Super Rugby

Not because the now Sunwolves halfback misses his former Highlanders team mates, but because someone pointed him towards the tribute song Highlanders lock Joe Wheeler did for him before the game.

Wheeler penned a song to the music of Adelle's hit song Hello as a comical tribute to Tanaka.

"Before the game I laughed so much. I was about to cry, I was almost in tears," Tanaka said after the 40-15 loss to the Highlanders.

The Crusaders ran in five tries in the opening 40 minutes, All Blacks skipper Kieran Read grabbing two, as they had the game won with a 36-3 lead at the break.

The win leaves the Crusaders atop the New Zealand conference and the overall standings, the only unbeaten team after eight weeks.

The Stormers, coming off a 29-16 loss last week to the Kings, sorely tested the Crusaders' defence early, but could only come away with a Robert du Preez penalty.

The final result was never in doubt, although the Highlanders looked rusty coming off the bye and weren't always convincing, particularly in the first half.

Their scrum was generally efficient and the set piece solid despite the absence of All Blacks flanker Elliot Dixon, ruled out late by a knee infection.

It took just four minutes for the Highlanders to punish the Sunwolves' slow start, the visitors' poor handling gifting plenty of early possession.

It was the seventh win in eight games for last year's runners-up but they were fortunate against feisty opponents as they stayed top of their conference standings.

The teams traded converted tries to be level with 10 minutes to go but the Lions won a penalty two minutes from time which Jantjies slotted over to seal victory.

The Jaguares struck inside the opening five minutes to serve notice of their determination to halt a run of two successive losses as Matias Orlando burst over to score after a break by influential flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez.

It was the seventh win in eight games for last year's runners-up but they were fortunate against feisty opponents as they stayed top of their conference standings.

The teams traded converted tries to be level with 10 minutes to go but the Lions won a penalty two minutes from time which Jantjies slotted over to seal victory.

The Jaguares struck inside the opening five minutes to serve notice of their determination to halt a run of two successive losses as Matias Orlando burst over to score after a break by influential No 10 Nicolas Sanchez.

Plumbing new depths, the Waratahs lamely surrendered a 17-0 lead with a listless display in front of exasperated fans on Friday night.

The Kings are the competition's dead men walking, consigned to the scrapheap in 2018 as part of SANZAAR's Super Rugby restructuring after managing just three wins in the past season and a half.

But the lowly South Africans may well have sounded the death knell on the Waratahs' finals hopes after reversing a record 72-10 loss to NSW in the two sides' only previous meeting, in Port Elizabeth four years ago.

After trailing 21-14 at the break, the defending champions piled on six unanswered second-half tries on Friday night to shoot to the top of the table in devastating fashion.

Centre Vince Aso bagged a hat-trick, including two in six minutes early in the second half to blow the game open, while Callum Gibbins collected a double at McLean Park.

Boasting the best defence in the competition heading in to the match, the Brumbies simply had no answer after the break as Beauden Barrett delivered an attacking mastersclass.

Barrett was named in the side last month, but with the Hurricanes riddled with injuries he's been ruled out of the squad.

Blues first five eight Stephen Perofeta has also been ruled out due to an ankle injury.

Tana Umaga's nephew Thomas Umaga-Jensen and secondary school rep Ciarahn Matoe will join the squad for the Gold Coast tournament.

Under 20 head coach Craig Philpott said they've been following Umaga-Jensens return to rugby since his hip surgery in October.

Apart from sending a powerful message to the Australian Rugby Union, who are weighing up whether to cut the Rebels or Western Force from next year's competition, the 19-17 win in Melbourne has also breathed life into the season.

With a record 10 straight derby wins to their credit, the Brumbies seemed to be cruising to Australian conference honours for the second year in a row.

Tries by winger Raymond Rhule, prop Torsten van Jaarsveld and centre Francois Venter had put the home side in control with a 24-point lead after 22 minutes, but the visitors regained their composure and started to pick holes in the Cheetahs' defence.

Winger Toni Pulu scored a brace of tries as the visitors mounted a fantastic comeback to earn a bonus-point victory and avoid a second successive loss on their tour of South Africa.