The Canterbury Crusaders strengthened their grip on the Super 14 with a nail-biting 26-22 win over the Auckland Blues yesterday, taking them a huge step closer to a home semi-final spot.
During an often frantic clash, the Blues pounded the Crusaders line in the last 15 minutes, scoring one try and missing another two by the narrowest of margins.
Last weekend the Crusaders unbeaten eight-match record was unceremoniously ended by the Waikato Chiefs, but this time they hung on for a victory by four tries to three.
PHOTO: AP
The Blues’ hopes of a semi-final are fast diminishing while the Crusaders, the most successful team in Super rugby history, are close to sealing a home semi-final spot after making it nine wins from 10 games this season.
All Black skipper Richie McCaw was one of the heroes for the Crusaders, playing a crucial role in securing their eight to one advantage in turnovers at the breakdown.
Hooker Corey Flynn was both hero and villain, scoring two tries but spending 10 minutes in the sin bin for a late tackle as the Blues piled on the pressure in the last quarter.
PHOTO: AP
The Crusaders had the lion’s share of possession and territory in the opening minutes and were rewarded in the 11th minute when McCaw scored the first try.
No. 8 Mose Tuiali’i took the ball off the back of a scrum and passed inside to McCaw for the try, converted by fly-half Stephen Brett.
Flynn extended the Crusaders’ lead to 12 points after 25 minutes when flanker Kieren Read was able to offload in the tackle to put Flynn into the clear.
Just as it appeared the Crusaders were taking control, the Blues hit back with a 28th minute try to winger Rudi Wulf for a 12-7 scoreline which remained unchanged to the break.
Two minutes into the second spell, the Blues hit the lead briefly as No. 8 Nick Williams spun through a wall of Crusaders defenders to plant the ball against the goal posts.
But the Blues advantage was shortlived with Flynn on hand just three minutes later to complete a sweeping breakout from within the Crusaders’ own 22.
Flynn’s sin-binning in the 62nd minute provided a penalty, which Nick Evans — playing at full-back rather than his usual fly-half spot — coolly slotted from nearly 50m out.
But typically the Crusaders hit back with a converted try to replacement Ti’i Paulo. A late try by Blues winger David Smith was not enough.
Also yesterday, ACT Brumbies needed a last-minute try to stay alive in the race for the Super 14 rugby playoffs with a scrappy 28-21 win over the gutsy Golden Lions in Canberra.
The Brumbies had to pull out all stops to get home against the last-placed South Africans, who had to battle on with 14 men at a crucial time in the second half and defended grimly for long periods to keep the home side out.
But just when the Johannesburg Lions looked set for a fighting draw, the Brumbies took a quick tap off a short-arm penalty and fly-half Christain Lealiifano broke Walter Venter’s tackle to score the winning try.
The Lions trailed 13-7 at halftime but the Johannesburg outfit belied their modest position on the ladder with a stout-hearted effort.
Fullback Earl Rose rocked the home team with a try double in the space of four minutes as the Lions hit the front 21-13 but lost prop J.C. Janse van Rensburg to the sin bin in the 61st minute for repeated infringements.
While he was off the field Mark Gerrard scored in the corner to have the Brumbies trailing 21-18.
Gerrard potted a penalty goal to level with 11 minutes left before Lealiifano’s last-gasp try to break the Lions’ players’ hearts.
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