SYDNEY — The defending champion New South Wales Waratahs clinched a semifinal place and a bye in the first round of the Super Rugby playoffs with a 31-5 win Saturday over the Queensland Reds. The Waratahs, who led 3-0 at halftime but scored four converted tries in the second half, joined the Wellington, New Zealand-based Hurricanes with a weekend off in the first round of the playoffs. In one match-up involving New Zealand teams, the fifth-place Chiefs will play the fourth-place Highlanders in Dunedin after the Highlanders secured fourth with a 44-7 win over the Auckland-based Blues Friday. Later Saturday, the Hurricanes beat the Hamilton-based Chiefs 21-13 to finish the regular season in first place with 14 wins from 16 games. — AP
