The seventh round of Super Rugby Pacific delivered thrilling upsets, historic milestones, and even a stadium blackout as the playoff race begins to take serious shape.

Friday, March 27

Moana Pasifika 19 - 39 Highlanders The weekend opened at North Harbour Stadium with a bizarre conclusion, as a stadium power outage knocked out the broadcast for the final 20 minutes. Before the blackout, the Highlanders ran riot, racing to a commanding 27-0 halftime lead fueled by a brilliant brace from winger Caleb Tangitau. Moana Pasifika fought back valiantly in the second half with tries from Millennium Sanerivi and Allan Craig, but the early deficit proved far too steep to overcome.

ACT Brumbies 28 - 30 NSW Waratahs In the upset of the round, the Waratahs ended an eight-game losing streak in Canberra with a dramatic victory over the Brumbies. The visitors led 21-14 at the break before the Brumbies clawed their way back to level the scores at 21-21. The difference ultimately came down to the boot of rookie fullback Sid Harvey. The 20-year-old showed immense composure to nail three crucial second-half penalties, allowing the Waratahs to survive a late Brumbies surge and secure a famous win.

Saturday, March 28

Hurricanes 52 - 14 Queensland Reds The Hurricanes cemented their status at the top of the ladder with another ruthless 50-point display at Sky Stadium. The Reds managed to keep things relatively tense early on, trailing 24-14 at halftime, but they were completely blown away in the second stanza. Winger Fehi Fineanganofo was the undeniable star of the show, crossing for his second consecutive hat-trick in a massive statement victory for Clark Laidlaw's men.

Blues 40 - 15 Fijian Drua At Eden Park, the Blues claimed the inaugural Joeli Vidiri Memorial Trophy with a clinical bonus-point win. Hooker Bradley Slater bagged a double from dominant rolling mauls, but the absolute highlight of the night belonged to Payton Spencer. The son of Blues legend Carlos Spencer marked his first Super Rugby start with a spectacular length-of-the-field try, ensuring the Blues kept pace with the high-flying Hurricanes.

Western Force 14 - 24 Chiefs The round concluded in wet conditions at HBF Park, where the Chiefs ground out a highly professional away win against a spirited Western Force. The home side leveled the scores at 14-14 in the 49th minute thanks to a try from captain Jeremy Williams, threatening a genuine upset. However, the Chiefs' class eventually shone through, with a rolling maul try from Samisoni Taukei'aho and a late Damian McKenzie penalty securing the vital away points.