The first of the bye rounds is complete and we've officially closed in on the halfway point of the season.
It was hardly inspiring viewing for much of the weekend with two teams scoring over 50 points each, while Fijian Drua will be counting the cost of brain explosions in their loss to the Rebels on Friday.
Elsewhere, there were wins for the Brumbies, Chiefs and Blues.
With the worst moments of the weekend highlighting the round, we've made the decision to lead this week's Super -- And Not So Super -- action with the Not So Super moments. Read on as we review Round 7.
NOT SO SUPER
DISGUSTING FOUL PLAY DESERVES LONG BANS
It's probably the worst incident of foul play seen on a rugby pitch in quite some time, and if rugby officials are fair dinkum about player safety and cleaning up poor behaviour, Fijian Drua halfback Frank Lomani should be spending much of the remainder of the year sitting on the sideline.
Bringing his elbow straight down onto the back of Melbourne Rebels lock Josh Canham's head in a clear and deliberate act, Lomani had the audacity to act surprised when he was shown a straight red by referee Aaron Murphy in the 58th minute.
You wouldn't even see this type of hit in Mixed Martial Arts with the vertical elbow strike even banned from UFC due to it's health risks, why it ever even crossed Lomani's mind to bring it onto a rugby field is mind boggling.
It's not over the top to say copping a hard, deliberate blow to the back of the head can cause permanent damage and Lomani and Canham were lucky the worst that came out of it was a big gash and plenty of blood.
UFC banned elbows to the back of the head + all "12-6" elbows (vertical elbow strikes) because of the health risks. No room for it in rugby, either. Good to see young Josh Canham walking about, albeit with a bloody head. [Photo: @GeoffParkes9] pic.twitter.com/tkHWz3GFTr
— Harry Jones (@haribaldijones) April 5, 2024
Shockingly, it was just the first of two foul incidences with replacement prop Jone Koroiduadua also shown a red card for headbutting Rebels hooker Alex Mafi less than 20 minutes later.
It forced Drua coach Mick Byrne to apologise at the end of the match stating frustration was no excuse for the team's actions.
"I apologise to the people back home for the two red cards, which were costly," Mick Byrne said. "The players need to find it in themselves to sort their discipline out if we want to get our season back on track."
But Lomani and Koroiduadua won't be able to walk away from these incidences with a simple apology.
According to World Rugby regulations an act of foul play where a person makes contact with an opponent's head and receives a red card will automatically face a mid-range sanction. In Lomani's case that's six weeks, for Koroiduadua that's 10.
It should surprise no one though, if the disciplinary committee elevate Lomani's case to the top end sanction of 10+ weeks. It would be a travesty if they didn't given how ugly the incident was and would only lead people to question their seriousness around cleaning up issues around head contact.
The ugly on field scenes were only exacerbated by reports of Rebels fans racially abusing Lomani as he sat on the sideline.
Super Rugby's governing body SANZAAR have officially opened an investigation on the incident, while according to the Drua, Lomani was left shaken by the encounter.
An altercation broke out between fans during Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific match after Fijian Drua's Frank Lomani was allegedly subjected to racial slurs by a Melbourne Rebels supporter.
— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) April 7, 2024
A man in a Rebels jersey reportedly shouted a slur at Lomani, before being escorted out of... pic.twitter.com/0khR3dIZr5
Byrne called for a life ban for the fan that was ejected from the stadium.
"It's a disgrace," Byrne told Sydney Morning Herald. "Our players need to be protected. It's ridiculous that someone is going to come to a game and stoop to that level in 2024.
"You lose your right to come and watch the football live. If they're able to get hole of this guy and he is a Rebels member, then I would expect him to no longer be a member of the Rebels. Watch it at home in the safety of your own lounge room and you can say what you like because no one can hear you.
"There's never been a reason to say it but in 2024, you have to be aware that it's acceptable behaviour. These Fijian players provide some of the best spectacles of the game... and yet they're exposed to this low behaviour. It blows my mind."
There is absolutely no place in rugby for racial discrimination and the Rebels must do everything to show they mean business to stamp it out of the game, long time bans should be the bare minimum.
TAHS RESTART MISCUES AND BELL'S TOE CONCERNS
There's not a whole lot going right for the Waratahs at the moment but one issue that needs to be rectified immediately has got to be their deplorable restarts.
After struggling to make a mark through much of the match, the Tahs eventually strung some phases together in the 64th minute to send Charlie Gamble over for their first and only try of the night. It closed the gap to just 10 points and they finally started to look like they were getting their game together, even giving themselves a sniff of at least a losing bonus point.
Those hopes were quickly dashed though when Jed Holloway failed to collect the restart and the Tahs were forced to defend once again within their 22. Only a few phases later Corey Toole was over in the corner and the margin was back out to more than 15 points.
It's an issue that seems to have plagued the Tahs through the season with Holloway flubbing the restart earlier in the match after Tane Edmed had brought the scores within seven with a converted penalty. Like later in the game, the Brumbies made to sure to make the most of the mistake, with Rob Valetini crashing through for the score and bumping Edmed off in the process.
With so much going wrong, it's the simple things that matter most in these situations. Securing the restart and clearing it from your red zone is crucial, it helps lay a platform and releases so much pressure. Instead, they were put in defensive mode once again, handing over what few bites of possession they had through poor ball handling and pushed passes.
To add to their woes, they'll have to hope Angus Bell's suspected toe injury isn't as bad as is feared.
Limping off the field early in the first half, it was a devastating scene for Bell and his teammates, and all signs point to another long stint on the sideline. Exactly what the Tahs can't afford right now.
"It doesn't look good, it looks like the same toe injury he suffered in round one last year," Tahs coach Darren Coleman said after the match. "He's pretty devastated. There wasn't much talking, there was a bit of hugging and crying,
"He's pretty shattered by it all, but we'll hold out a little bit of hope, the doctor said... the pop that he felt could have been something different.
"But at the moment it looks scarily like the same as his last injury."
WHERE'D THE UNPREDICTABILITY GO?
You'd be forgiven if you thought this weekend's SRP round was one of the most uninspiring in recent times. It wasn't just the fact there were only four games played across the weekend, but that the closest scoreline was 21-points made some of the matches hard to watch.
A total 250 points were scored across the weekend, which in theory should equate to some pretty entertaining rugby, but when two teams score over a quarter of those points each, you realise how disappointing the round has been.
The Rebels-Drua clash was the only to bring something to talk about this weekend, part of that was thanks to Lomani and Koroiduadua's brain explosions, while the usually unmissable derby match between the Waratahs and Brumbies was a hard slog for much of the clash thanks to some dour conditions and fumbled handling from the Tahs.
Meanwhile, the Force may as well have stayed in Perth, so little was their presence felt in their absolute demolition by the Blues in Auckland. It saw the Blues score 100 points in two games and has surely seen them become title contenders as they rise to second on the ladder. The Force meanwhile sit last, comforted by the fact the Tahs are only three points ahead with just the one win and looking pretty lacklustre.
Just weeks ago fans were celebrating the unpredictability the competition had seen with Moana edging the Force and Drua; the Tahs pulling off the upset of the competition over the Crusaders, while the Reds shocked the Chiefs in one of the games of the season.
This weekend's matches will be headlined by the Waratahs-Crusaders return grudge match. If this clash fails to live up to the billing, it could be another hard watch for SRP fans.
SUPER
NARAWA PUTS ON SCINTILATING SHOW
It's been a long road back to the field for Chiefs wing Emoni Narawa and he made sure to do it with a bang, scoring a triple on Friday as well as setting up three more in just his second game this year.
Sidelined with a back issue following his debut for the All Blacks in July last year, Narawa made sure to remind new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson just what he can do.
In his first of the night it looked like he was playing the game in easy mode, putting a Damien McKenzie offload onto the boot after spotting Moana had no fullback at home, before casually toeing the ball ahead again and scooping it up with ease to crash over.
His second was even more impressive. As the Chiefs spread it quickly through the hands, Narawa put it to the toe again with a cheeky little grubber through the defence before he regathered and ran it in untouched. Making it all look so, so easy.
He capped it off with some magical play midfield in the 65th minute to set up Cortez Ratima. Spotting a lazy defender midfield, Narawa straightened up to slice through the gap with options left and right of him. Dragging in two defenders, Narawa sent the one-handed offload to Ratima for the score.
"When you're out for eight months, it's obviously quite tough," Narawa told Sky Sports NZ. "I was really lucky with a good support system coming back, I've got a good medical crew with my RTP and it just feels good to be up and running."
Demonstrating his multifaceted game and now firmly back in the mix, the Chiefs have an embarrassment of riches for their title hunt.
SLIPPER JOINS PANTHEON OF AUSSIE RUGBY GREATS
Running out for the Brumbies on Saturday night, James Slipper officially became Australia's most capped Super Rugby player of all time, overtaking fellow prop Stephen Moore's record with his 178th appearance.
It's an incredible achievement for any rugby player, more so for an athlete that competes in one of the most physically arduous positions on the field.
A two month ban and axing from the Queensland Reds in 2018 for a cocaine charge could have easily derailed an incredible career, instead he was handed a lifeline in the Brumbies and six seasons on he's made Canberra home.
"It's a special one, it feels like not too long ago I was playing my first game of Super Rugby," Slipper said after the match. "It's really special, it's humbling and hopefully there's a few more to come.
"I think it's going to mean a lot when I finally hang up the boots."
Currently sitting fifth on the all-time list, with Wyatt Crocket's record 202 appearances well within Slipper's sights as long as he stays healthy and plays every game and finals until his contract ends in 2025.
So what could be next after he hangs up his boots? Well, sideline commentary may not be on the agenda after his efforts calling Corey Toole's try in the second half.
"He's a cheat code, Toole" Slipper said with little enthusiasm on Stan Sport after Toole scored a try.
Before he left the commentary box in stitches after he was asked to suggest a nickname for the Brumbies wing.
"Just Toole," Slipper responded.
Lucky he's a better player than commentator.