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Crusaders rule in match

Scorers * Canterbury 47 (Ritchie McCaw 2, Cameron McIntyre, Ben Blair, Caleb Ralph tries; Daniel Carter 4 conversions, 4 penalties; Cameron McIntyre conversion) * ACT Brumbies 28 (Clyde Rathbone 2, Matt Giteau, Mark Gerard tries; Joe Roff 4 conversions)

Ritchie McCaw scored two tries and Daniel Carter kicked eight goals from as many attempts as the Canterbury Crusaders beat the leading ACT Brumbies 48-27 in a Super 12 rugby match yesterday.

The Crusaders scored six tries to take five points from the match and Carter made their win emphatic with four conversions and four penalties, or 20 individual points.

The Brumbies scored four tries and took a single bonus point from the match. The loss left the Brumbies with 25 points, six ahead of Canterbury and the Stormers, who have a weekend bye.

The Crusaders stunned the Brumbies with two tries within five minutes of the kickoff to lead 14-0 and to place the competition leaders under intense pressure.

After a Brumbies reply -- the first of two tries to winger Clyde Rathbone -- and a hectic first 10 minutes, the Crusaders built a commanding 23-7 lead by halftime.

The Brumbies closed within five points, to 26-21, by the middle of a more even second half but the Crusaders stung them again with two tries in three minutes to lead 40-21 and put the match beyond doubt.

"When you play quality sides like the Crusaders you can't afford to give them a 14-point head start after five minutes," said Brumbies captain Stirling Mortlock.

"I'm happy with the effort in the second half. We came back well and at least we got a bonus point."

The win extended the Crusaders' winning streak against the Brumbies in Christchurch to five matches and lifted them into the top half of the table ahead of a two-match spin through South Africa.

McCaw scored the first Crusaders try after four minutes, driving through George Gregan's blindside tackle after a lineout five meters from the Brumbies line. McIntyre, who stepped in at flyhalf for an ill Andrew Mehrtens, charged down Joe Roff's lazy clearing kick to score a second try one minute later.

Rathbone scored in the 10th minute, cutting the lead to 14-7.
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