Conference One Round 3: Taupล Run Riot, Magpies Rebound and Paris Claim French Derby
<h3>WFR XXX Conference One — Round 3 Review</h3>
<p>Conference One delivered another dramatic weekend in Round 3, featuring two huge statement victories, a commanding French derby performance, a Brisbane resurgence and an impressive Santiago response.</p>
<p>Taupล Toa produced the result of the round by dismantling the previously unbeaten Peninsula Pioneers 43-7.</p>
<p>Hawkes Bay Magpies bounced back emphatically with a 41-5 victory over Edinburgh Cannon, while Perth Reds continued their rise by crushing Buenos Aires Bombers 37-3.</p>
<p>Brisbane Pirates returned to winning form against Tokyo Shoguns, Santiago Condors finally turned promising attacking periods into a convincing victory, and Paris Titans controlled the WFRTV French derby to defeat Bordeaux Les Damiers 20-8.</p>
<p>After three rounds, Taupล have emerged as the team everyone is chasing—but Perth, Hawkes Bay and several improving sides are refusing to let the Toa escape.</p>
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<h3>Paris Dominate Possession to Win French Derby</h3>
<p><strong>Paris Titans 20 def. Bordeaux Les Damiers 8 WFRTV Featured Match </strong></p>
<p>French Derby Paris Titans have claimed French bragging rights after defeating Bordeaux Les Damiers 20-8 in the Round 3 WFRTV feature match. Paris led 8-3 at halftime before completing a controlled second-half performance and finishing with three tries through Pierre-Mathieu Fernandes, Paul Boudehent and Jonathan Danty. Antoine Hastoy added one conversion and one penalty goal, while Bordeaux replied through a try to Timeo Frier and a penalty goal from Thomas Dolhagaray.</p>
<p>The defining statistic was possession. Paris controlled an extraordinary 79% of the ball, leaving Bordeaux with only 21%. That imbalance forced Les Damiers to complete 114 tackles compared with just 28 by Paris. The Titans also produced 13 line breaks to Bordeaux’s six and edged territory 53% to 47%. Although Bordeaux defended with enormous determination, the constant workload eventually became too much.</p>
<p>Paris had scored four tries in their narrow Round 2 loss to Edinburgh but were repeatedly punished by discipline and goal-kicking. This time, their attacking threat was matched by far greater control. For Bordeaux, the result was disappointing after their strong win over Santiago. They stayed within reach for much of the contest but simply did not have enough possession to build sustained pressure.</p>
<p><strong>Standout โญ Antoine Hastoy</strong></p>
<p>Paris Titans Hastoy controlled the French derby, added five points from the boot and helped Paris convert overwhelming possession into a deserved victory.</p>
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<h3>Taupล Destroy Pioneers in Top-of-the-Table Statement</h3>
<p><strong>Taupล Toa 43 def. Peninsula Pioneers 7 </strong></p>
<p>Taupล Toa delivered the biggest statement of Conference One Round 3, overpowering Peninsula Pioneers 43-7 in a ruthless six-try performance.</p>
<p>The Pioneers had entered the round after two impressive victories, but Taupล struck immediately. Akira Ioane crossed in the second minute and Evan Roos followed in the tenth, giving the Toa a 14-0 lead before Peninsula had settled. Ben Kahu gave the Pioneers brief hope with a converted try in the 16th minute, but Naitoa Ah Kuoi responded for Taupล before halftime. The match then broke open around the interval.</p>
<p>Tom Sanders was yellow-carded in the 40th minute, and Rivez Reihana kicked the resulting penalty to give Taupล a 22-7 advantage. The Toa immediately exploited the extra man. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi scored in the 43rd minute, Reihana crossed four minutes later, and Tahuriorangi completed his double in the 59th. Reihana finished with 18 points from a try, five conversions and a penalty goal.</p>
<p>Taupล controlled 62.5% possession, spent 51 minutes in opposition territory and dominated the lineouts 19-10.</p>
<p><strong>Standout โญ Rivez Reihana</strong></p>
<p>Taupล Toa Another commanding performance from the Taupล playmaker. Reihana scored a try, kicked five conversions and a penalty goal, and guided the Toa through their most impressive victory of the season.</p>
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<h3>Magpies Respond With Six-Try Edinburgh Rout</h3>
<p><strong>Hawkes Bay Magpies 41 def. Edinburgh Cannon 5 </strong></p>
<p>Hawkes Bay Magpies produced an emphatic response to their Round 2 defeat, sweeping aside Edinburgh Cannon 41-5.</p>
<p>The Magpies effectively decided the contest inside the opening 21 minutes. Folau Fakatava crossed in the fourth minute, Drew Wild scored in the 12th and Fakatava completed his double six minutes later. Cam Millar added two conversions and a penalty goal as Hawkes Bay surged to a 22-0 lead. Rory Darge scored Edinburgh’s only try in the 36th minute, reducing the halftime deficit to 22-5, but any prospect of a comeback disappeared after the break.</p>
<p>Josh Timu, Geoff Cridge and Te Kamaka Howden added second-half tries as Hawkes Bay passed 40 points. The Magpies controlled 62.5% possession and enjoyed an extraordinary 12-2 advantage in the penalty count. Edinburgh struggled to earn possession or pressure and were forced to defend for long periods. The one setback was an injury to Tim Farrell, who is expected to miss one to two games.</p>
<p><strong>Standout โญ Folau Fakatava</strong></p>
<p>Hawkes Bay Magpies Fakatava scored twice in the opening 18 minutes and drove Hawkes Bay’s fast start. His early influence ensured Edinburgh were chasing the contest almost immediately.</p>
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<h3>Perth Continue Rise With Five-Try Bombers Demolition</h3>
<p><strong>Perth Reds 37 def. Buenos Aires Bombers 3 </strong></p>
<p>Perth Reds have now produced consecutive dominant wins after dismantling Buenos Aires Bombers 37-3.</p>
<p>After opening the season with a narrow defeat in Brisbane, Perth have responded by beating Hawkes Bay 30-7 and Buenos Aires by 34 points. Tate McDermott opened the scoring with a third-minute drop goal before Joaquin de la Vega Mendia replied in kind for the Bombers.</p>
<p>From there, Perth took complete control. Archie Saunders scored in the 20th minute, Tom Wright crossed ten minutes later and the Reds carried a 15-3 lead into halftime. The second half became the Tom Wright show. The Perth fullback scored again in the 50th minute and completed his hat-trick in the 71st. Saunders also added his second try as the Reds pulled away.</p>
<p>Noah Lolesio contributed three conversions and a penalty goal, while Perth’s defence held Buenos Aires without a try. The Reds controlled 56.25% possession and spent 47 minutes in opposition territory. Their finishing was the major difference in a contest where the penalty count and lineout totals were otherwise close.</p>
<p><strong>Standout โญ Tom Wright </strong></p>
<p>Perth Reds A brilliant hat-trick performance. Wright repeatedly found space in the Bombers defence and provided the cutting edge that turned Perth’s control into a huge victory.</p>
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<h3><strong>Brisbane Overwhelm Tokyo After Early Scare </strong></h3>
<p><strong>Brisbane Pirates 35 def. Tokyo Shoguns 7 </strong></p>
<p>Brisbane Pirates returned to winning form with a commanding 35-7 victory over Tokyo Shoguns at Suncorp Stadium.</p>
<p>Tokyo made the ideal start when captain Warner Dearns scored in the third minute, with Ben Donaldson converting for an early 7-0 lead. Brisbane remained patient and gradually took control. Tim Ryan crossed in the 28th minute, Tom Hooper followed five minutes later and Andrew Kellaway added a penalty goal to give the Pirates a 15-7 halftime advantage. The second half belonged entirely to Brisbane.</p>
<p>Elrigh Louw scored in the 42nd minute before Kellaway crossed for a try of his own in the 50th. Kellaway then added two more penalty goals, completing a 20-point personal performance. Brisbane dominated 70% possession, spent 50 minutes in opposition territory and won the lineout count 21-9.</p>
<p>The result came with an injury concern, however, as prop Zane Nonggorr was ruled out for an estimated one to two games.</p>
<p><strong>Standout โญ Andrew Kellaway</strong></p>
<p>Brisbane Pirates Kellaway scored a try, kicked three conversions and three penalty goals, finishing with 20 points in a complete attacking performance.</p>
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<h3>Santiago Break Through Against Grizzlies</h3>
<p><strong>Santiago Condors 35 def. Californian Grizzlies 12 </strong></p>
<p>Santiago Condors finally turned their attacking promise into a major result, defeating Californian Grizzlies 35-12 after a powerful second-half surge.</p>
<p>The opening half was extremely tight. Tomas Albornoz kicked an early penalty for Santiago before Tomas Casares scored for California, giving the Grizzlies a 5-3 halftime lead. Albornoz put Santiago ahead with another penalty early in the second half, but Nafi Ma’afi’s converted try restored California’s advantage at 12-6.</p>
<p>From there, the Condors took over. Martin Sigren scored in the 53rd minute, Adam Radwan crossed five minutes later and Albornoz added a try of his own after a TMO review in the 66th minute. Albornoz then kicked another penalty before Inaki Ayarza scored on fulltime to complete a 29-point second-half burst.</p>
<p>The Condors won despite California edging possession and territory. Santiago were simply more clinical, turning their opportunities into four tries. The victory was tempered by an injury to captain Facundo Isa, who is expected to miss one to two games.</p>
<p><strong>Standout โญ Tomas Albornoz</strong></p>
<p>Santiago Condors Albornoz produced a 20-point performance from a try, three conversions and three penalty goals. His control drove Santiago’s decisive second-half surge.</p>
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<h3> Team-by-Team Round 3 Read</h3>
<p><strong>Taupล Toa </strong></p>
<p>Taupล now look like the clear Conference One benchmark. They have won explosively, won defensively and now destroyed another unbeaten contender. Their forward power, playmaking and scoring depth make them extremely difficult to contain.</p>
<p><strong>Perth Reds </strong></p>
<p>Perth are rapidly becoming one of the competition’s most dangerous sides. Their Round 1 loss now feels distant after consecutive dominant victories. Tom Wright, Archie Saunders, Tate McDermott and Noah Lolesio are giving them multiple ways to score.</p>
<p><strong>Hawkes Bay Magpies </strong></p>
<p>The Magpies responded perfectly after losing in Perth. Their fast start overwhelmed Edinburgh, and their six-try performance restored momentum immediately.</p>
<p><strong>Paris Titans </strong></p>
<p>A hugely important first win. Paris had shown attacking potential in their earlier matches but needed greater control. Holding 79% possession in the French derby gave them the platform to finally turn promise into victory.</p>
<p><strong>Brisbane Pirates </strong></p>
<p>The Pirates bounced back well after being shut down by Buenos Aires. Their 70% possession and 28 unanswered points against Tokyo showed how dangerous they can be when their attack finds rhythm.</p>
<p><strong>Santiago Condors </strong></p>
<p>Santiago desperately needed this performance. Their 29-point second half against California demonstrated the attacking quality that had appeared only in patches during the opening rounds.</p>
<p><strong>Peninsula Pioneers </strong></p>
<p>A difficult reality check. The Pioneers entered Round 3 looking like one of the most organised teams in the division, but Taupล overwhelmed them. Their response next round will reveal plenty.</p>
<p><strong>Californian Grizzlies </strong></p>
<p>California led at halftime and briefly reclaimed the advantage after the break, but their defence collapsed under Santiago’s second-half pressure. They remain competitive but must find greater consistency.</p>
<p><strong>Edinburgh Cannon </strong></p>
<p>A major fall after two opening victories. Edinburgh conceded three tries inside 18 minutes and never recovered. Their discipline and ability to cope with early pressure need attention.</p>
<p><strong>Bordeaux Les Damiers </strong></p>
<p>Bordeaux defended bravely but were starved of possession throughout the French derby. Completing 114 tackles was a huge workload, and they could not generate enough attacking ball.</p>
<p><strong>Buenos Aires Bombers </strong></p>
<p>The Bombers went from holding Brisbane tryless to conceding five tries against Perth. Their attack also failed to score a try, leaving plenty to address before Round 4.</p>
<p><strong>Tokyo Shoguns </strong></p>
<p>Tokyo began brilliantly through Warner Dearns but were unable to maintain possession or pressure. They have now struggled to remain competitive across the full 80 minutes in consecutive matches.</p>
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<h3>Players Standing Out After Round 3</h3>
<p><strong>Rivez Reihana — </strong>Taupล Toa Eighteen points and complete control in Taupล’s destruction of the Pioneers. Reihana continues to establish himself as one of Conference One’s leading players.</p>
<p><strong>Tom Wright — </strong>Perth Reds <strong>— </strong>A Round 3 hat-trick and one of the most destructive individual performances of the weekend.</p>
<p><strong>Tomas Albornoz — </strong>Santiago Condors <strong>— </strong>Twenty points and a try as Santiago exploded after halftime. Albornoz was central to virtually everything the Condors did well.</p>
<p><strong>Andrew Kellaway —</strong> Brisbane Pirates <strong>— </strong>Twenty points from a try, three conversions and three penalties. Kellaway drove Brisbane’s response victory.</p>
<p><strong>Folau Fakatava — </strong>Hawkes Bay Magpies <strong>— </strong>Two early tries and a major influence on the tempo of Hawkes Bay’s 41-5 win.</p>
<p><strong>Cam Millar — </strong>Hawkes Bay Magpies <strong>— </strong>Four conversions and a penalty goal, helping the Magpies turn six tries into 41 points.</p>
<p><strong>Archie Saunders — </strong>Perth Reds <strong>— </strong>Two tries against Buenos Aires, adding to a Perth attack that is rapidly growing in confidence.</p>
<p><strong>Antoine Hastoy — </strong>Paris Titans <strong>— </strong>Controlled the French derby and added crucial points as Paris claimed their first win.</p>
<p><strong>Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi — </strong>Taupล Toa <strong>— </strong>Two tries in Taupล’s dominant win and constant pressure around the breakdown.</p>
<p><strong>Drew Wild —</strong> Hawkes Bay Magpies <strong>— </strong>Scored an early try and repeatedly threatened Edinburgh’s defence.</p>
<h3>Early Conference One Picture After Round 3</h3>
<p>Taupล Toa have separated themselves as the early team to beat. The Toa remain unbeaten and have now defeated California and Peninsula in consecutive weeks. More importantly, they have shown that they can win close contests and produce dominant attacking performances. Behind them, the competition remains wide open. Perth have built powerful momentum. Hawkes Bay have responded strongly. Brisbane and Paris returned to winning form, while Santiago finally produced the result their talent suggested was coming. The Pioneers and Edinburgh must now rebound from heavy defeats. California remain dangerous but inconsistent. Bordeaux, Buenos Aires and Tokyo need immediate answers before the leading group begins to pull away.</p>
<p>Three rounds are complete. Taupล have set the standard. The chase is officially on.</p>
