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Crusaders rout Cheetahs as Chiefs defeat Stormers

All Blacks flyhalf Daniel Carter became the ninth player to reach 600 points in super rugby, surpassing 150 points for the season, as the Canterbury Crusaders beat South Africa's Cheetahs 53-17 in a Super 14 match yesterday.

Carter scored two tries, kicked two penalties and converted six of the Crusaders' seven tries to take 28 points from the match and to help the defending champions maintain their unbeaten record through the championship's 10th round.

The Crusaders distanced the Cheetahs with three second quarter tries after the teams had been tied 10-10 midway through the first half. A penalty to Carter, his second, and tries to fullback Leon MacDonald, halfback Kevin Senio and winger Rico Gear lifted the Crusaders to a 32-10 halftime lead and locked the game in their safekeeping.

Gear's try was Canterbury's fourth and gave them a bonus point before halftime.

Carter scored both of his tries in the second half, on either side of a try by winger Scott Hamilton, giving the Crusaders 50 points with 12 minutes remaining. Substitutions affected their combination and they were unable to add to that score.

Canterbury now has 40 points from nine games to lead the Super 14 by seven points from the New South Waratahs who face a tough 10th round assignment against the ACT Brumbies today.

The recipe for their win yesterday contained ingredients familiar to Crusaders followers: possession, field position, continuity, support and vigorous defense which created tries from turnovers.

The Cheetahs tried to play the game at pace, a tactic the Crusaders welcomed, but made errors which led to turnovers which led to tries. They were better served when they attempted to drive the ball through midfield but they lacked the set phase possession and the cohesion to do so consistently.

Their first try, to flanker Ryno van der Merwe, came from one such drive in the 20th minute but they had too little ball on attack to threaten the united and organized Canterbury defense. Fullback Bevin Fortuin added a consolation try on the fulltime hooter.

Waikato Chiefs' 30, Stormers 20

New Zealand sevens represenative Liam Messam scored a last-minute try to seal the Waikato Chiefs' 30-20 win over South Africa's Stormers.

The Chiefs gained the lead for the first time, 23-20, with a penalty to flyhalf Stephen Donald in the 69th minute. Messam's try, laid on and converted by Donald, made the win comfortable and kept alive the Chiefs' slim hopes of reaching the season's playoffs.

The Stormers had clung to the lead for most of the match, from the 14th minute when Springbok center Jean de Villiers scored the first of their two tries.

They were in front 14-7 at halftime after a length-of-the-field try to Zimbabwean speedster Tonderai Chavhanga, and they were ahead, or at least on terms with the Chiefs for most of the second half.

The game escaped them in the final minutes when Donald kicked his third penalty to forge a three-point lead, then put in an inch-perfect chip kick for Messam who sprinted onto the ball, collected the bounce and scored under the posts.
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