Five Aussie takes: Tahs forwards in firing line, Ikitau reminds everyone

Each round of Super Rugby Pacific in 2025 has delivered exhilarating games, nail-biting contests, and sub-plots, and this week’s sub-plot was statements and reality checks. 

It was the first week where we saw sides get properly gapped on the scoreboard, with all of them fair reflections of the nature of the contests. 

It brought pain in consecutive weeks for some teams while it gave others boosts, knowing they are on the right track. 

Here are five takes from an Australian perspective from the latest round.

Queensland’s patience dominates New South Wales entirely 

Queensland delivered a complete performance, not perfect, but complete. 

Their ability to shut down the Waratahs’ advances in defence whilst finding space and holes with their attack, was a clear sign they reviewed well from their thumping in Christchurch. 

Their patience was first observed when they weathered the initial 14-minute barrage of Waratah ferocity, with key players like Harry Wilson, Tom Lynagh, and Tim Ryan all getting battered by Tahs’ defenders. 

However, after this initial brawling, the Reds went about their business, building phases, kicking strategically, and executing their carry-and-cleans almost perfectly. 

A telling sign was that they kept kicking the ball in-field, daring the Waratahs to attack, and it worked, because the Waratahs almost always turned it over. 

Les Kiss had given his side a strategy for the game which the Waratahs simply had no answers for, and it was a course-correcting win for Kiss’ men after a big loss the week before. 

A big tip of the hat goes to Lynagh, who despite copping some heavy contacts, nailed his goal kicking and directed his side astutely around the field. 

You wouldn’t want to be a Waratahs’ forward in the Monday review 

Coach Dan McKellar is a very forwards oriented coach, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell by watching the game on Saturday night. 

His forwards were clearly bigger than the Queenslanders but their punch in contact was nullified by their inability to be accurate at their own breakdown. 

Even their go to weapon, the scrum, couldn’t give them a foothold in the contest, with the Reds recording a 100 per cent scrum win record, against the Tahs 80 per cent. 

While their scrum was solid without being dominant, their maul defence was ripped to shreds by a Reds pack in the 32nd-minute, who mauled them 20-metres to score the longest maul-try in the competition this year. 

Richie Asiata, the replacement hooker, got the chocolates on this occasion but he owes that meat pie to the seven forwards around him, who steam rolled the bigger Waratahs pack. 

The Waratahs’ solid two-man tackle strategy started giving the Reds easy ruck penalties in the second half for not rolling away. 

While the backline is still searching for rhythm and cohesion, the Tahs can’t afford to have their monster pack to be nullified. 

It was a reality check that the side needed after playing three of the easier sides in the competition at home, the ACT Brumbies this weekend will give them a bigger challenge once again. 

Len Ikitau gives timely reminder why Brumbies need him firing 

While it was a great team performance, beating the Fijian Drua convincingly, the hat-trick to Ikitau showed why he is talked about in ‘world class’ circles. 

He remarked in the post-match chat with Stan Sports he wasn’t happy with his early season form and felt he needed to lift, and lift he did. 

While his three tries were statement enough, he improved his connection with his centre and wing partners in defence, making 7/7 tackles. 

When he is in this kind of form, he offers gainline carry in almost every effort and it helps to offset the giant void left by Rob Valetini, who is due to return in the coming week or two. 

Tom Hooper had another inspired performance in the tight stuff, while captain Allan Alaalatoa continues to go from strength to strength. 

Ikitau’s improved performance may just be a case study for the entire team, who are starting to find their feet after a mixed start to the season. 

Western Force showing that only their best side can mix it

It was a punt from coach Simon Cron when he rested three of his starting key players, flanker Carlo Tizzano, flyhalf Ben Donaldson, and halfback Nick White for a trip to Christchurch to play the Crusaders. 

Under resting protocols, Wallabies players cannot play more than seven consecutive games, so Cron pulled the trigger early, and it tested his team’s depth. 

The Force went into half time at 18-20 and hung with the Crusaders until the 50-minute mark, where the score was 27-21, but Macca Springer snaped the scoreboard elastic when he scored his third out of his eventual five tries. 

From a tactical point, the Crusaders were too good at getting outside the Force’s rush defence, but after that elastic broke, they started finding gaps through the middle of the Force. 

This showed in the stats, 40 missed tackles, 16 line-breaks conceded, and only recording around half the post contact metres of the Crusaders. 

What was encouraging was they only conceded six penalties to the Crusaders nine, a big improvement from last rounds 19 which the conceded against the Waratahs. 

It was a valiant effort for the understrength Force side, but there were too many new faces and new combinations for them to stem the tide against a red-hot Saders team in Christchurch. 

A full-strength Force side is probably in that contest until the death. 

Cron is likely eying the three next rounds against the Drua, Reds, and Highlanders before their bye-week in round nine, where they play the Drua and Landers both at home with the Reds away in round seven. 

Wallaby second row prospects making early pushes for Lions series honours

Although not all Aussie sides are in flying form, there are still a plethora of players who are putting their hands up to be in the selection frame for the British and Irish Lions series.  

Darcy Swain was a beast in contact against the Crusaders in a losing Force side, making the most post contact metres of any Force forward for his eight carries.  

He is regularly putting out similar numbers to regular Wallaby starter in 2024, Jeremy Williams. 

Waratah Ben grant made 21 tackles for one miss and taking four lineouts while the Reds’ Josh Canham carried for 24 post contact metres and made 13 tackles for one miss. 

It’s not an isolated incident either, with Canham making 45-post-contact metres along with 17 tackles for one miss against the Crusaders in their losing effort last week. 

Although he is not strictly a second row, utility forward Seru Uru is standing very tall in the continued absence of Liam Wright. 

Carrying 14 times for 40-metres and a whopping 36 post-contact metres along with a perfect tackle sheet as well as a lineout steal. 

While Nick Frost, Wiliams, and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto are the incumbent Wallaby locks, any of the above second rowers can push for selection come July.