The ACT Brumbies and Canterbury Crusaders booked semifinal spots in rugby's Super 12 yesterday, and the top eight teams still have something to play for in the final round next weekend.
The Brumbies outclassed the Wellington Hurricanes 46-25, and a 14-man Crusaders side routed the Stormers 24-9. Also Saturday, the Otago Highlanders stunned the New South Wales Waratahs 29-28, and the Queensland Reds crushed the last-place Cats 47-23.
PHOTO: EPA
ACT leads the standings with 36 points, followed by the Crusaders (34), Waikato Chiefs (32), Stormers (28), NSW and Auckland Blues (27 each), and longshots Otago and the Sharks (26 each).
While ACT and the Crusaders have ensured playoff spots, the former champions have yet to clinch home semifinals, and both will try to on the road.
Next Saturday, ACT will travel to Waikato, which will be motivated to earn its first ever semifinal berth. Wellington has a chance to spoil Canterbury in Friday's only match, a replay of a 2003 semifinal.
The fourth-place Stormers remain favored to clinch a playoff spot, and they'll know what they need to do in the final game of the 12th round against the slumping Sharks in Durban.
On Saturday, the Brumbies picked up a bonus-point fourth try seven minutes before halftime in outclassing Wellington 46-25.
"We got the bonus point early and only allowed them only three tries, which says something for our defense," said ACT captain Stirling Mortlock. "It was a good night."
At Christchurch, the Crusaders played with 14 men for 49 minutes but were still too good for the Stormers. All Blacks Daniel Carter and Caleb Ralph bagged tries as the Crusaders scored 16 unanswered points in the second half after trailing 9-8 at halftime.
The Crusaders were reduced to 14 men in the 31st minute when Mose Tuiali'i was sent off for attempting to headbutt an opponent.
"We were down to 14 men for most of the match which meant that everyone had to front up and everyone really got down to it in the second half," said Crusaders captain Reuben Thorne.
Otago played all but four minutes of the second half against NSW with only 14 men after lock Filipo Levi was sent off for throwing an elbow at lock Justin Harrison's head, but the Highlanders' comeback in Sydney dented the home side's semfinal hopes.
The Highlanders were down 28-7 after halftime but took the lead with five minutes to go when skipper Anton Oliver was driven over by his pack. Waratahs center Matt Burke's last-minute match-winning penalty attempt from 30 meters hit the post.
"He's [Burke] pulled us out of jail so many times ... we shouldn't have been in that situation anyway," said Waratahs captain Chris Whitaker. "We were 21 points up so it shouldn't have come down to a kick on the bell."
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