After another exciting weekend of action, the Super Rugby Pacific table has received a bit of a shake-up with the Reds, Tahs and Crusaders taking a tumble while the Hurricanes remain top.
In a golden point thriller it was the Drua who came out on top in Lautoka, while the Crusaders were put to the sword by fierce rivals the Blues to condemn them to a 0-5 start.
Elsewhere, there were wins for the Force, Hurricanes, Brumbies and Chiefs.
Read on as we review some of the Super -- And Not So Super -- action from Round 5.
SUPER
FORCE FINALLY WALK THE WALK
Challenged by their coach Simon Cron earlier in the week to finally walk the walk after four bad losses to open their season, the Western Force answered the call, putting on their best performance of the year to date to down the Reds in stunning fashion.
Stunned by Moana Pacifika last week, the Force had a point to prove on Saturday night when the high-flying Reds came to town with many anticipating a demolition job from Queensland. Instead Cron managed to mastermind one of the biggest upsets of the competition to date.
Tested early by a fierce Reds attack, the Force defence remained solid with their back-row leading the charge, specifically flanker Carlo Tizzano, who put on monster hit after monster hit, while it was his immense counter rucking in the 14th minute that would set up the Force's first try three phases later through Bayley Kuenzle.
It's a 'No Try' overturned as the Force extend their lead 🔥
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But it was their try only minutes later that demonstrated a newfound confidence and aggression within the Force squad.
Implementing a staunch 'blue wall' in defence, including some outrageously big hits, Hamish Stewart would eventually hack a loose ball downfield with several men in blue putting the pressure on in chase. With Tom Lynagh unable to collect the ball cleanly, Josh Flook would be forced to clean up just metres from the tryline -- which is where the Force's huge forward pack would do their damage.
Blasting through and counter rucking hard, four Force players would smash the Reds ruck out of their path before Tom Franklin and Tizzano would rumble the ball over the line.
It was a massive moment in the context of the match and a passage of play that would usually see the Force make a mistake at the breakdown and hand the opposition a get out of jail free card. Instead, it resulted in a huge momentum-shifting try and set them up for a night of immense counter rucking that would shut down the Reds' weapons of Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson for multiple passages of the game.
"There's a fair bit of belief and I think our belief has come from our defense," Nic White told Stan Sport commentary during a midgame interview. "We're starting to really compete and believe that we're good enough."
That belief was evident with their crisp and clinical attack giving the side a 21-point advantage after 30-minutes, before they'd crash through the 40-point barrier in the second half for the first time in several years, while a staunch defensive display in the final minute that would deny the Reds a losing bonus point put an exclamation point on the turn around the side has produced in just one week.
Fingers crossed they can do it again next week when they take on the Drua in Fiji.
REVENGE BEST SERVED IN FIJI HEAT
"It wasn't like we beat Chicago Bulls."
It was an offhand comment from Waratahs coach Darren Coleman two years ago after his first game as the Tahs coach and their first win over Super Rugby Pacific's newest franchise the Fijian Drua in Sydney. For most people it was forgotten about days or weeks later, but not for Drua coach Mick Byrne.
Oh no, for Byrne and his players, it set a light smoldering flame of determination to get their revenge one day, and on Saturday, in the oppressive heat and 100% percent humidity of Lautoka, Fiji, the Drua did just that, breaking Waratahs hearts everywhere.
Never forgetting Coleman's earlier comment, Byrne made sure to get his revenge off the pitch as well, turning up to the post-match press conference donning a Chicago Bulls cap.
The image was posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Drua media manager Shane Hussein, accompanied by a screenshot of the "not the Chicago Bulls" headline. Clearly Coleman had struck a nerve two years ago.
"We may not have played like the Chicago Bulls, and we may not have won like the Chicago Bulls, but we won," Byrne said. "That's the most important part."
It was the Waratahs third-straight loss, made only worse that they had the opportunity to snatch the victory with a drop goal from Tane Edmed minutes earlier. It was also the third loss within three points and only ratches up the pressure on Coleman.
Meanwhile, it was the Drua's first win in five meetings against the Tahs and was yet another victory at their home ground that is beginning to turn into a graveyard for travelling sides. Not only are the muggy conditions on their side, but the raucous crowd adds a 16th man, lifting the home side to produce some incredibly entertaining rugby.
CANES DEPTH SOMETHING TO BEHOLD
How many teams in the world can make 13 changes to their starting 15 and still produce one of the slickest performances of the round? For the Hurricanes they'll be welcoming the selection headache coming for them next week after they showed off their incredible depth in their walloping of the Rebels in Palmerston North.
While two of their changes were the welcome return of Jordie Barrett from a three-week suspension and All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara making his first start of the year, the Hurricanes made six changes in their forward pack alone with Tyrel Lomax and Devan Flanders the only starters from a week earlier. But it didn't seem to matter.
Their forwards unleashed early on a sloppy Rebels pummeling them up front through a hungry scrum that included the return of captain Brad Shields, while Du'Plessis Kirifi was a huge physical presence. It wasn't long before their backline put on a show with a seemingly reborn Perenara finishing the match with 11 runs for 38 metres, while Salesi Rayasi put on some razzle dazzle and young Harry Godfrey produced a brilliant performance at fullback.
Five from five to start the season, the Canes show continues to roll on, and while the SRP season is a marathon and not a sprint, coach Clark Laidlaw seems to have found a balanced squad that can see them through to the end.
NOT SO SUPER
FROM HERO TO VILLAIN IN SECONDS
To call Tane Edmed a villain after the Waratahs' heartbreaking golden point loss to Fijian Drua in Lautoka is perhaps harsh, but with the fly-half given the opportunity to ice the game but smashing the upright instead, it's how many Tahs fans would be viewing the loss.
Clawing their way back from a 26-10 halftime deficit in hot and steamy conditions, the Tahs put on a huge second half display, bashing their way through a staunch Drua defence while Joey Walton and Izaia Perese starred in the centres, and the Lachie Swinton proved his merit with his try-scoring effort.
But with scores locked up in the final minute and the Tahs blasting their way up the field, they had the perfect chance to edge ahead with a Edmed drop goal. Instead, they chose to keep ball in hand and attempt to drive their way to the try line. It would be costly, with Miles Amatosero dropping the ball in contact.
This is where Edmed comes in with his heroic effort to shut down what looked like a certain Fijian try in counterattack with Armstrong-Ravula flying down the sideline only for the Tahs fly-half to implement the perfect ankle tap that sent his opposing No.10 into touch.
Queue extra time and again the Waratahs have blasted their way deep into the Drua half and this time they give Edmed the chance to be the hero for his side once again. Unfortunately for Edmed and every Tahs fan, it was an ugly strike, and drilled straight into the goal post. Moments later Drua's Kemu Valetini wouldn't make the same mistake, blasting the ball through the uprights.
PIGS FLY AND HELL HAS FROZEN OVER
No, the competition ladder hasn't been flipped upside down, what you're seeing is correct, seven-time defending champions the Crusaders are sitting at the bottom of the table for the first time in a very, very long time.
If falling to a 0-5 start for the first time in the club's history wasn't already bad enough, the Force managed to pour salt in the wound when they broke their duck in Perth on Saturday night, trouncing the Reds 40-31 to condemn the red and blacks to 12th spot on the ladder.
There wasn't much to be happy about in the side's loss to the Blues either, their lineout was a shambles, somehow losing more (9) than they won (8), they fell off tackles and their handling was poor, while their injury list continued to grow with lock Quinten Strange unavailable before the clash and stand in captain, and All Black, David Havili limping off the pitch in the second half with a calf strain.
Their first loss in Auckland since 2014 and just their second loss to the Blues in 21 matches, Penney continues to write himself into the history books for all the wrong reasons and with just a six-day turn around before they play host to title-favourites the Chiefs on Friday night, there's a high chance it'll be 0-6 by the end of the Easter weekend.
With a bye in Round 7 to follow, surely that can't lose that one.
WAKE UP, REBELS!
Wearing their bright pink jerseys, you could have confused the Rebels with a band of purple Wiggles, so slow were they to wake up to the fact they were playing the Hurricanes in the opening 40 minutes of their clash on Friday night.
Cut to pieces early, their back-row were non-existent for large swathes of the first half, including a three-minute spell which saw the Hurricanes counter-ruck three Rebels rucks in the closing minutes of the half, while they conceded a massive eight turnovers after they failed to stop the Canes barreling straight through them.
It was more than poor effort; it was diabolical as they conceded five tries and gifted possession to an unbeaten side that has put all opposition to the sword so far this season.
Following what was no doubt the ultimate halftime spray from coach Kevin Foote, the Rebels managed to turn things around in the second half with reserves Alex Mafi, Taniela Tupou, Josh Canham and Mason Gordon adding some punch to the side.
But their efforts were too little, too late. While the second half scores were deadlocked, conceding 33-7 scoreline heading into the break is hardly good enough, especially for a side peppered with Wallabies talent.
While there were green shoots -- Gordon's debut performance was impressive -- it only gets harder from here with the Tahs, Drua, Highlanders and Crusaders all lining up to take them on.