Western Force
Crusaders
HBF Park, Perth
Championship Standings
The Force sit 10th on 10 points — 2W 6L and sinking after last week's 24–22 loss in Fiji. The Crusaders are 6th on 20 points but coming off a 31–26 defeat in Brisbane. A four-place gap that masks how different these two squads actually are.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hurricanes | 7 | 6 | 1 | +189 | 30 |
| 2 | Blues | 9 | 6 | 3 | +79 | 29 |
| 3 | Chiefs | 8 | 6 | 2 | +104 | 27 |
| 4 | Brumbies | 8 | 5 | 3 | +54 | 24 |
| 5 | Queensland Reds | 8 | 5 | 3 | −36 | 22 |
| 6 | Crusaders | 8 | 4 | 4 | +44 | 20 |
| 7 | NSW Waratahs | 8 | 4 | 4 | −28 | 18 |
| 8 | Highlanders | 9 | 3 | 6 | −55 | 15 |
| 9 | Fijian Drua | 8 | 3 | 5 | −98 | 12 |
| 10 | Western Force | 8 | 2 | 6 | −31 | 10 |
| 11 | Moana Pasifika | 9 | 1 | 8 | −222 | 4 |
Western Force
W2, L6A 2W 6L record with both wins on the road — the Force have lost all four home games in 2026. The R8 collapse in Lautoka was the gut-punch: up 22–17 with minutes to go, they coughed up a late try and the point differential that might have kept them relevant. They've now lost six of their last seven and have yet to beat a team currently above them on the table.
Crusaders
W4, L4Four wins, four losses — but the trajectory is actually upward. The Saders hammered Moana 50–21 and Drua 69–26 in back-to-back rounds, then went to Suncorp and lost a tight one to the Reds. The losses to Brumbies and Blues aside, this is a team rounding into form at the right end of the season — and they average 35 points a game.
Head-to-Head Record
3 – 1 – 9
Western Force wins · Draws · Crusaders wins (13 meetings)
One of the most lopsided rivalries in Super Rugby. The Crusaders have won 9 of 13, the Force just 3 — and the last Force win was the 37–15 upset in Perth in 2024, their only scalp against the Saders in seven years. Last year the Crusaders responded with a 55–33 demolition in Christchurch. The average score across the last six meetings is Crusaders 35 – Force 20.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | Super Rugby | Crusaders 55–33 Western Force |
| Apr 2024 | Super Rugby | Western Force 37–15 Crusaders |
| May 2023 | Super Rugby | Crusaders 48–13 Western Force |
| May 2022 | Super Rugby | Western Force 15–53 Crusaders |
| Jun 2021 | Super Rugby | Crusaders 29–21 Western Force |
| Mar 2017 | Super Rugby | Crusaders 45–17 Western Force |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Crusaders 32 – Western Force 21 across 13 meetings. The Saders have scored 40+ in six of those fixtures; the Force have hit 30 only twice.
Extended Form
Western Force4W, 11L
Across Super Rugby Pacific 2026 (2W, 6L) and Super Rugby AUS late-2025 (2W, 3L plus a 54–7 Lions tour hammering). Beat the Brumbies 46–35 and Waratahs 24–3 in Super Rugby AUS but lost their three most recent home games.
The Force have been a Jekyll-and-Hyde side — capable of a 42–19 statement win in Brisbane, then blowing a winning position in Fiji. Their home form is the red flag: 0W, 4L at HBF Park in 2026.
Crusaders11W, 5L
Across Super Rugby Pacific 2026 (4W, 4L) and a dominant end to Super Rugby 2025 (7W, 1L including the playoff run). Only losses this year were to the Highlanders (away), Brumbies, Blues (away), and the 31–26 Reds result.
The Crusaders have won 11 of their last 16 across all competitions. When the forwards click — as against Moana and the Drua — they put 50+ on the board. The one genuine concern is the 5,000 km travel from Christchurch to Perth and the time zone shift that comes with it.
Western Force XV
Lineups not yet announced. Dylan Pietsch and Zac Lomax give the Force strike on the wings, with Ben Donaldson at 10 and Kurtley Beale providing playmaking cover. The pack is led by Jeremy Williams, with Nic Dolly and Harry Johnson-Holmes anchoring the front row and Sef Fa'agase adding grunt. Expect Carlo Tizzano to lead the breakdown battle.
Crusaders XV
Lineups not yet announced. The Crusaders are stacked with All Blacks — Will Jordan at fullback, Sevu Reece and Leicester Fainga'anuku in the back three, David Havili at 12, captain Scott Barrett at lock, Codie Taylor at hooker, and Fletcher Newell/Tamaiti Williams in the front row. Ethan Blackadder and Christian Lio-Willie lead the loose trio. Noah Hotham and Rivez Reihana are the likely halves pairing.
Key Matchups
There isn't a single area on the park where the Force hold a clear edge. The Crusaders' back three of Reece, Fainga'anuku and Jordan is arguably the best in Super Rugby — the Force defence has leaked 30+ in six of eight games. Up front, Barrett and Taylor against Swain and Dolly is a mismatch of international resumes. The Force's best hope is forcing chaos and relying on Lomax/Beale/Donaldson to turn it into points — but the Saders are elite at controlling tempo.
Match Forecast
The Crusaders are simply a better team on paper and have historically dismantled the Force — 9 wins in 13, with an average 11-point margin. The squad depth is the decisive dimension here: Jordan, Reece, Fainga'anuku, Havili, Barrett, Taylor, Newell, Blackadder. The Force counter with Donaldson, Lomax and Beale, but the gap is real. Coming off a 69–26 demolition of the Drua two rounds ago, the Saders know what they can do when they click.
The caveat is travel — Christchurch to Perth is the longest road trip in the competition and a genuine factor. The Force did beat the Crusaders 37–15 at HBF Park in 2024, proving this venue can bite visiting Kiwi sides. And the Force ran the Drua close away, beat the Reds 42–19 away, and showed real attacking intent. But their home record (0W, 4L in 2026) and the tourists' firepower tilt this hard toward Christchurch.
Crusaders to win by 15-plus — travel is a factor, but the squad gap is too big to bridge.