear try-scoring opportunities, NSW capitalised on what few chances came their way against the Brumbies, and later rode the boot of rising star Sid Harvey to hold on at GIO Stadium.

Much of that was down to a resolute defensive effort from the Waratahs pack, with huge contributions from Miles Amatosero, Dan Botha and Clem Halaholo, who made 21, 20 and 20 tackles respectively.

After moments of class from Max Jorgensen, whose clever strip later resulted in a try for Joey Walton, so too Harvey and returning Wallabies winger Andrew Kellaway, NSW showed the grit they had lacked so badly in second-half capitulations against the Hurricanes and Blues.

But if they are to take a serious step forward under coach Dan McKellar this season, the Waratahs must build from here and challenge a Chiefs team that isn’t quite firing in 2026. The Kiwis battled past the Force in Perth on Saturday night and are not playing to the level their All Blacks-laden squad demands.

NSW will arrive in Hamilton as massive underdogs but if they can play with the same conviction they showed last Friday, and nail what few opportunities might come their way, they should at least deliver a performance their supporters can be proud of. That was certainly the case in Canberra.

Amatosero Is Starting to Use the Physical Tools at His Disposal

Topping the tackle count as a lock, when you stand over two metres tall, is no small feat. After a difficult start to the season, Miles Amatosero is really starting to look at home in Super Rugby.

As Amatosero should, too, given this is his third season with the Waratahs since he returned home from France. Playing alongside skipper Matt Philip has certainly made a difference in 2026.

The 22-year-old is beginning to repay the Waratahs for their faith in his talents, so too earn back the respect of the entire organisation after he was handed a lenient suspension for his training ground brawl with teammate Angus Scott-Young.

A two-game ban, with a further two matches suspended, certainly didn’t appease everyone, but Amatosero has put his head down since then and done his best to leave that embarrassing mistake behind him.

But in a game-high 22 tackles, his defensive maul and even a handful of carries, Amatosero’s effort against the Brumbies demonstrated why NSW fought so hard to bring him home to Sydney. There is much more work needed and many more rough edges in his game to iron out, but he has the raw physical attributes to be a problem at Test level.

This year might be one season too soon, but Amatosero’s time in the gold jersey will come. With the right coaching and management, he can be Australia’s long-term replacement for Will Skelton, who unfortunately suffered what looks to be a ruptured Achilles in France last weekend.