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Stormers, Highlanders end in draw

De Wet Barry of the Stormers is tackled by Josh Blackie of the Highlanders during their Super 12 match at Rugby Park in Invercargill, New Zealand, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

South Africa's Stormers eked out a 16-16 Super 12 rugby draw with the Otago Highlanders in torrential rain on yesterday thanks to some last-minute heroics by flyhalf Gaffie du Toit.

All Blacks midfielder Daniel Carter, meanwhile, converted six of Canterbury's seven tries and added a penalty in a strong individual performance to lead the Crusaders to a 50-18 win over Waikato.

In South Africa, the Sharks played host to New South Wales at Durban and the Johannesburg-based Cats played the Wellington Hurricanes from New Zealand.

On Friday, the defending champion ACT Brumbies and the Auckland Blues won their second consecutive matches to sit atop the standings with nine points apiece.

Wallaby winger Clyde Rathbone led the Brumbies to a 21-19 win over South Africa's Bulls, while All Blacks flyhalf Carlos Spencer scored one try and set up another as the Blues crossed twice late in a comeback 18-15 win over the Queensland Reds.

At Invercargill, New Zealand, Highlanders fullback Ben Blair kicked a penalty to put the home team ahead 16-13 in the last minutes after trailing 8-3 at halftime.

* Canterbury 50 (Aaron Mauger, Sam Broomhall, Rico Gear, Scott Hamilton, Daniel Carter, Caleb Ralph, Tone Kopelani tries; Daniel Carter 6 conversions, penalty) def. Waikato 18 (Sailosi Tagicakibau, Steven Bates tries; David Hill conversion, 2 penalties) * Otago 16 (Craig Newby try; Ben Blair 3 penalties, conversion) drew with Stormers 16 (Jean de Villiers, Tonderai Chavhana tries; Gaffie du Toit 2 penalties) * ACT 21 (Mark Chisholm, Clyde Rathbone, Scott Fava tries; Stephen Larkham 3 conversions) def. Bulls 19 (Jacques Cronje, Bryan Habana, Francois van Schouwenburg tries; Derick Hougaard, Kennedy Tsimba, conversions)

Blair slotted the second of his three penalties 10 minutes from fulltime to drag the Highlanders level with the Stormers for the first time in the match.

His last goal appeared to have swung the match, but offside play by a Highlanders forward when Blair had missed a late clearance kick gave du Toit, who kicked only two goals from five attempts, the chance to tie the game in the final minute and he took it.

At Christchurch, the Crusaders started both halves strongly but faded in the second and fourth quarters, allowing the Chiefs to close to 24-18 at halftime and to restrict them to one try in the last 20 minutes.
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