The home side have picked up the full complement of points from this clash, while Moana Pasifika are going home empty handed from this one. The Reds hit the road now, taking on the Western Force next weekend in Perth before heading across the ditch for their clash with the Crusaders. Moana Pasifika are back home for the first time in 2025 in round 3 as they take on the Highlanders and then the Hurricanes in the next two weeks.

The Reds will need to focus on their discipline ahead of round 3, because a better side will punish them brutally if they spend 30 minutes down to 14 men! Moana Pasifika have to focus on actually using their opportunities, converting pressure into points when they spend so much time down in the opposition 22.

Moana Pasifika didn't quite get that ascendancy they had last weekend in the scrums, and for the most part they were fairly even and steady. The lineouts were a different story, with some messy taps off the top landing in the wrong hands at times. The Reds did manage a steal in the air, but also threw a skew feed over the 15 5m from their own line to put them under unnecessary pressure when the visitors were stringing phases together inside their 22. The Reds did make some good use of their rolling mauls though, making some ground and scoring a try through Faessler early in the second half.

While there were some good plays off set piece play, both sides looked dangerous in broken play. A couple of excellent breaks came off the high ball, with Moana Pasifika going almost coast to coast twice in the space 5 minutes in the second half as a great example. The Reds scored a few of epic breaks as well, with even their forwards getting involved. Some great stepping and offloading in particular really opened things up at the back for those scores.

Moana Pasifika spent plenty of time in the second quarter camped down in the Reds 22, but weren't able to break that defensive line. They had penalty after penalty in the their favour -- with the Reds copping three yellow cards within the first half as a result -- and still they weren't able to force the gap they needed to score tries.

Moana Pasifika would have been hoping to strike early and first after the break given all the momentum was on their side at that point, but it was the home side who made a great break shortly after the half started to get Faessler on the board. That seemed to be the kick Moana Pasifika needed, with the visitors putting two quick tries on the board to close the gap to just 6 points, but the Reds returned the favour with two of their own almost immediately as things on the field became rather frenetic. There were two further tries apiece after that as well, with 12 tries total scored between the two sides by the final whistle.

It certainly looked there in the middle of the match like the visitors were going to make a major comeback, but it was not to be. The Reds opened up an early lead before Moana Pasifika got a sniff, but despite having plenty of possession and territorial advantage in the second quarter (not to mention the three yellow cards to the home side) the visitors weren't able to put more than an unconverted try and a penalty on the board before the break.

Havili adds the extras from out on the left wing, and that's the game!