Blues
Queensland Reds
Eden Park, Auckland
Championship Standings
The Blues sit third on 29 points from 9 games — one behind the co-leading Hurricanes and Chiefs. The Reds are sixth on 22 points from 8 games, still in playoff contention but bruised after back-to-back defeats to the Hurricanes and Force. A Blues bonus-point win here effectively locks in a home quarter-final.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hurricanes | 8 | 6 | 2 | +184 | 31 |
| 2 | Chiefs | 9 | 7 | 2 | +109 | 31 |
| 3 | Blues | 9 | 6 | 3 | +79 | 29 |
| 4 | Crusaders | 10 | 5 | 5 | +54 | 25 |
| 5 | Brumbies | 9 | 5 | 4 | +49 | 25 |
| 6 | Queensland Reds | 8 | 5 | 3 | −36 | 22 |
| 7 | NSW Waratahs | 9 | 4 | 5 | −43 | 19 |
| 8 | Highlanders | 9 | 3 | 6 | −55 | 16 |
| 9 | Fijian Drua | 9 | 4 | 5 | −93 | 16 |
| 10 | Western Force | 9 | 3 | 6 | −26 | 14 |
| 11 | Moana Pasifika | 9 | 1 | 8 | −222 | 4 |
Blues
W6, L3Six wins from nine, with the only blemishes on the road — two narrow defeats in Canberra and Auckland's opening loss to the Chiefs, plus the 23-point thumping at Sky Stadium that remains their one off-day. The R9 shootout against the Highlanders (47–40) was alarming defensively but showcased the attack — the Blues hung 47 on a team fighting for its playoff life. At Eden Park this year they've put 43 and 40 on Moana Pasifika and the Drua, and edged the Crusaders 29–13. The home fortress is still a fortress.
Queensland Reds
W5, L3A season of whiplash. The Reds started with four straight wins (Waratahs, Brumbies, Drua, plus an earlier R2 win), were then dismantled 52–14 by the Hurricanes, beat the Crusaders at Suncorp in a genuine upset — then immediately got hammered 42–19 at home by the Western Force. The Force result is the one that demands attention: Queensland's own ground, their form opponent on paper, and they shipped 42 points. Three losses in five games and a −36 points differential for a side nominally in the top six.
Head-to-Head
8 – 1 – 7
Blues wins · Draws · Reds wins (last 16 meetings)
Historically one of the most even fixtures in Super Rugby — 8–7 with a draw across the last 16. But venue matters: the Blues have won the last four meetings at Eden Park in this fixture stretching back over a decade, and the Reds haven't won in Auckland against the Blues since 2012. The Reds' 35–21 home win in 2025 snapped a Blues three-match H2H streak, but that was at Suncorp.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2025 | Super Rugby Pacific | Reds 35–21 Blues |
| Apr 2024 | Super Rugby Pacific | Reds 34–41 Blues |
| May 2023 | Super Rugby Pacific | Reds 26–45 Blues |
| May 2022 | Super Rugby Pacific | Blues 53–26 Reds |
| Jun 2021 | Super Rugby Trans-Tasman | Reds 24–31 Blues |
| Jun 2019 | Super Rugby | Reds 29–28 Blues |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Across the last six meetings the Blues have won five by an average margin of 14 points. At Eden Park specifically, the Blues average 39 points scored against the Reds in recent visits (46–6, 44–14, 53–26).
Extended Form
Blues13W, 5L
Over the last 12 months: beat the Crusaders home and away, demolished Moana Pasifika 43–7, beat the Waratahs twice, torched the Highlanders 47–40 and 37–29. The only losses — Brumbies in Canberra (30–27), Crusaders in Christchurch (21–14), Hurricanes at Sky Stadium (42–19), plus R1 to the Chiefs and a defeat in Dunedin.
A genuine title contender. Eden Park is the story — the Blues have been near-perfect there, and the attacking patterns under MacDonald have produced 35+ points in four of their five Auckland outings this season.
Queensland Reds9W, 6L
Beat the Waratahs twice, Brumbies in Canberra, Crusaders at Suncorp. Lost heavily to the Hurricanes (52–14) and Western Force (42–19 at home). The travel record is the concern — Queensland have played only two NZ away games in the last 12 months and lost both by a combined 61 points.
Les Kiss has a side capable of beating anyone on their day, but the floor has dropped dramatically. A team that can beat the Crusaders and lose by 23 to the Force the following week is impossible to trust on the road.
Blues XV
Lineups not yet announced. The Blues are expected to welcome back their front-line All Blacks after the R9 shootout — Beauden Barrett orchestrating at 10, Caleb Clarke on the wing, and a heavyweight tight five anchored by Dalton Papali'i and Patrick Tuipulotu.
Queensland Reds XV
Lineups not yet announced. The Reds will need their spine firing — Tate McDermott at 9, Tom Lynagh or James O'Connor at 10, Hunter Paisami returning to steady the midfield. The pack has to find the physicality that went missing against the Force.
Key Matchups
This is a Beauden Barrett v Tom Lynagh mismatch at 10 — experience, game management, and a kicking game that wins territory against a young Reds side. The loose-forward battle is the one area the Reds can hurt the Blues — Fraser McReight is one of the premier breakdown operators in the competition, and Harry Wilson is a genuine Test 8. But the Blues' back three is Test-calibre across the park, and their bench depth is elite. Every pressure point in this match tilts Auckland's way.
Match Forecast
The Blues should win this comfortably. Net +18 on the scorecard reflects compounding advantages — Eden Park fortress, superior playmaker, better back three, deeper bench, and a Reds side whose form has completely fallen off a cliff. Queensland shipped 42 at home to the Western Force six days ago; they've now lost 3 of their last 5 with a −36 points differential. The Blues, meanwhile, have responded to the Hurricanes defeat by putting 47 on the Highlanders.
The one genuine risk is the Blues' own defensive lapse — 40 points conceded to the Highlanders last round is a warning sign, and if Fraser McReight wins the breakdown battle the Reds can find points. But at Eden Park, with Beauden Barrett controlling territory and Caleb Clarke running into a Reds back three that couldn't contain the Force, the Blues' ceiling is 45+. A bonus-point win is the baseline expectation.
Blues by 20+ at Eden Park — the Reds' road form and the venue's historic grip on this fixture make a bonus-point home win the overwhelming call.