That left the Hurricanes going into their bye week in third place and possibly dropping lower with the fourth-placed Crusaders playing the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday.
The Brumbies, who share the lead with the Chiefs, also face their bye week and will travel to Wellington for their round 10 match-up.
The Waratahs will head to Auckland to play the Blues on Saturday, a game that will be crucial for the Australian side's hopes of making the top eight. It will be a chance to remain in touch with the frontrunners for the Blues.
Moana Pasifika 28 Reds 40
Super Rugby Pacific history occurred when Apia staged its first home game for Moana Pasifika, but they were up against a Reds team rebounding from three consecutive losses. And the visitors scored first after a dab by halfback Tate McDermott, who passed inside to blindside wing Suiliasi Vunivalu, who found flanker Fraser McReight positioned to run in the try. But the home team responded when running the ball from their 22m to give flanker Miracle Faiilagi space on the right. He linked with first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie and then cut back inside him to accept a return pass for an excellent try. Vunivalu and McDermott were in action again, with McReight to provide hooker Matt Faessler with his first try. Fullback William Havili's aerial skills set up the home town response when wing Timoci Tavatavanawai took Havili's pass and put second five-eighths Danny Toala away for the try. Next, the Reds turned to forward power, and No8 Harry Wilson showed his skill in telescoping his arm over the goal line to claim a try. Vunivalu managed a 35min intercept to score off a move where Moana Pasifika could score.
Faessler used a maul to launch himself over for a second try to start the second half. Then James O'Connor, at second five-eighths for the game, but standing off the ruck in this play, stepped his way past the defence in the 22m area for first five-eighths Lawson Creighton to take the Reds past 40. However, hopes of making it a bonus point win were dashed when Faiilagi scored his second and replacement hooker Luteru Tolai added the game's final try. It was the Reds' first win away from home since 2019.
Moana Pasifika 28 (Miracle Faiilagi 2, Danny Toala, Luteru Tolai tries; Lincoln McClutchie 2 con; D'Angelo Leuila 2 con) Reds 40 (Fraser McReight, Matt Faessler 2, Harry Wilson, Suliasi Vunivalu, Lawson Creighton tries; Creighton 5 con). HT: 14-28
Brumbies 43 Fijian Drua 28
A first-quarter try blitz got the home team to a 19-0 lead. Left-wing Ben O'Donnell headed across field to be on the inside of fullback Tom Wright's inside pass from a set move to score after three minutes. Then, after centre Leni Ikitau slipped a grubber kick through a forest of Fijian legs on the blindside, O'Donnell toed the ball ahead, and then when it rebounded off a Drua player, he snatched the ball to score his second. No8 Pete Samu capped the quarter with a blindside break to score from a five-metre scrum. However, Brumbies indiscipline came into play before halftime when two players were sin-binned for halfback Peni Matawalu to blast his way over from a goal-line melee. Then, first five-eighths, Teti Tela cut back just out from the line to corkscrew his way past the defence and over for the try.
The Brumbies reverted to default, putting their lineout maul to use three minutes into the second half for hooker Lachlan Lonergan to score. Still, the Drua responded with Tela chipping a kick to left-wing Tuidraki Samusamuvodre. He caught the ball and passed inside to centre Iosefo Masi, who ran away to score. At 24-21 ahead, the Brumbies had men to spare from a goal-line play that saw wing Andy Muirhead cross. Dropped Brumbies ball was seized by flanker Joseva Tamani who charged ahead to feed replacement Iliasa Droasese. When he was tackled, flanker Kitione Salawa cleared the tackle ball to second five-eighths Kalaveti Ravouvou who scored. Down 28-31, the Drua had two tries denied, one for a knock-on and the other for playing on the ground. But the situation was compounded when a penalty try to the Brumbies in the 72nd minute also produced a sin-binning, something the Brumbies used to advantage close to the line for O'Donnell to score his third, the result of a short-side pass from a driving maul.
Brumbies 43 (Ben O'Donnell 3, Pete Samu, Lachlan Lonergan, Andy Muirhead tries; Penalty try; Noah Lolesio 3 con) Fijian Drua 28 (Peni Matawalu, Teti Tela, Iosefo Masi, Kalaveti Ravouvou tries; Tela 4 con). HT: 19-14
Hurricanes 17 Chiefs 33
Not even being without coach Clayton McMillan due to illness or an 8-17 halftime deficit could deny the unbeaten Chiefs at SKY Stadium in Wellington against the Hurricanes. The sides shared the lead of the competition beforehand, but a second-half demolition job by the Chiefs put paid to the home team. Yet, that was surprising given the flair, continuity and drive the Hurricanes revealed in the first half when flanker Devan Flanders and halfback Cam Roigard showed their trademark qualities, respectively, in crossing for tries. The one Hurricanes frustration was their lineout, where they conceded four throw-ins to the visitors.
But, in the second half, the Chiefs were decisive in their response, having earlier been boosted by a great try to open the contest on the right flank where fullback Shaun Stevenson ran hard to feed wing Emoni Narawa, who kicked infield where centre Daniel Rona won the race to score. However, after the turnaround, improved discipline compared to the first half, and a lift in attacking tempo was rewarded when Chiefs No8 Pita Gus Sowakula stepped up with some punishing running with a bullocking try, getting his side back in touch. Next, replacement halfback Cortez Ratima came on and showed he wasn't the only younger halfback in the competition with All Blacks' potential when running from the scrum base to score. And then, up stepped first five-eighths Damian McKenzie. Firstly, he landed a 49m penalty goal and settled the outcome when running into a gap to pierce the defence and score. That the Hurricanes were held scoreless in the second half summed up the improvement the Chiefs made.
Hurricanes 17 (Devan Flanders, Cam Roigard tries; Jordie Barrett 2 con, pen) Chiefs 33 (Daniel Rona, Pita Gus Sowakula, Cortez Ratima, Damian McKenzie tries; McKenzie 2 con, 3pen). HT: 17-8
Waratahs 36 Force 16
Needing to break a four-game losing streak, the Waratahs took their time to settle at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, twice having tries overruled in the first 10 minutes, but the combination of halfback Jake Gordon and centre Izaia Perese produced the opening try when the big back ran onto an inside pass from Gordon to score. Then, with the Force having a man in the sin-bin, Perese gave wing Mark Nawaqanitawase space on the right to score. Then, just before the halftime break, Gordon blocked a kick by the Force's first five-eighths Jake Strachan, recovered the ball and set off on a 45m run to score and take a 22-6 lead to halftime.
It took the Waratahs 12 minutes to regain their scoring touch, but prop Harry Johnson-Holmes burrowed over from a goal-line ruck to score. But, the Force had double reward heading into the last quarter when second five-eighths Hamish Stewart put a high kick to the corner where Manasa Mataele won the contest to score, with a sin-bin coming for the Waratahs in the lead-up play. Then, another Stewart kick to the right-wing Zach Kilbirige was taken. Kilbirige chipped over the defence and ran through to secure the ball to score. But, the Waratahs had the final say when Perese was rewarded for following down the sideline to claim a hail Mary pass from replacement hooker Mahe Vailanu and score his second of the game.
Waratahs 36 (Izaia Perese 2, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Jake Gordon, Harry Johnson-Holmes tries; Ben Donaldson 4 con, pen) Force 16 (Manasa Mataele, Zach Kilbirige tries; Jake Strachan 2 pen). HT: 22-6