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HURRICANES 14 - 21 HIGHLANDERS
Westpac Stadium Wellington - Saturday 27th June 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 5-13
HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…
Hurricanes 0-0 Highlanders 2m A fierce start from both sides in Super Rugby Final but the Landers are on top
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 4m The Canes hand over the 1st crucial penalty & Lima Sopoaga opens the scoring
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 6m But the Lander reciprocate quickly with stacks of them offside & the Canes' turn
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 8m Despite last week's nightmare, Beauden Barrett is handed kicking duties...& misses
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 9m Nasi Manu goes in off feet at B/D & hands over another penalty to Canes
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 11m Canes get dangerously close to Landers' tryline & another penalty gives them 5m scrum
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 13m Landers can't hold them back enough & it's another penalty...
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 14m Canes opt for another 5m scrum; only just short a moment ago....
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 15m But Canes front row is pinged, penalty to Landers & they're safe
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 17m Landers reply to attack their own & up to 22...but not crossed it yet
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 19m Defence holds some before Landers make it v close to tryline but turned over
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 20m Landers have a long way to come back after cleared back to halfway
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 20m But they do & make a couple of breaks before a drop goal attempt goes awry...
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 21m The Canes escape again by skin of their teeth & plays back in midfield
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 23m Some pretty big tackles going in and it's a Canes attacking lineout near 22
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 24m Landers next mistake of tackling player in air earns Canes a penalty...
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 25m Canes need to change kicker! Easy 3 points go begging as Barrett pulls it wide
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 26m Quickly the Landers are back up to Canes 22 but ball goes loose then to Canes
Hurricanes 0-3 Highlanders 27m We're back up to halfway & Canes pinged for not releasing Sopoaga tees up...
Hurricanes 0-6 Highlanders 28m Relentless booing & jeering for opposition fans but he doesn't falter!
Hurricanes 0-6 Highlanders 31m Canes back in a familiar position deep into Landers' 22...
Hurricanes 0-6 Highlanders 33m Another huge opportunity for Canes with 5m scrum which is good but no quick try
Hurricanes 0-6 Highlanders 35m A lot of pick & go along tryline before it's another scrum on nearside
Hurricanes 0-6 Highlanders 36m Canes are all over tryline like a rash before Ma'a Nonu sneaks over in corner
Hurricanes 5-6 Highlanders 36m TMO faffs for a bit over grounding before rightly awarded
Hurricanes 5-6 Highlanders 37m But of course the kicking quality continues and there's no conversion
Hurricanes 5-6 Highlanders 39m Landers reply with a vengeance with try from Elliot Dixon forcing ball over tryline
Hurricanes 5-6 Highlanders 39m TMO looks repeatedly at grounding which in slo-mo downward pressure is fractional
Hurricanes 5-11 Highlanders 39m But in real time, undoubtedly a try - & it's given
Hurricanes 5-13 Highlanders 40m Sopoaga adds the extras & Landers go into break comfortably clear for now
Hurricanes 5-13 Highlanders HT T: Nonu | T: Elliot C: Sopoaga P: Sopoaga
Hurricanes 5-13 Highlanders 41m Landers immediately hand over penalty & Barrett tees up from 10m just off centre
Hurricanes 8-13 Highlanders 42m On his 4th attempt Barrett finds his target...finally...but only just
Hurricanes 8-13 Highlanders 44m Landers attacking lineout just in Canes territory is good & off they head into 22
Hurricanes 8-18 Highlanders 46m Sublime ball handling skills from Landers & perfect teamwork as Naholo scores
Hurricanes 8-18 Highlanders 48m Sopoaga find the uprights but ball bounces off one to not convert
Hurricanes 8-18 Highlanders 51m Toomaga-Allen & Thomson for Franks & Gibbins | Wheeler for Reddish
Hurricanes 8-18 Highlanders 52m Way back at HT, Eves replace Goodes & Christie for Lentjes
Hurricanes 11-18 Highlanders 53 Meanwhile Landers pinged at ruck & Barrett appears to have found kicking boots
Hurricanes 11-18 Highlanders 56m Ash Dixon replaced Coltman for Landers whilst pace of game really hasn't slowed
Hurricanes 11-18 Highlanders 58m Canes secure an attacking scrum outside Landers' 22...
Hurricanes 11-18 Highlanders 59m They go well on blindside & its a lineout on the 22...
Hurricanes 11-18 Highlanders 61m Excellent offloading but final pass Julian Savea can't catch...
Hurricanes 11-18 Highlanders 62m ...a shame since corner was wide open! Not seen much of him today
Hurricanes 11-18 Highlanders 64m However, Canes have fire in belly & are back up to 22...but turnover!
Hurricanes 11-18 Highlanders 66m They fight back & secure a kickable penalty so Barrett tees up...
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 67m It's through & Canes are creeping closer....this is anyone's game
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 68m Aaron Smith makes good break but isolated so chips ahead to chase...
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 69m Canes end up with defensive scrum & they're off like lightening over halfway
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 70m Another excellent break & they're into Landers' 22...
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 71m Landers get hands on ball but Patrick Osbourne bundled into touch inside 22
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 72m Canes lineout inside 22 puts them in optimal position but pinged & penalty Landers
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 72m Canes cleared back up to 10m & Landers have the lineout
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 72m Geldenhuys/Lienert-Brown/Banks/Evans for Hohneck/Edmonds/Sopoaga/Elliot Dixon
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 73m Proctor & Franks for Milner-Skudder & Eves & Landers attacking...
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 75m Landers get white line fever & hand over possession at tryline
Hurricanes 14-18 Highlanders 76m Savea makes superb defending tackle to prevent the try & Landers cleared back
Hurricanes 14-21 Highlanders 77m Landers struggle to get back into 22 so Marty Banks drops a goal instead!
Hurricanes 14-21 Highlanders 78m Just got a whole lot harder for Canes who now need more than converted try
Hurricanes 14-21 Highlanders 79m A minute to go & Landers appear to have it in the bag...tho Canes up to 22
Hurricanes 14-21 Highlanders 80m The siren is deafening, Landers have possession & whack it into to touch
Hurricanes 14-21 Highlanders FT The Highlanders back the championship trophy after 20 years - deservedly
Hurricanes 14-21 Highlanders FT The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are shell-shocked in their disappointment
Hurricanes 14-21 Highlanders FT Huge congratulations to Highlanders on winning their 1st ever Super Rugby Championship!
15 James Marshall 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma’a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Callum Gibbins 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Dane Coles 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Motu Matu’u 17 Chris Eves 18 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 19 Mark Abbott 20 Blade Thomson 21 Chris Smylie 22 Rey Lee-Lo 23 Matt Proctor
SCORERS T: Nonu P: Barrett (3)
15 BEN SMITH (C) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Richard Buckman 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 NASI MANU (C) 7 James Lentjes 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Alex Ainley 4 Mark Reddish 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Joe Wheeler 20 Shane Christie 21 Gareth Evans 22 Fumiaki Tanaka 23 Marty Banks
SCORERS T: Elliot Dixon, Naholo C: Sopoaga P: Sopoaga (2) DG: Banks
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU) Asst Referees: Glen Jackson, Craig Joubert TMO: Ben Skeen
HURRICANES 29 - 9 BRUMBIES
Westpac Stadium Wellington - Saturday 27th June 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 12-3 Att: 33,460
HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 1m After a great tribute to Jerry Collins, we have KO under ref Glen Jackson
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 2m Canes defence tested early & from lineout Brumbies are cleared back
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 3m Brumbies attack again & make it into the Canes 22 but homeside turnover & charge...
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 4m Julian Savea turnover & Conrad Smith is off; excellent hands & into 22 but 2 knock ons!
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 5m Already an intense quick game & Brumbies have 1st scrum in own 22 but its penalty Canes
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 6m Beauden Barrett tees up from just outside 22 & almost centre...but he hits post!
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 7m Christian Leali'ifano clears Canes back from restart & plays back in midfield
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 8m But Canes attack with a vengeance & such good hands creates space & opportunity...
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 9m Canes carry it over the whitewash but a forward pass destroys all the hard work
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 10m Brumbies defensive scrum again & with some difficulty Canes are cleared back...
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 11m Doesn't take long for Canes to head back toward 22 & in they go...
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 12m The Savea brothers are phenomenal & Canes are under posts...but without the ball!
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 13m Canes making all the breaks & have all the opportunity, but just can't finish
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 13m Another defensive scrum for Brumbies in own 22 & win penalty; Nic White clears
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 15m Brumbies knock on in midfield; Canes attack & Brumbies have yet another defensive scrum
Hurricanes 0-0 Brumbies 18m Canes still all over the Brumbies 22 & defences are being pushed to the limit...
Hurricanes 5-0 Brumbies 21m Another scrum, advantage Canes which goes on for an age & finally...a Savea try
Hurricanes 5-0 Brumbies 22m Despite Julian Savea's hard work, the conversion is nowhere to be found...
Hurricanes 5-0 Brumbies 24m Canes hit again immediately with almost a try but time off to check grounding...
Hurricanes 5-0 Brumbies 24m TMO confirms not try as just short...but Barrett pinged for illegally rucking
Hurricanes 10-0 Brumbies 28m No time wasted by homeside & it's TJ Perenara who finds the whitewash again!
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 29m And finally Barrett finds his kicking stride & lands a goal thru the uprights
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 30m The struggling Brumbies finally find some space & make it into Canes 22
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 32m Canes defence finally being tested & tho Brumbies over tryline, a knock on & Canes clear
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 33m Canes lineout just over halfway but knock on from both side; scrum first from James Marshall
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 34m It's a halfway scrum to the Brumbies... Rugby
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 35m Canes play the ruck better than the opposition & win the ball with a penalty...
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 36m Canes have an attacking lineout on the Brumbies 22 & there off again...
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 37m But Brumbies handed a penalty while Stephen Moore steal it anyway...
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 37m But a time off as Leali'ifano forced off pitch after a tackle leaves eye a mess
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 37m Rob Coleman replaces Leali'ifano who doesn't look great; White clears Canes away
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 38m Good work from Brumbies & they're up to Canes 10m; but stolen & back over halfway
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 39m Canes lose ball & Brumbies have chance; back & forth til Canes clear but no touch
Hurricanes 12-0 Brumbies 40m Brumbies ball just outside Canes 22; Canes pinged for not releasing...
Hurricanes 12-3 Brumbies 40+1m Damn poor show from Canes fans booing as Jesse Mogg kicks penalty thru uprights
Hurricanes 12-3 Brumbies HT T: Julian Savea, Perenara C: Barrett | P: Mogg
Hurricanes 12-3 Brumbies 40m Strong start for Canes on Brumbies 22 already; Matt Proctor on for Milner-Skudder
Hurricanes 12-3 Brumbies 42m Good lineout & a strong drive from Canes into 22; Brumbies pinged for ...
Hurricanes 17-3 Brumbies 44m ...illegally pulling down maul & Ardie Savea is the man over the tryline
Hurricanes 19-3 Brumbies 45m Marshall adds the extras while Jordan Smiler on for Rory Arnold
Hurricanes 19-3 Brumbies 46m Leali'ifano returned to play after HT with a rough looking bashed up eye
Hurricanes 19-3 Brumbies 47m Brumbies finally getting some territory and have possession...but not yet into 22
Hurricanes 19-3 Brumbies 48m Canes pinged for infringing & it should be an easy 3 for the visitors...
Hurricanes 19-6 Brumbies 50m Leali'ifano doubles the Brumbies score while Thomson & Eves on for Ardie & Goodes
Hurricanes 19-6 Brumbies 53m Brumbies secure a lineout on Canes 22 & it's good but lose ball for Canes scrum
Hurricanes 19-6 Brumbies 55m Canes efficiently secure ball but not out of danger as still in own 22...
Hurricanes 19-6 Brumbies 56m Canes concede penalty & Brumbies ready to tee up to slowly creep closer on scoreboard
Hurricanes 19-9 Brumbies 57m Leali'ifano pumps over 3pts from in front of posts to bring it within 2 scores
Hurricanes 19-9 Brumbies 59m Canes need to look out as Brumbies are best Super Rugby team at 2nd half comebacks
Hurricanes 19-9 Brumbies 61m Canes deep in Brumbies 22 whilst rock music is ridiculously pumped out mid-match
Hurricanes 19-9 Brumbies 62m Brumbies in familiar position of defensive scrum 5m from own tryline
Hurricanes 19-9 Brumbies 63m Free kick goes to Canes; Canes scrum & they're ready for it...
Hurricanes 19-9 Brumbies 64m Not quite the pace they wanted but only a metre short...
Hurricanes 19-9 Brumbies 65m Penalty to Canes & decision is to take 3 points & build that score
Hurricanes 22-9 Brumbies 66m Marshall has no issues with his boot today while changes are afoot...
Hurricanes 22-9 Brumbies 67m Ah Wong, Alaalatoa, Smith & Butler for Taliauli, Sio, Alexander & Vaea
Hurricanes 22-9 Brumbies 69m For Canes, Jeff Toomaga-Allen on for Ben Franks while Marshall misses penalty
Hurricanes 22-9 Brumbies 71m Josh Mann-Rea replaces Moore while Canes continue to threaten
Hurricanes 27-9 Brumbies 73m Superb handing from Canes who take advantage & Proctor flies over for the score
Hurricanes 29-9 Brumbies 75m Marshall adds the extras & Canes more than have the final in the bag...
Hurricanes 29-9 Brumbies 77m Brumbies just can't find a solution to the barrage being hurled at them...
Hurricanes 29-9 Brumbies 79m Canes keep pushing and are hanging out in the Brumbies 22 yet again
Hurricanes 29-9 Brumbies 80m A final familiar Brumbies defensive scrum deep in own 22...but this time it's excellent
Hurricanes 29-9 Brumbies 80+1m But such a waste as Brumbies charge to halfway as final whistle is blown
Hurricanes 29-9 Brumbies FT Canes deservedly waltz their way into the Super Rugby Final next week
15 James Marshall 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Ardie Savea 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Dane Coles 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Chris Eves 18 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 19 Mark Abbott 20 Blade Thomson 21 Chris Smylie 22 Rey Lee-Lo 23 Matt Proctor
SCORERS T: Julian Savea, Perenara, Ardie Savea, Proctor C: Barrett, Marshall (2) P: Marshall
15 Jesse Mogg 14 Lausii Taliauli 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Matt Toomua 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Blake Enever 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Jarrad Butler 21 Michael Dowsett 22 Nigel Ah Wong 23 Robbie Coleman
SCORERS P: Mogg, Leali'ifano (2)
Referee: Glen Jackson Asst Referees: Chris Pollock, Nick Briant TMO: Ben Skeen
NSW WARATAHS 17 - 35 HIGHLANDERS
Allianz Stadium, Sydney - Saturday 27th June 2015
KO: 19:55 HT: 14-15 Att: tbc
HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…
Tahs 0-0 Highlanders 1m We have KO in Sydney & Craig Joubert holds the whistle
Tahs 0-0 Highlanders 3m Tahs don't have best start conceding penalty immediately & crowd is buy booing...
Tahs 0-3 Highlanders 4m Lima Sopoaga ignores the jeers and opens up the scoreboard
Tahs 0-3 Highlanders 5m Really is bloody bad form from home teams booing opposition kickers!
Tahs 0-3 Highlanders 8m Highlanders lineout almost on halfway...make few yards but...
Tahs 0-3 Highlanders 9m ...Tahs turn it over & boy are they on fire
Tahs 5-3 Highlanders 11m Tahs play practiced move & crosskick in 22 allows Rob Horne to slam in corner
Tahs 5-3 Highlanders 12m Bernard Foley attempts acute conversion from touchline but fails
Tahs 5-3 Highlanders 14m Highlanders reply by charging straight into Tahs 22 & are inches from tryline...
Tahs 5-3 Highlanders 15m But Tahs defence is good & forces them out of 22...
Tahs 5-3 Highlanders 16m Highlanders win penalty on the 22 & attacking scrum is being set
Tahs 5-3 Highlanders 18m Looks like this will be the better game; Tahs scrum after forward pass
Tahs 5-8 Highlanders 19m Tahs scrum is fine but Aaron Smith intercepts 1st pass & scores in corner!
Tahs 5-8 Highlanders 20m Ben Smith misses conversion as Sopoaga has concussion test; but what a try!
Tahs 5-8 Highlanders 22m Sopoaga returns so Trent Renata back to bench while Highlanders gift penalty
Tahs 8-8 Highlanders 23m Foley is fine with kicking this time & Tahs equalise going into 2nd quarter
Tahs 8-8 Highlanders 25m Highlanders straight back up to Tahs 22 & Sopoaga attempts drop goal but misses
Tahs 8-8 Highlanders 27m Tahs clear Highlanders away, but it's not long before they're back in 22...
Tahs 8-8 Highlanders 28m ...but it's Tahs in possession who clear again & penalty to Tahs for scrum
Tahs 8-8 Highlanders 29m Landers front row pinged for collapsing scrum; Foley clears to touch for lineout
Tahs 8-8 Highlanders 30m Good work from Tahs, and penalty won for Foley to tee up on 10m
Tahs 8-8 Highlanders 31m Allianz Stadium big screen is mightily impressive...it's HUGE!
Tahs 11-8 Highlanders 31m Meanwhile, Foley sneaks Tahs ahead... This game is flying
Tahs 11-13 Highlanders 33m Missed tackle allows Richard Buckman to sneak thru gap to score impressively
Tahs 11-15 Highlanders 34m Sopoaga adds the extras, and this game is so much more fun than earlier...
Tahs 11-15 Highlanders 36m Landers pinged quickly in own half & Foley tees up kickable penalty...
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 37m Tahs back to within a point of the visitors with just 3 minutes to go
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 39m Tahs defensive scrum up on 10m; turnover but Nick Phipps fluffs a kick
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 40m A little back & forth & ball flies into touch on halfway off a Highlander
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 40 Tahs lineout just inside own half which goes awry but then turnover & hand in ruck pen
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 40+1m HT siren's long gone; Tahs scrum but free kick to Landers...
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 40+3m Joubert still playing on & Michael Hooper pinged; Landers tee up penalty
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 40+4m Sopoaga concentrates hard as boos & jeers from crowd crescendo & he misses
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders HT T: Horne P: Foley (3) | T: Aaron Smith, Buckman C: Sopoaga P: Sopoaga
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 40m We're back for final half of rugby today...no changes to teams
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 43m Tahs need to find their rhythm yet as Landers have 5m attacking scrum
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 45m All taking a long while to sort before reset. Joubert...hmmm...
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 46m Tahs win penalty and can breathe collective sigh of relief
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 46m Hooper charges off & Tahs are over halfway before they're awarded another pen
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 47m Don't opt for 3 points & off the Tahs go in attack...
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 47m Tahs rightly have word with ref about Landers conceding penalty every time they get momentum
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 49m Ref has word with Landers captain before play on; Tahs head towards 22
Tahs 14-15 Highlanders 50m Ref threatens Landers with bin for repeated contrived pens under pressure
Tahs 17-15 Highlanders 51m Aaron Smith pinged this time at B/D & Foley takes leads again with 3pts
Tahs 17-15 Highlanders 52 Such cynical play is not becoming of any rugby team; poor effort from Landers
Tahs 17-15 Highlanders 53m However, Waisake Naholo shows his class with a 12th try this season with flair
Tahs 17-20 Highlanders 53m Ref sends it up to TMO to check for grounding and it's good
Tahs 17-20 Highlanders 55m Super chip ahead for Naholo score but Sopoaga misses conversion
Tahs 17-20 Highlanders 56m Betham for Carraro | Christie & Ash Dixon for Lentjes & Coltman
Tahs 17-20 Highlanders 57m Meanwhile handbags are drawn all round & ref takes an age to sort
Tahs 17-20 Highlanders 58m Landers are deep in Tahs 22 & Patrick Osbourne looks like he's over the tryline
Tahs 17-20 Highlanders 58m Ref decides Jacques Potgieter has swinging arm preventing try so goes to TMO
Tahs 17-20 Highlanders 58m TMO vaguely agrees tho ref had already made up his mind; we're not convinced
Tahs 17-25 Highlanders 58m Potgieter is harshly yellow carded and penalty try is given
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 59m Sopoaga converts; that official decision was quite terrible
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 61m Sopoaga has another chance at a penalty but pulls it wide; Tahs have to regroup
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 62m Tilse, Latu, Hoiles for Robinson, Polota-Nau, Palu | Lienert-Brown for Edmonds
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 64m Landers back into Tahs 22 but homeside break out & escape but knock on
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 66m All the more difficult to come back for Tahs now with Landers ball just outside 22
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 68m Landers not made any territory as yet; Potgieter returns & it's Tahs' ball
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 69m A touch of aerial football as Tahs head up to halfway...
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 70m Penalty to Tahs on halfway for not releasing; kick to touch for 22 lineout
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 70m Evans replaces injured Manu; Ryan for Kepu
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 72m Landers steal lineout from Tahs & momentum gone again; play still in Tahs half
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 72m Landers finally clear ball over halfway but Tahs fight back; time off
Tahs 17-27 Highlanders 74m Chapman/McKibbin for Dennis/Phipps | Geldenhuys/Wheeler for Hohneck/Ainley
Tahs 17-30 Highlanders 75m Tahs scrum > lineout > stolen by Landers on 22 > Sopoaga drop goal is spot on!
Tahs 17-30 Highlanders 76m Impossible for Tahs to come back from this...an all Kiwi final it is then
Tahs 17-30 Highlanders 78m It's going to be a painful last 2 mins for Tahs with Landers attacking scrum
Tahs 17-35 Highlanders 79m A most excellent set piece play from Sopoaga & Osbourne flies over tryline
Tahs 17-35 Highlanders 80m Sopoaga adds extras while Tahs fly into Landers' 22...
Tahs 17-35 Highlanders 80+1m But a final turnover and the whistle goes for the Highlanders win
15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Matt Carraro 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 DAVID DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Tolu Latu 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mitch Chapman 20 Stephen Hoiles 21 Patrick McCutcheon 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Jono Lance
SCORERS T: Horne P: Foley (4) 
Potgieter
15 BEN SMITH (C-C) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Richard Buckman 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 NASI MANU (C-C) 7 James Lentjes 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Mark Reddish 4 Alex Ainley 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Dan Lienert-Brown 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Joe Wheeler 20 Gareth Evans 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Trent Renata 23 Shaun Treeby
SCORERS T: Aaron Smith, Buckman, Naholo, PT, Osbourne C: Sopoaga (2) P: Sopoaga DG: Sopoaga
Referee: Craig Joubert Asst Referees: Andrew Lees, James Leckie TMO: George Ayoub
HIGHLANDERS 24 - 14 CHIEFS 
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin - Saturday 20 June 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 8-9
WAISAKE NAHOLO's double took the Highlanders to a 24-14 win over the Chiefs in Dunedin to reach the Super Rugby Semi-Finals.
The Highlanders made a relentless start, and almost scored from kick-off through Patrick Osborne. After a break down the right, Sopoaga's perfect cross-kick dropped for Osborne to cross on the left. It was a magnificent start but after consultation with the TMO, Naholo was deemed to have grazed the touchline in the build-up and the try was disallowed.
While the Chiefs had escaped on that occasion, they were quickly under pressure once more when Ben Smith sliced through, but although he lacked support, the visitors were penalised for slowing the ball down and Sopoaga knocked over the penalty to open the scoring.
It had been all Highlanders for the opening five minutes, but they failed to deal with the restart and conceded a penalty which Andrew Horrell slotted to level matters with virtually the Chiefs' first incursion into Highlanders territory.
The Highlanders came back again but it was the Chiefs who had the next chance to score, only for Horrell to miss successive penalties, the second from 35 metres in front.
The breakthrough came after 25 minutes, and it was the Highlanders who deservedly took the lead, just as the Chiefs seemed to be getting back into it. They took advantage of a scrum on half-way, with Aaron Smith and Naholo combining brilliantly with some quick interplay to send the winger over in the corner. Sopoaga could not convert, and the Chiefs were able to cut the deficit to two thanks to a second Horrell penalty when Aaron Smith was penalised for not releasing the tackled player in front of the posts.
The Chiefs moved in front with the final kick of the half when Nasi Manu jumped offside at a ruck, Horrell slotting the simple penalty to make it 9-8.
It was a touch harsh on the Highlanders, who had dominated much of the half, but they did not have to wait long to go back in front after the break. After the Chiefs had just managed to hold out following a Ben Smith break, the Highlanders produced a powerful scrum, and off the back of it, Aaron Smith darted to the right drawing in two men to send Naholo over for his second. This time Sopoaga converted from the touchline, and the Highlanders were moved ahead 15-9.
The Chiefs had shown great discipline in the first half, seemingly solving their biggest problem for much of the season, but they lost their composure just before the hour when Brad Weber gave away a stupid penalty, allowing Sopoaga to add three more points. The game looked to be slipping away from the Chiefs and they did not help themselves when a quick restart went straight out. The Highlanders wasted that opportunity by jumping offside at the next scrum.
The Chiefs kicked to the corner and then went through the forwards with a long series of pick and go before Brodie Retallick showed his power to force his way over. Horrell could not convert and the Chiefs then handed back three easy points when Ben Tameifuna conceded a mindless penalty for handling in the ruck despite being warned by referee Chris Pollock. Sopoaga slotted it to push the lead back to seven, 21-14.
The Chiefs came back into Highlanders territory, but the hosts had more of the ball, and as a result they were able to hold out, with Sopoaga earning a vital penalty in his own 22 to clear the danger, before a penalty in the other 22 allowed Sopoaga to seal the win at the death.
15 BEN SMITH (C) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Richard Buckman 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 NASI MANU (C) 7 Dan Pryor 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Mark Reddish 4 Alex Ainley 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Joe Latta 20 Gareth Evans 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Shaun Treeby
SCORERS T: Naholo (2) Sopoaga P: Sopoaga (3)
15 Damian McKenzie 14 Bryce Heem 13 Tim Nanai-Williams 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Andrew Horrell 9 Brad Weber 8 LIAM MESSAM (C) 7 Sam Cane 6 Michael Fitzgerald 5 Brodie Retallick 4 Matt Symons 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Jamie Mackintosh 19 Mitchell Crosswell 20 Michael Leitch 21 Kayne Hammington 22 Marty McKenzie 23 Seta Tamanivalu
SCORERS T: Retallick P: Horrell (3)
Referee: Chris Pollock
STORMERS 19 - 39 BRUMBIES
DHL Newlands, Cape Town - Saturday 20 June 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 6-24
THE Brumbies advanced to the Super Rugby Semi-Finals with a 39-19 victory over the Stormers at DHL Newlands on Saturday.
Brumbies winger Joe Tomane's hat-trick inside the first half-hour helped his team gain revenge for their narrow defeat at the same venue earlier this season, outscoring their hosts six tries to one. Scott Sio's try on the stroke of half-time meant the visitors took a 24-6 lead into the interval.
Stormers fullback Cheslin Kolbe scored an intercept try from deep inside his own half to give the home fans some hope early in the second period but when Brumbies number eight Ita Vaea crashed over just before the hour mark, the result was all but settled.
The painful predictability of the Stormers' attack meant that every ruck was sure to be promptly populated by Brumbies defenders, making every yard gain by the home side a hard-fought battle. By contrast, the visitors' ability to get behind the Capetonians' line from half chances ensured they had a healthy lead long before halftime.
The hosts' below-par kicking game when they were playing catch-up did not help either as the Brumbies were handed possession too easily, far too often. Even when the Brumbies were reduced to 13 men in the dying minutes, the Stormers were unable to create the space required to unlock their defence.
In fact, it was the Brumbies who finished with try via Jesse Mogg to rub salt into the wounds and end Allister Coetzee's time in Cape Town on a sour note.
Matt Toomua was a late addition to the Brumbies team but his game was almost over inside five minutes after being forced off following a blow to the head.
Toomua's temporary loss was mitigated by the fact that the Brumbies scored the game's first try before the medics could even reach the stricken centre as Tomane ran onto Nic White's nifty grubber into the corner. Christian Leali’ifano’s conversion effort sailed wide but Demetri Catrakilis had no such troubles with his first penalty after a period of Stormers pressure.
Toomua could double his tally as the Brumbies cash in on turnover ball and used the space out wide. Leali’ifano missed the conversion but Toomua was in for his third after a big-hand off allowed him to run down the uncovered blindside touchline for his hat-trick. Leali’ifano hit the target with the extras this time, meaning the Brumbies led 17-3 after 27 minutes.
Toomua had returned but Stormers number eight Nizaam Carr stayed off after head knock, a telling blow to the hosts who were already without Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger at kick-off.
The Stormers could pull three points back via a Catrakilis penalty but Sio powered his way over in a pile of bodies as the clock struck halftime. Leali’ifano’s extra two points took the Brumbies into the changing rooms with a spring in their step and an 18-point lead in the bank.
Kolbe's pace took him almost the length of the field after he latched onto a long pass from Toomua for a try that breathed new life into the game. Catrakilis added the conversion and a penalty to cut the gap to eight points but Leali’ifano replied in kind.
When Vaea muscled his way over, the writing was on the wall. Henry Speight saw red for a dangerous tackle on Juan de Jongh and Scott Fardy followed him to the sin bin for a cynical foul, but the Stormers' maul still could deliver against the reduced opposition.
Mogg's late break-away try added some gloss to a deserved win for the street-smart, clinical Brumbies.
15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Dillyn Leyds 13 JUAN DE JONGH (C) 12 Damian de Allende 11 Seabelo Senatla 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 Nizaam Carr 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Schalk Burger 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Scarra Ntubeni 17 Ali Vermaak 18 Vincent Koch 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Michael Rhodes 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Jaco Taute
SCORERS P: Catrakilis (2)
15 Jesse Mogg 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Matt Toomua 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Blake Enever 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Jarrad Butler 21 Michael Dowsett 22 Nigel Ah Wong 23 Robbie Coleman
SCORERS T: Tomane (3), Sio C: Leali'ifano (2) Fardy 
Speight
Referee: Jaco Peyper
MELBOURNE REBELS 11 - 13 WESTERN FORCE
AAMI Park, Melbourne - Friday 12 June 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 3-6
THE Western Force finished its 2015 Super Rugby season with a 13-11 victory over the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park.
In a farewell to club stalwarts Sam Wykes and Patrick Dellit, the Force built the victory on the back of a tough and tenacious defensive effort, and held a slim 6-3 half-time lead following a try-less first half.
While the two sides swapped five-pointers in the second term – to wingers Luke Morahan and Telusa Veainu – it was Zack Holmes’ conversion from out wide, in an unblemished goal-kicking display, which ultimately proved the difference.
The Rebels were unable to find their way through a dogged Western Force defence, kept to just one try and leaving Head Coach Tony McGahan plenty to ponder over the off-season and pre-season, as Scott Higginbotham and Paul Alo-Emile were denied a fairytale finish in their last appearance before heading overseas.
The Western Force were the first on the board as Zach Holmes knocked over an early penalty, however the Rebels dominated the opening stages of the match in terms of both possession and territory, desperate defence keeping first Nic Stirzaker and then Pat Leafa at bay from point blank range.
Mike Harris slotted an equalising penalty after fifteen minutes, only for Holmes to hit back immediately, before both Bryce Hegarty and Lopeti Timani had to be replaced early after sustaining injuries.
The Rebels looked to have found the line on the half hour mark, only for Cam Crawford to be denied a first Rebels try when the TMO found an obstruction offence in an earlier phase, and both sides went into the break try less after Chris Heiberg’s effort for the visitors was also disallowed upon referral, the Western Force leading 6-3 at half time.
The Rebels began the second half in the ascendency, continuing to dominate and upping the tempo but unable to find their way across the line. Harris evened up the scores with his second penalty, after Higginbotham was denied out wide through some last ditch defence after a wonderful chip kick put him in great position.
Then against the run of play a Marcel Brache intercept on his own defensive line released Luke Morahan to score the game’s first try in the corner with just under fifteen minutes remaining, Holmes converting from the sideline. The Rebels hit straight back, as replacement winger Telusa Veainu got over in the corner to reduce the gap to two points with seven minutes remaining.
But it was a case of too little too late, the Rebels guilty of squandering plenty of attacking opportunities and failing to play as well as they have shown they are capable of performing.
REBELS 15 Mike Harris 14 Bryce Hegarty 13 Tom English 12 Mitch Inman 11 Cam Crawford 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 1 Toby Smith 2 Pat Leafa 3 Paul Alo-Emile 4 Luke Jones 5 Lopeti Timani 6 Sean McMahon 7 Colby Fainga'a 8 Scott Higginbotham BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Tim Metcher 19 Sam Jeffries 20 Scott Fuglistaller 21 Jordy Reid 22 Ben Meehan 23 Telusa Veainu
SCORERS T: Veainu P: Harris (2)
FORCE 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Marcel Brache 12 Kyle Godwin 11 Nick Cummins 10 Zack Holmes 9 Alby Mathewson 1 Chris Heiberg 2 Nathan Charles 3 Tetera Faulkner 4 Sam Wykes 5 Steve Mafi 6 Chris Alcock 7 Matt Hodgson 8 Angus Cottrell BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Guy Millar 18 Oli Hoskins 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp 20 Brynard Stander 21 Ryan Louwrens 22 Luke Burton 23 Pat Dellit
SCORERS T: Morahan C: Holmes P: Holmes (2)
Referee: Andrew Lees
BRUMBIES 24 - 37 CRUSADERS 
GIO Stadium, Canberra - Saturday 13 June 2015
KO: 15:30 HT: 10-21
DAN CARTER and Richie McCaw were given an excellent send-off by the Crusaders with a 37-24 win over the Brumbies in Canberra; the former heading to Racing Métro 92 after the World Cup whilst the latter is rumoured to be retiring.
Nemani Nadolo was spectacular again for the Crusaders as he added two first-half tries, raising the question of what might have been if the Crusaders had clicked earlier in the season to be in contention for the Super Rugby Finals Series. The seven-time champions needed no incentive to triumph in this one however, with Carter and McCaw playing their final matches for the Crusaders after glittering careers in red.
Three times the Brumbies maul got on a rumble inside the Crusaders 22 and they scored from each one, with and without their main operator David Pocock.
Win or lose the Brumbies were going to be in next week's wildcard play-off matches in the first week of knockout matches, likely to be getting on a plane to South Africa for the play offs.
Having been treated to a few special moments from Nadolo in 2015, he surpassed them all with his second try, a perfectly weighted grubber kick down the touchline bouncing up for the 130kg Fijian bulldozer as he kept his frame in the field for the finish. A phenomenal score from a player who could take this year's World Cup by storm.
Nadolo's moments of inspiration took him to nine tries for the year, with Matt Todd joining him on the scoresheet and securing a record of his own in becoming the first forward to score a try in five consecutive matches.
The Brumbies main weapon has been far from secret or subtle in recent weeks but no one has been able to stop it, with David Pocock striking again from the back of the rolling maul for his fourth try in two games. Leali'ifano converted to give the Brumbies an early 7-0 lead.
The Crusaders response was immediate, with Nadolo on the end of an overlap out on the wing and remarkably bumping off the challenges of two tacklers to squeeze over in the corner. Carter could not convert but added a penalty not long after when the Brumbies were penalised at the breakdown to put the visitors into a one-point lead.
The two kickers traded penalties before Todd, who had been denied minutes earlier by the TMO for dropping the ball over the line, made sure of his individual record when he burrowed over from close range.
One more score was still to come, Nadolo's special second try as he brushed off the hapless Robbie Coleman for the second time in the half before grounding his kick ahead. Carter failed to convert for the third time but the Crusaders were in control at 21-10 going in for the interval.
Matters worsened for the hosts when Jesse Mogg was sin-binned for slapping the ball down, with Carter adding 3 points, pushing the Brumbies to find a response.
Pocock's departure and subsequent failure of a concussion test left them without their main strike weapon from the maul but after Sam Whitelock was also yellow carded, Pocock's replacement Jarrad Butler filled his role perfectly as the Brumbies added their second try from the set-piece to trail by seven at 24-17.
Controlling the territory, the Crusaders added to their tally with a fourth penalty from Carter, but even with the introduction of Matt Toomua from the bench, the Brumbies returned to their favourite weapon in search of another score. The maul did the job again as the Crusaders had no answers with Leali’ifano’s conversion of the penalty try tightening things up at 27-24.
Having suffered from the Brumbies maul all night the Crusaders had the last laugh by earning a penalty try and bonus point try with a drive of their own - McCaw at the back of it but with referee Jaco Peyper running under the posts and Carter's conversion opening up a ten-point lead.
From there the Crusaders could not be caught, Carter adding another three as he and McCaw bowing out on a well-earned win, while the Brumbies will get ready to head to Cape Town.
BRUMBIES 15 Jesse Mogg 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Robbie Coleman 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Nic White 1 Scott Sio 2 Stephen Moore 3 Ben Alexander 4 Rory Arnold 5 Blake Enever 6 Scott Fardy 7 David Pocock 8 Ita Vaea BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Jarrad Butler 21 Michael Dowsett 22 Matt Toomua 23 James Dargaville
SCORERS T: Pocock, Butler, PT C: Leali'ifano (3) P: Leali'ifano Mogg
CRUSADERS 15 Tom Taylor 14 Jone Macilai-Tori 13 Ryan Crotty 12 David Kaetau Havili 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Dan Carter 9 Andy Ellis 1 Wyatt Crockett 2 Codie Taylor 3 Owen Franks 4 Luke Romano 5 Sam Whitelock 6 Matt Todd 7 Richie McCaw 8 Kieran Read BENCH: 16 Ben Funnell 17 Alex Hodgman 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Jordan Taufua 21 Billy Guyton 22 Colin Slade 23 Nafi Tuitavake
SCORERS T: Nadolo (2), Todd, PT C: Carter P: Carter (5) Whitelock
Referee: Jaco Peyper
WARATAHS 31 - 5 REDS
Allianz Stadium, Sydney - Saturday 13 June 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 3-0
THE NSW Waratahs will host their second successive Super Rugby semi-final, after a dominant 31-5 victory over the Queensland Reds at Allianz Stadium. A four-try blitz after the break, and a perfect night with the boot from Man of the Match Bernard Foley, ensured the home side wrapped up second spot on the ladder in the 300th encounter between NSW and Queensland.
Following the Brumbies’ 37-24 loss to the Crusaders in Canberra, the equation was simple for the home team; a losing bonus point would be enough to host a semi-final in a fortnight’s time. And it looked like the Waratahs would be doing it tough, after a scrappy first half left them clinging to a slender 3-0 lead at the interval.
But a second-half yellow card to former All Black Adam Thomson broke the match wide open for the defending champions, as Captain Dave Dennis, Jacques Potgieter, Brendan McKibbin and Dean Mumm all crossed for five-pointers to surge over the top of their interstate rivals.
A high error count and ill-discipline from both sides contributed to a discontinuous opening 40 minutes, with the only points coming courtesy of a Foley penalty goal midway through the half.
The game finally ignited after the break, when fan favourite Potgieter burst his way through the line down the left. Quick hands through the backs put Israel Folau within striking distance, but Adam Thomson stifled the move from an offside position and was sent to the sin bin for his efforts.
The home side set a scrum with their numerical advantage, and a few phases later Foley slipped a neat short ball back inside to Dennis for the first try of the night. Foley’s simple conversion finally gave the Waratahs some breathing room, up 10-0 in the 54th minute.
The potent Tahs’ attack had finally clicked into gear, and three minutes later they struck again. Israel Folau weaved his way through three would-be tacklers on a huge 40m run into the 22, only to be dragged down in a desperate cover tackle from Will Genia. But the scrambling Reds defenders could not retreat quickly enough, and Potgieter barrelled over Lachie Turner for a well-deserved five pointer.
Ten minutes later, Foley ghosted past Rob Simmons and Saia Fainga’a to send replacement McKibbin in under the posts. And the ruthless Tahs wrapped up the four-try bonus point minutes later, when Mumm burrowed under James Horwill to dot down in his return to Allianz Stadium.
Quade Cooper scrambled his way into the right corner on the stroke of full-time, but his consolation try did little to dampen the celebratory mood in Sydney, as the Waratahs ran out 31-5 victors.
The final round victory means that the NSW Waratahs will now enjoy the luxury of a week off, as they await a home semi-final at Allianz Stadium against the highest rank winner from the first week of the finals.
WARATAHS 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Matt Carraro 11 Peter Betham 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 1 Benn Robinson 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau 3 Sekope Kepu 4 Will Skelton 5 Dave Dennis 6 Jacques Potgieter 7 Michael Hooper 8 Wycliff Palu BENCH: 16 Hugh Roach 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mitch Chapman 20 Dean Mumm 21 Stephen Hoiles 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Jonno Lance
SCORERS T: Dennis, Potgieter, McKibbin, Mumm C: Foley (4) P: Foley
REDS 15 James O'Connor 14 Chris Kuridrani 13 Karmichael Hunt 12 Samu Kerevi 11 Lachie Turner 10 Quade Cooper 9 Will Genia 1 James Slipper 2 James Hanson 3 Greg Holmes 4 Rob Simmons 5 James Horwill 6 Adam Thomson 7 Liam Gill 8 Jake Schatz BENCH: 16 Saia Fainga'a 17 Pettowa Paraka 18 Sam Talakai 19 Eddie O'Donoghue 20 Hendrik Tui 21 Beau Robinson 22 Nick Frisby 23 Ben Tapuai
SCORERS T: Cooper Thomson
Referee: Nick Briant
BLUES 7 - 44 HIGHLANDERS
Eden Park, Auckland - Friday 12 June 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 0-20
THE Highlanders clinically disposed of the Blues 44-7 at Eden Park to put themselves in prime position to host a Super Rugby Qualifier in Dunedin.
Captain Ben Smith rounded off the match with his side's seventh try in a ruthless performance against their alarmingly weak opponents.
Jamie Joseph's side came into Friday's game knowing that a bonus-point win would pile the pressure on the Chiefs as the two sides battle for a home draw in the following week's Qualifiers. The Blues had no answers for the hard-work and determination of the Highlanders, whose unsung heroes were the ones to get on the scoresheet early on before Patrick Osborne secured the bonus-point try with half an hour to go.
It was a poor send-off for a Blues legend in Keven Mealamu with the great hooker on the end of a hammering in his 175th and final appearance for the side. Everyone in Eden Park though was on their feet as Mealamu received an outstanding ovation when he departed after 45 minutes. However, 2015 has a been a miserable year in Blues rugby history and their skills levels at times were far below standard. This shocking performance only put more pressure on the future of John Kirwan.
The hosts were unable to stop the Highlanders rolling maul early on as John Hardie crashed over on the back of an unstoppable drive.
It was not all plain sailing for the Highlanders early on though, with tighthead prop Josh Hohneck shown a yellow card after 20 minutes for a no-arms tackle. Ihaia West, whose kicking has been excellent this season, could not convert the penalty before Lolagi Visinia, a late replacement at full-back for Charles Piutau, was punished for a kick going out on the full when the Highlanders grabbed their second try.
Shaun Treeby managed to reach out of the tackle and place the ball on the line after running on to Aaron Smith's short ball, with Sopoaga again missing the conversion.
The fly half found his radar with a penalty not long after to make it 13-0 before the visitors ended the half on a high note, Elliot Dixon securing try number three.
Working off the power of their scrum, the flanker broke down the blindside and was adjudged by the TMO to have applied enough pressure when placing the ball for the try to be awarded. Sopoaga's conversion gave the Highlanders a 20-0 half-time lead.
The Blues flung on their substitutes in a desperate bid to change the tide but as Mealamu departed the Highlanders pressed on, Osborne scoring out on the wing after some sharp hands from Sopoaga to bring up the bonus point try.
With that landmark achieved the Highlanders did not slow down as Dan Pryor raced over after a clever switch in the attack from left to right left the clueless Blues defence all at sea, with Sopoaga's conversion taking the score to 34-0.
Hard-working second row Joe Latta got in on the act with a score off the back of a rolling maul, the Highlanders' sixth try, before Matt McGahan ran in a consolation score for the Blues to ensure they at least would finish with something on the scoreboard.
A negative for the Highlanders was the departure of Waisake Naholo to what appeared to be an arm injury, with the winger's progress no doubt being carefully monitored after the impact he's made this season for the team.
There was still time for some magic - Ben Smith on the end of a superb score as Sopoaga chipped to Osborne on the wing before the giant winger leaped up and popped the ball back down to Smith for try number seven. A record-breaking win for the Highlanders over the Blues, but fully deserved and so impressive in conditions that were not ideal.
BLUES: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Ben Lam 13 Hamish Northcott 12 George Moala 11 Melani Nanai 10 Ihaia West 9 Jamison Gibson-Park 8 Joe Edwards 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Chris Vui 5 Josh Bekhuis 4 Hayden Triggs 3 Angus Ta'avao 2 KEVEN MEALAMU (C) 1 Sam Prattley BENCH: 16 James Parsons 17 Nic Mayhew 18 Sione Mafileo 19 Will Lloyd 20 Jack Ram 21 Jimmy Cowan 22 Matt McGahan 23 Lolagi Visinia
SCORERS T: McGahan C: West
HIGHLANDERS: 15 BEN SMITH (C) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Richard Buckman 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Dan Pryor 7 John Hardie 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Joe Latta 4 Alex Ainley 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Brendon Edmonds 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Jackson Hemopo 20 Gareth Evans 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Kurt Baker
SCORERS T: Hardie, Treeby, EC Dixon, Osborne, Pryor, Latta, BR Smith C: Sopoaga (3) P: Sopoaga Hohneck
Referee: Angus Gardner
CHIEFS 13 - 21 HURRICANES
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth - Saturday 13 June 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 13-14
THE Hurricanes underlined their dominance in this year's Super Rugby season with a 21-13 victory over the Chiefs in New Plymouth on Saturday.
The Chiefs went into this game needing to secure a try-scoring bonus point and win by a 37-point margin to finish in fourth position on the table, and in doing so secure a home match in the Finals Series. But the result means that they instead head to Dunedin to face the Highlanders in their play-off clash.
Both sides started nervously but with positive intentions and it was the Chiefs who looked the sharper up front in the early exchanges. And it was the home side who scored the first points thanks to an error in judgement from Brad Shields in the 15th minute.
The Hurricanes flanker took the ball into contact just outside the Chiefs' 22 before offloading out of the back of his hand to Victor Vito, who knocked the ball into the hands of Bryce Heem. The Chiefs right wing intercepted and raced away from three chasers before crossing over for a deserved try which Marty McKenzie converted.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when veteran All Blacks wing Cory Jane was forced off the field through injury shortly after that try, and McKenzie punished further indiscretions from the Hurricanes at the scrum and the breakdown with two further penalties which gave the Chiefs a 13-0 by the half-hour mark.
The Hurricanes stepped up a gear and were soon on the board via penalty try. This after Julian Savea was put in the clear by a brilliant offload from Nehe Milner-Skudder close to the Chiefs' tryline. Savea still had work to do but was bundled into touch by a no-arms tackle from Tom Marshall.
After watching the television replays of the incident, referee Chris Pollock awarded the penalty try and sent Marshall to the sin bin for his indiscretion. Marshall's brother James added the extras for the Hurricanes who made full use of their numerical advantage with another try from Conrad Smith shortly afterwards.
Marshall was the architect of this 5-pointer when he glided through a gap in the Chiefs defence, after attacking from a lineout on the edge of the Chiefs' 22, and when he was stopped close to the tryline, he managed to get his pass away to Smith who got over for a deserved try. Marshall added the extras which gave the Hurricanes a 14-13 lead at the interval.
The second half started similarly to the opening period with both sides throwing caution to the wind but the Chiefs had to take chances if they wanted to achieve their goal. This they did but it backfired spectacularly when a pass from McKenzie was intercepted by Marshall who raced away before scoring a converted try under the posts.
Hurricanes debutant Sam McNicol, who came on as Jane's replacement, thought he had made a dream debut when he crossed the whitewash after a strong run midway through the second half, but his efforts was disallowed as he was tackled by Charlie Ngatai in the build-up and got up to continue his run without releasing the ball.
The rest of the half saw both sides running the ball from all areas of the field but over-eagerness and handling errors meant no further points was added.
CHIEFS 15 Tom Marshall 14 Bryce Heem 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Marty McKenzie 9 Brad Weber 1 Pauliasi Manu 2 Quentin Macdonald 3 Ben Tameifuna 4 Matt Symons 5 Brodie Retallick 6 Liam Messam 7 Michael Leitch 8 Maama Vaipulu BENCH: 16 Rhys Marshall 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Jamie Mackintosh 19 Michael Fitzgerald 20 Mitchell Crosswell 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Andrew Horrell 23 Damian McKenzie
SCORERS T: Heem C: Marty McKenzie P: Marty McKenzie (2) Marshall
HURRICANES 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Cory Jane 13 Conrad Smith 12 Rey Lee-Lo 11 Julian Savea 10 James Marshall 9 TJ Perenara 1 Reg Goodes 2 Dane Coles 3 Ben Franks 4 Jeremy Thrush 5 Mark Abbott 6 Brad Shields 7 Callum Gibbins 8 Victor Vito BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Chris Eves 18 Jeff Toomaga-Allen 19 Vaea Fifita 20 Ardie Savea 21 Frae Wilson 22 Willis Halaholo 23 Sam McNicol
SCORERS T: PT, Smith, Marshall C: Marshall (3)
Referee: Chris Pollock
IT was a weekend of high drama in the final round of Vodacom Super Rugby, with a number of upsets and quite a few emotional good-byes as the regular season came to an end.
On Saturday afternoon, the Toyota Cheetahs gave their new coach, Franco Smith, something to smile about at the end of a tough season when they won for the first time ever in Pretoria as they beat the Vodacom Bulls by 42-29.
Shortly after the match, the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd and the Blue Bulls Company Board of Directors confirmed that Frans Ludeke had stepped down from his position as Vodacom Super Rugby and Absa Currie Cup head coach with immediate effect.
The DHL Stormers were crowned champions of the South African Conference despite going down by 34-10 to the Cell C Sharks in Durban, as the KwaZulu-Natalians bid farewell to a number of Springbok stalwarts.
BULLS 29 - 42 CHEETAHS
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria - Saturday 13 June 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 10-28
THE Vodacom Super Rugby season came to an enjoyable end for the Toyota Cheetahs when they won for the first time ever in Pretoria, beating the Vodacom Bulls by an emphatic 42-29 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors outscored the home team by six tries to four, with four of the Toyota Cheetahs’ tries coming during an inspired first half where they defended physically, forced turnovers and used all their opportunities.
It was one of the Toyota Cheetahs’ best performances of the season, with Niell Jordaan, Henco Venter, Clayton Blommetjies and Sarel Pretorius dotting down before the break.
On the contrary, the Vodacom Bulls missed way too many simple tackles, failed to produce points when they had the chance and made way too many mistakes in general play. Jesse Kriel’s try in the fourth minute was probably the only highlight for the home team in the first half.
The visitors stretched their lead to an almost unassailable 35-10 early in the second half when Steven Sykes went over.
Although the Vodacom Bulls scored three tries in the second half, with Francois Hougaard dotting down twice and Pierre Spies rounding off in his final match for the Pretorians, the Toyota Cheetahs hung on and got two more tries – by Sykes and Ryno Benjamin – to seal a well-deserved win.
It was a sad farewell for Spies, Flip van der Merwe, Jacques du Plessis and Jacques-Louis Potgieter, all of whom will move on from the Vodacom Bulls, but Pretorius and Willie le Roux got a fitting farewell from the Toyota Cheetahs as they prepare to further their careers elsewhere.
BULLS 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Burger Odendaal 11 Travis Ismaiel 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 9 Rudy Paige 1 Morné Mellett 2 Adriaan Strauss 3 Marcel van der Merwe 4 Flip van der Merwe 5 Grant Hattingh 6 Arno Botha 7 Jacques Du Plessis 8 Pierre Spies BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Trevor Nyakane 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg 19 Roelof Smit 20 Bjorn Basson 21 Tiaan Schoeman 22 Jurgen Visser 23 Werner Kruger
SCORERS T: Kriel, Hougaard (2), Spies C: Potgieter, Schoeman (2) P: Potgieter
CHEETAHS 15 Willie le Roux 14 Clayton Blommetjies 13 Francois Venter 12 Rayno Benjamin 11 Sergeal Petersen 10 Daniel Marais 9 Sarel Pretorius 1 BG Uys 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 3 Maks van Dyk 4 Carl Wegner 5 Francois Uys 6 Boom Prinsloo 7 Henco Venter 8 Niell Jordaan BENCH: 16 Elandre Huggett 17 Danie Mienie 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen 19 Steven Sykes 20 Gerhardus Olivier 21 Oupa Mohoje 22 Renier Botha 23 Coenie van Wyk
SCORERS T: Jordaan, H Venter, Blommetjies, Pretorius, Sykes, Benjamin C: Marais (6)
Referee: Craig Joubert
SHARKS 34 - 12 STORMERS
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban - Saturday 13 June 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 13-9
THE Cell C Sharks finished their Vodacom Super Rugby season on a high with a 34-12 victory over the DHL Stormers at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Saturday evening, outscoring the visitors by five tries to none in the process.
It was a fitting farewell to three stalwarts of Sharks rugby, Willem Alberts, Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis, who scored one of the home team’s five tries.
After a slow start, where their defence was a strong point in the first half hour, the KwaZulu-Natalians slowly increasing the pressure on the Capetonians, who knew their Qualifier fate before kick-off and travelled to Durban with a big number of fringe players in the starting line-up.
With DHL Stormers fly half Kurt Coleman keeping the score board ticking over for his team, his Cell C Sharks counterpart Lionel Cronje scored the first try of the match in the 18th minute, before his half-back partner Stefan Ungerer ensured the home team went into the break in the lead with a 13-9 lead with his team’s second try.
But the Cell C Sharks really stepped up a gear in the second half, with Bismarck du Plessis, Lwazi Mvovo and Odwa Ndungane crossing the white-wash to ensure they finish the season with 40 minutes of good rugby.
SHARKS 15 Lwazi Mvovo 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Sibusiso Sithole 10 Lionel Cronje 9 Stefan Ungerer 1 Tendai Mtawarira 2 Bismarck du Plessis 3 Jannie du Plessis 4 Ettienne Oosthuizen 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Marcell Coetzee 7 Willem Alberts 8 Renaldo Bothma BENCH: 16 Franco Marais 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda 20 Khaya Majola 21 Cameron Wright 22 Fred Zeilinga 23 Heimar Williams
SCORERS T: Cronje, Ungerer, BW du Plessis, Mvovo, Ndungane C: Cronje (2), Zeilinga P: Cronje Esterhuizen
STORMERS 15 Robert du Preez 14 John-Ben Kotze 13 Huw Jones 12 Jaco Taute 11 Pat Howard 10 Kurt Coleman 9 Louis Schreuder 1 Oliver Kebble 2 Michael Willemse 3 Vincent Koch 4 Jean Kleyn 5 Ruan Botha 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe 7 Michael Rhodes 8 Nizaam Carr BENCH: 16 Neil Rautenbach 17 Alistair Vermaak 18 Wilco Louw 19 Jan de Klerk 20 Siya Kolisi 21 Godlin Masimla 22 Seabelo Senatla 23 Jacobus Van Wyk
SCORERS P: Coleman (4) du Preez
Referee: Glen Jackson
WESTERN FORCE 20 - 33 BRUMBIES
nib Stadium, Perth - Friday 05 June 2015
KO: 19:00 HT: 6-21
Two late tries to the Western Force were not enough to overcome the ACT Brumbies in the Western Australian side’s final home match of the season at the ‘Force Field’, succumbing 33-20.
The Brumbies built momentum in the game through the strength of their rolling maul, with David Pocock scoring a hat-trick – carrying the ball to the line each time at the back of a maul.
Trailing 21-6 at the break, the Force crossed for two tries to Tetera Faulkner and Luke Morahan to get within striking distance at 33-20 with five minutes remaining,
Force flanker Angus Cottrell was at his abrasive best, tearing into the Brumbies runners in defence and earning himself the Haigh & Hastings Man of the Match. Fly half Zack Holmes was also busy for the home side, attacking the line and setting up the Force’s final try of the night for Morahan.
“The Brumbies are a tough side to play at any stage, particularly at this period of the season when they’re chasing finals,” said Michael Foley, Western Force Head Coach. “We’d identified a few things they were strong at like the maul, and that ended up being the point of difference in the game. I thought our guys were incredibly brave, we defended for long periods against a good attack and we showed some good signs with the ball, but ultimately the difference in the game was a very, very good maul.
“One of the hardest things in a season like this, particularly on the back of last year, it means a lot to us to play for people that do the right thing by us. We won six of our eight home games last year, this year we’ve only been able to win one – and it hurts the team. I’ve seen groups of people under less pressure fracture… but the team is tight, we’re still fighting and we want to play well next week.”
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Marcel Brache 12 Kyle Godwin 11 Nick Cummins 10 Zack Holmes 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Matt Hodgson (c) 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Adam Coleman 4 Sam Wykes 3 Guy Millar 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Tetera Faulkner 19 Steve Mafi 20 Kane Koteka 21 Ryan Louwrens 22 Luke Burton 23 Patrick Dellit
SCORERS T: Faulkner, Morahan C: Holmes (2) P: Holmes (2) Mafi
BRUMBIES: 15 Jesse Mogg 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Robbie Coleman 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Blake Enever 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Jarrad Butler 21 Michael Dowsett 22 Nigel Ah Wong 23 James Dargaville
SCORERS T: Pocock (3), Leali'ifano, Alaalatoa C: Leali'ifano
Referee: Angus Gardner
MELBOURNE REBELS 21 - 20 BULLS
AAMI Park, Melbourne - Saturday 06 June 2015
KO: 15:30 HT: 14-17
THE RaboDirect Rebels made tighthead prop Paul Alo-Emile’s 50th game for the Club a winning one, holding out to defeat the Bulls for the first time, 21-20 at AAMI Park.
A moment’s silence was observed pre-match to acknowledge the tragic passing of All Black Jerry Collins and his wife Alana Madill yesterday in France, as well as to allow thought for the couple’s young daughter Ayla, who was still critical in hospital.
The visitors got off to the perfect start, as prop Dean Greyling got over from close range, however the Rebels hit back in the twelfth minute through McMahon’s first ever Super Rugby try off the back of a dominant scrum, both tries converted.
Birthday boy Jack Debreczeni launched an audacious penalty attempt from within his own half just after the 20 minute mark but pushed it marginally wide, as neither side could quite assert their authority on a hugely physical contest. The Rebels looked dangerous on the counter attack but were unable to make the final pass stick when in good position, and the Bulls were able to regain their lead firstly through a Jacque-Louis Potgieter penalty and then through a converted try to Lappies Labuschagne off the back of a lineout maul.
However there was still time for the Rebels to reduce the deficit before the break, as the TMO ruled in Debreczeni’s favour as he touched down with just a minute remaining, and Harris converted after the siren to leave the Rebels trailing 17-14 at half time.
The second half began in a similar vein to the first, each team jockeying for position as the respective kicking games came under the microscope, however the Rebels finally took the lead for the first time on the hour mark when Lopeti Timani crashed his way over for his fourth of the season and Harris converted, before Burger Odendaal was held up over the line just minutes later.
The final fifteen minutes saw the Rebels’ young halves Debreczeni and Nic Stirzaker rise to the occasion to manage their side in a measured manner whilst in possession, and kick wonderfully to the corners to pin the Bulls back within their own half.
Bulls’ lock Victor Matfield left the field to a generous ovation in front of the opposition’s crowd, in what will certainly be the 38 year old Springbok legend’s final Super Rugby game in Australia.
REBELS: 1 Toby Smith 2 Pat Leafa 3 Paul Alo-Emile 4 Luke Jones 5 Lopeti Timani 6 Sean McMahon 7 Colby Fainga’a 8 SCOTT HIGGINBOTHAM (C) 9 Nic Stirzaker 10 Jack Debreczeni 11 Cam Crawford 12 Mitch Inman 13 Tamati Ellison 14 Dom Shipperley 15 Mike Harris BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Tim Metcher 19 Sam Jeffries 20 Jordy Reid 21 Ben Meehan 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Tom English
SCORERS T: McMahon, Debreczeni, Timani C: Harris (3)
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Burger Odendaal 11 Travis Ismaiel 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 9 Rudy Paige 1 Dean Greyling 2 Callie Visagie 3 Marcel van der Merwe 4 Flip van der Merwe 5 Victor Matfield 6 Pieter Labuschagne 7 Jacques Du Plessis 8 Pierre Spies BENCH: 16 Jaco Visagie 17 Trevor Nyakane 18 Grant Hattingh 19 Arno Botha 20 Tiaan Schoeman 21 Bjorn Basson 22 Jurgen Visser 23 Werner Kruger
SCORERS T: Greyling, Labuschagne C: Potgieter (2) P: Potgieter (2) Greyling
Referee: Nick Briant
REDS 3 - 24 CHIEFS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Saturday 06 June 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 3-14
THE St.George Queensland Reds have been unable to send legends James Horwill and Will Genia off with a win in their final home game, going down to a hard fought 24-3 loss against the Chiefs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Horwill and Genia were given a hero’s welcome on to the field, greeted by a guard of honour by junior players from around Queensland. The Reds, playing in their specially created Indigenous Round jersey, designed by leading artist Stephen Hogarth, started well, dominating possession close to the Chiefs line. But spirited defence held them at bay.
The Reds pack then destroyed the Chiefs scrum, pushing them backwards from a tighthead, and earning a penalty straight in front of the posts. Cooper made no mistake to put the Reds up 3-0 after six minutes. The Reds then won another scrum penalty to put them back on the attack and in quick succession both Lachie Turner and Genia were driven in to touch millimetres short of the line. The Chiefs survived again just two minutes later when James O’Connor was pulled down just short. James Hanson won another penalty on 16 minutes, but Cooper this time was unsuccessful with his attempt.
The Chiefs hit back with a try to Bryce Heem on 26 minutes and a second to Liam Messam on 33 minutes, with Andrew Horrell converting both to put them up 14-3.
The Reds were given a chance to strike back immediately when Chiefs No.8 Michael Leitch was yellow carded for repeated breakdown infringements. The Reds again won a scrum against the feed but were denied once more as the ball was knocked out of Genia’s hand as he dove over the line right on half time.
The second half started exactly as the first as the Reds dominated at scrum time and were camped on the Chiefs’ line for long periods but the home team could just not get across. The Chiefs survived without conceding a point during Leitch’s absence and his return coincided with a long range penalty to Horrell to make it 17-3 to the visitors on 51 minutes.
O’Connor saved a try on 54 minutes and soon after another superb scrum from the Reds pack relieved some Chiefs’ pressure.
Indigenous program ambassador Saia Fainga’a came on in the 58th minute taking the place of James Hanson who was also playing his last game for the Reds at Suncorp. Hanson receiving a rousing applause from the Queensland faithful.
Horrell missed a penalty on 65 minutes as Japan-international No.8 Hendrik Tui came on for Jake Schatz to make his long-awaited Reds debut. Genia made a superb try-saving tackle a minute later but it was only a quick respite with Charlie Ngatai going over from the ensuing lineout, with Horrell adding the extras.
On 73 minutes a superb break saw Genia go close again but once more the Chiefs stopped him inches short, as they did dragging Turner down a metre out not once but twice in the next five minutes. A try to Ngatai after the siren was ruled out by the TMO to leave the score at 24-3.
There were emotional scenes after the final whistle as presentations were made to Genia and Horwill, who will be greatly missed.
REDS: 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) 2 James Hanson 3 Greg Holmes 4 Rob Simmons 5 James Horwill 6 Adam Thomson 7 Liam Gill 8 Jake Schatz 9 Will Genia 10 Quade Cooper 11 Lachie Turner 12 Samu Kerevi 13 Karmichael Hunt 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia 15 James O’Connor BENCH: 16 Saia Fainga’a 17 Pettowa Paraka 18 Sam Talakai 19 Ed O’Donoghue 20 Beau Robinson 21 Hendrik Tui 22 Nick Frisby 23 Ben Tapuai
SCORERS P: Cooper
CHIEFS: 1 Mitchell Graham 2 Hika Elliot 3 Siate Tokolahi 4 Michael Fitzgerald 5 Brodie Retallick 6 LIAM MESSAM (C) 7 Sam Cane 8 Michael Leitch 9 Augustine Pulu 10 Marty McKenzie 11 Tim Nanai-Williams 12 Andrew Horrell 13 Charlie Ngatai 14 Bryce Heem 15 Tom Marshall BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Pauliasi Manu 18 Jarrod Firth 19 Matt Symons 20 Maama Vaipulu 21 Brad Weber 22 Damian McKenzie 23 Anton Lienert-Brown
SCORERS T: Heem, Messam, Ngatai C: Horrell (3) P: Horrell Leitch
Referee: Mike Fraser
HURRICANES 56 - 20 HIGHLANDERS
McLean Park, Napier - Friday 05 June 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 30-13
IN honour of 85-game club legend Jerry Collins, the Hurricanes earned a record-breaking 56-20 win over the Highlanders in Napier on Friday night, to qualify first for the Investec Super Rugby semi-finals with a week to spare. Victory was dedicated to Collins, who was a Hurricane between 2001 and 2008 and played 48 tests for the All Blacks.
The Hurricanes were presented with two trophies afterwards, the Investec Trophy for winning the New Zealand Conference and the BNZ Cup for accumulating the most competition points (62) in the season.
Fittingly, the first try of the match was scored by blindside flanker Blade Thomson, playing in the jersey that Collins made many of his appearances in. Similarly, Ma’a Nonu, a former teammate of Collins’ for Wellington and the Hurricanes for seven years, came off the bench and scored two tries. Halfback TJ Perenara, a member of Collins’ Northern United club in Wellington, also scored two tries.
The Hurricanes led 6-3, before Thomson scored the first of 11 tries in the match.
Right wing Nehe Milner-Skudder set the game alight, setting up a 50-metre try. Fielding a kick in general play, Milner-Skudder danced and scooted through several would-be tacklers and off-loaded to Thomson who crossed out wide. Two minutes later, fullback Marshall ran in a brilliant solo try from 40 metres out, running on to a Conrad Smith pass and scything through several Highlanders defenders to score near the posts. Marshall converted his own try and the Hurricanes now led 18-3.
The Savea brothers combined to aid in the Hurricanes next try. Julian Savea kicked and chased down Highlanders wing Waisake Naholo who ran the ball back out of trouble. Naholo got away from Julian, but he met Ardie Savea head-on in a crunching tackle that turned the ball over and set up a try for halfback Perenara .
The Highlanders pulled a try back through left wing Ryan Tongia, closing the score to 23-8. And Tongia was soon in the game again, fielding a high kick and taking off towards the try-line. Tongia passed to openside flanker Josh Hardie in support who was stopped in a try-saving tackle by his opposite, Ardie Savea. The Highlanders recycled and pivot Sopoaga darted through to score a second unconverted try for his team. 23-13.
Undeterred, the Hurricanes built some great phase play, leading to hooker Dane Coles racing through to score their bonus point try. Marshall’s conversion put them ahead 30-13.
Hurricanes first five-eighth Beauden Barrett went within a few blades of grass of scoring the Hurricanes’ fifth try before halftime, but was held up in a tackle by Highlanders hooker Ash Dixon.
Hurricanes fans only had to wait two minutes into the second half for left wing Julian Savea to run around and score their fifth try of the night after another well-worked build-up. Marshall converted to extend the lead to 37-13.
Highlanders right wing Marty Banks scored in the corner and Sopoaga converted and the Hurricanes led 27-20.
The Hurricanes struck again from long-range, Ardie Savea delivering the final pass to Perenara on his inside to score his second try of the evening. The conversion now put them ahead 44-20.
Played ebbed and flowed throughout the middle stages of the second half. The Hurricanes broke out and went close to scoring through Julian Savea. The Highlanders scrambled in defence, but they could not prevent replacement second five-eighth Ma’a Nonu scoring off the subsequent attacking scrum.
Nonu ran in a double two minutes later, in support of replacement loose forward Brad Shields, in his 50th match for the Hurricanes, who intercepted a Highlanders pass and flicked an offload to Nonu. Marshall added the extras, extending their lead to 56-20.
The wide score in this match also snapped a remarkable run of 13 straight matches between these franchises of the match being decided within seven points.
HURRICANES: 15 James Marshall 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Rey Lee-Lo 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Ardie Savea 6 Blade Thomson 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Dane Coles 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Chris Eves 18 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 19 Mark Abbott 20 Brad Shields 21 Chris Smylie 22 Willis Halaholo 23 Ma'a Nonu
SCORERS T: Thomson, Marshall, Perenara (2), Coles, Julian Savea, Nonu (2) C: Marshall (5) P: Marshall (2)
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Marty Banks 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Jason Emery 12 Richard Buckman 11 Ryan Tongia 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Fumiaki Tanaka 8 Elliot Dixon 7 John Hardie 6 Gareth Evans 5 Tom Franklin 4 Alex Ainley 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Ash Dixon (c) 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Liam Coltman 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Joe Latta 20 Dan Pryor 21 Scott Eade 22 Shaun Treeby 23 Kurt Baker
SCORERS T: Tongia, Sopoaga, Banks C: Sopoaga DG: Sopoaga Evans
Referee: Jaco Peyper
BLUES 11 - 34 CRUSADERS
Eden Park, Auckland - Saturday 06 June 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 6-17
THE Crusaders kept their Super Rugby Finals Series hopes alive after claiming a 34-11 win over the Blues in Auckland on Saturday.
The seven-time champions outscored their hosts by four tries to one but although they came away with the positive result they were made to fight for it and only secured a try-scoring bonus point late in the second half.
The victory moves the men from Christchurch into seventh place on the table, albeit momentarily as the Lions will be in action against the Stormers in Cape Town later in the day.
Although they scored two tries during the first half, the Crusaders did not have things going their way as the Blues kept them at bay for large periods with a solid defensive effort especially after half-time.
The dam wall eventually burst and after two early tries from Nemani Nadolo and Luke Romano, as well as a penalty try midway through the second half, the Crusaders eventually got their fourth try when Matt Todd dived over from a rolling maul 15 minutes before full-time.
Ihaia West gave the hosts a 6-0 lead via two penalties inside the opening 10 minutes but the Crusaders struck back with a brilliant try from Nemani Nadolo. The big Fijian wing showed superb timing and handling skills as he out-jumped Ben Lam to gather a Dan Carter cross-field kick close to the Blues' corner flag. Nadolo regathered after tapping the ball forward and dived over for the opening try which Carter converted from close to the touchline. The visitors upped the ante as the half progressed and their forwards in particular dominated their counterparts.
Carter added a penalty to give the visitors and the visitors' dominance was rewarded when Luke Romano barged over from close quarters after the Crusaders took a quick throw-n at a line-out inside the Blues' 22.
The Blues were under the cosh for most of the half and their best chance of scoring a try came shortly before half-time when their forwards launched a drive deep inside the visitors' 22. They managed to get over the whitewash but were held up.
Although the Crusaders were chasing that crucial bonus point, it did not look like it and their decision to kick for posts five minutes after the restart seemed a strange.
Carter slotted the penalty after the Blues were penalised for illegal scrummaging and the next 15 minutes was a frustrating period for the visitors as they went in search of their bonus point.
Their dominance in scrums was rewarded with a penalty try and five minutes later Todd's 5-pointer brought a huge sigh of relief in the visitors' ranks.
To their credit, the Blues kept on playing and they reaped the benefits shortly before the end when Ben Lam went over after gliding through a hole in the visitors' defensive line close to their tryline.
BLUES: 15 Matt Vaega 14 Ben Lam 13 Hamish Northcott 12 George Moala 11 Melani Nanai 10 Ihaia West 9 Jimmy Cowan 1 Sam Prattley 2 James Parsons 3 Ofa Tu'ungafasi 4 William Lloyd 5 Josh Bekhuis 6 Joe Edwards 7 Brendon O'Connor 8 Airi Hunt BENCH: 16 Keven Mealamu 17 Nic Mayhew 18 Sione Mafileo 19 Hayden Triggs 20 Christopher Vui 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Simon Hickey 23 Matt McGahan
SCORERS T: Lam P: West (2)
CRUSADERS: 1 Wyatt Crockett 2 Codie Taylor 3 Owen Franks 4 Luke Romano 5 Dominic Bird 6 Matt Todd 7 RICHIE MCCAW (C) 8 Jordan Taufua 9 Mitchell Drummond 10 Dan Carter 11 Nemani Nadolo 12 David Havili 13 Robbie Fruean 14 Nafi Tuitavake 15 Tom Taylor BENCH: 16 Ben Funnell 17 Alex Hodgman 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Sam Whitelock 20 Luke Whitelock 21 Andy Ellis 22 Ryan Crotty 23 Kieron Fonotia
SCORERS T: Nadolo, Romano, PT, Todd C: Carter (4) P: Carter
Referee: Chris Pollock
THE DHL Stormers will be crowned South African Conference champions for the third time in five years, but will also be the only representative from the Republic in the Vodacom Super Rugby playoffs this season.
In fact, the top six teams for 2015 have also been determined with one round left in the league phase of the competition, meaning the Vodacom Bulls and Emirates Lions will miss out, along with the seven-time champion Crusaders.
The Hurricanes have wrapped up the New Zealand Conference and top spot on the log, but the second position and the identity of the Australian champions – it’s between the Waratahs and the Brumbies – will only be known after next weekend’s matches.
The DHL Stormers’ 19-19 draw against the Emirates Lions in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon means they clinched the SA Conference, but are dependent on other results going their way in order to claim that all-important second spot in the overall standings.
The draw also ended the Emirates Lions’ slim chances of finishing in the top six for the first time ever, but they can be proud of their best-ever season in Vodacom Super Rugby, with nine wins, six defeats and one draw.
The Vodacom Bulls’ chances also evaporated on Saturday morning when they controversially went down to the Rebels in Melbourne by a solitary point, 21-20. The best they can now hope for is eighth on the log.
The Toyota Cheetahs, in their first match under new coach Franco Smith, started very well but ultimately the defending champion Waratahs had too much fire-power and won easily, by 58-33.
CHEETAHS 33 - 58 WARATAHS
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein - Saturday 06 June 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 21-29
A frenetic start to the first half saw five tries scored in the first 20 minutes of the match in Bloemfontein, with three of those scored to the visiting Waratahs – bolstering their hopes of a bonus point win to regain the Australian Conference lead.
It took less than four minutes for Israel Folau to break through the Cheetahs’ defence, after an aggressive start from the Waratahs unsettled the home side. An uncharacteristic miss from Bernard Foley left the Waratahs with a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes.
Inaccurate defence from the Cheetahs continued, and a turnover from fullback Coenie van Wyk led to a quick try from Vice-Captain Michael Hooper after a pass from Wycliff Palu. Foley converted, and the lead was 12-0 after just 9 minutes.
The Cheetahs capitalised on a poor kick from Israel Folau, and scrambling defence from Adam Ashley-Cooper and Michael Hooper was not enough to prevent a try to Francois Venter. Their second was not minutes later, with Cornel Hendricks scooping up a lost ball to run almost the length of the field to equalise the scores. Van Wyk again converted and the Cheetahs took the lead 14-12 in the 15th minute.
An aggressive rolling maul put the Waratahs defence on notice, with Mitch Chapman proving his worth and almost halting the pack. The Cheetahs followed up with a spectacular line break by Ryno Benjamin, and were it not for the slippery conditions they would have likely scored their third try of the match.
Their second attempt at a rolling maul proved fruitful, and Boom Prinsloo crossed for the sixth try of the match in the 28th minute. Coenie van Wyk continued his accurate goal-kicking and regained the lead for the home side, 21-17.
A penalty against the Cheetahs did little to halt their momentum, with the Waratahs unable to win their own lineout. The subsequent scrum fed by the Cheetahs again resulted in a trying defence situation for the Waratahs, who managed to exploit the poor handling of the Cheetahs and win the scrum feed.
Determined attack from the Waratahs eventually resulted in Israel Folau’s second try of the match, securing the four-try bonus point that was so crucial for the visitors. Bernard Foley’s kicking woes continued, and the score moved 22-21 to the Waratahs with just a minute to play in the first half.
A line break from Israel Folau was the catalyst for a hard-earned try to Taqele Naiyaravoro in the 40th minute, and Bernard Foley added the extras to see the Waratahs head into the break with an eight point lead 29-21.
Just one minute into the second half, Michael Hooper facilitated a line break by Adam Ashley-Cooper which saw him stretch over the line for the Waratahs’ sixth try of the match, and his fifth for the 2015 Super Rugby season.
The pace of the match slowed considerably, with a number of substitutions made for the Cheetahs made in the first ten minutes of the second half. The Waratahs unfortunately could not capitalise on the lull in energy from their opponent, and made several unforced handling errors.
Dean Mumm returned to the field again in the 50th minute, but could not stop the Waratahs’ defensive woes and Sergeal Petersen broke through to give Hendricks an easy try just five minutes later. Niel Marais kicked the conversion, and the Waratahs’ lead was pegged back to just six points, 34-28.
The Waratahs showed their class in reply, with Israel Folau securing his hat-trick in the 60th minute, despite an obvious trip attempt from Ryno Benjamin, who was given a yellow card for the foul. Foley kicked the conversion, and the Waratahs took a 13 point lead with 18 minutes to play.
After some early inaccuracy, Foley found his form to slot a neat penalty goal after Ewald van der Westhuizen infringed in the scrum, and the 44-28 lead looked almost unassailable by the weary Cheetahs at that point.
An extended period of play just metres away from the Cheetahs’ line saw the eighth Waratah try for the match, after Bernard Foley swooped in to rescue what looked like desperate turnover from the Cheetahs. He converted his own try to bring up the Tahs’ half century for the match, the score 51-28 with just over five minutes to play.
Carraro crossed for his second of the day, and ninth for the team tally, set up by some useful play by Jack Dempsey. Foley again kicked true, and the lead was extended to 30 points with two minutes to play.
A last ditch effort from the Cheetahs saw Francois Venter cross for his second try of the night, but the siren sounded and the Waratahs took the win 58-33 to return to the top of the Australian Super Rugby Conference.
CHEETAHS: 15 Coenie van Wyk 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Francois Venter 12 Rayno Benjamin 11 Sergeal Petersen 10 Daniel Marais 9 Sarel Pretorius 1 BG Uys 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 3 Maks van Dyk 4 Carl Wegner 5 Francois Uys 6 Boom Prinsloo 7 Tienie Burger 8 Niell Jordaan BENCH: 16 Elandre Huggett 17 Danie Mienie 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen 19 Steven Sykes 20 Gerhardus Olivier 21 Henco Venter 22 Shaun Venter 23 Willie le Roux
SCORERS T: Francois Venter (2), Hendricks (2), Prinsloo C: van Wyk (3), Marais Benjamin
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Matt Carraro 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 1 Benn Robinson 2 Hugh Roach 3 Sekope Kepu 4 Mitch Chapman 5 Dave Dennis 6 Jacques Potgieter 7 Michael Hooper 8 Wycliff Palu BENCH: 16 Dave Porecki 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Dean Mumm 20 Stephen Hoiles 21 Jack Dempsey 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Peter Betham
SCORERS T: Folau (3), Hooper, Carraro (2), Naiyaravoro, Ashley-Cooper, Foley C: Foley (5) P: Foley
Referee: Glen Jackson
STORMERS 19 - 19 LIONS
DHL Newlands, Cape Town - Saturday 06 June 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 12-12
THE DHL Stormers were held to a 19-19 draw by the Emirates Lions in a hard and exciting Vodacom Super Rugby match at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
For both teams, it was only their second ever draw in a local derby. This result, coupled with the Vodacom Bulls’ defeat in Melbourne, mean the Capetonians can no longer be caught at the top of the SA Conference and are guaranteed a spot in the top three on the log.
It was a match of “tit for tat” with the two packs matching each other throughout the 80 minutes. DHL Stormers scrumhalf Nic Groom got the scoreboard ticking over with a sneaky try from close by in the seventh minute, but 10 minutes later his direct opponent, Faf de Klerk, scored in almost similar fashion.
Dillyn Leyds, for the home team, and Schalk van der Merwe, for the visitors, also scored tries in the first half but neither were converted and the teams went into the break at 12-12.
When Nizaam Carr went over in the 52nd minute, with Kurt Coleman adding the extras, it looked like the DHL Stormers could sneak it but the Emirates Lions never gave up and Malcolm Marx got his first try at this level with four minutes left, with Marnitz Boshoff adding the conversion.
The Emirates Lions finished strong on the attack, but the DHL Stormers’ usual water-tight defence held firm.
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Dillyn Leyds 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Seabelo Senatla 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Schalk Burger 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Michael Willemse 17 Oli Kebble 18 Vincent Koch 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Jaco Taute
SCORERS T: Groom, Leyds, Carr C: Catrakilis, Coleman Kitshoff
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Harold Vorster 12 Alwyn Hollenbach 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Francois de Klerk 1 Schalk van der Merwe 2 Armand van der Merwe 3 Julian Redelinghuys 4 Martin Muller 5 Franco Mostert 6 Jaco Kriel 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 8 Warren Whiteley BENCH: 16 Malcolm Marx 17 Corne Fourie 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Robert Kruger 20 Kwagga Smith 21 Dillon Smit 22 Marnitz Boshoff 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: de Klerk, Schalk van der Merwe, Marx C: Jantjies, Boshoff
Referee: Stuart Berry
BRUMBIES 22 - 16 BULLS
GIO Stadium, Canberra - Friday 29 May 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 8-6
THE Vodacom Bulls’ recent struggles in Australasia continued on Friday morning when they lost a tough scrap by 22-16 against the Brumbies in Canberra.
It was their 10th consecutive tour defeat and the men from Pretoria will now have to rely on other teams if they are going to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth time since 2005.
Although the Vodacom Bulls led by 6-0 after the first quarter, a try for the home team by Jordan Smiler meant the Brumbies were in front by 8-6 at the break – a lead they surrendered briefly early in the second half when Handré Pollard slotted his third penalty goal.
But two Henry Speight tries in the first 20 minutes of the second half gave the home team a comfortable 22-9 lead going into the final quarter.
The Vodacom Bulls hit back with a five-pointer from a line-out drive by Lappies Labuschagne, but the visitors ran out of plans late in the match while the Brumbies’ defence held firm as they cemented their place in the top six with two rounds of league action remaining.
BRUMBIES: 15 Jesse Mogg 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Robbie Coleman 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Jarrad Butler 21 Michael Dowsett 22 Nigel Ah Wong 23 James Dargaville
SCORERS T: Smiler, Speight (2) C: Leali'ifano (2) P: Leali'ifano
BULLS: 15 Jurgen Visser 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Burger Odendaal 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Handré Pollard 9 Rudy Paige 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) 7 Arno Botha 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Grant Hattingh 4 Flip van der Merwe 3 Marcel van der Merwe 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Dean Greyling BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Trevor Nyakane 18 Werner Kruger 19 Jacques du Plessis 20 Lappies Labuschagne 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 22 Travis Ismaiel 23 Jesse Kriel
SCORERS T: Labuschagne C: Pollard P: Pollard (3)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
WESTERN FORCE 10 - 32 REDS
nib Stadium, Perth - Saturday 30 May 2015
KO: 17:40 HT: 10-17
QUADE COOPER returned from injury with an impressive display to spearhead the St.George Queensland Reds to a stunning 32-10 triumph over the Western Force in an Asteron Life Super Rugby clash played in Perth.
The talented fly half tallied 22 points, including two tries, to inspire Queensland to a comprehensive four tries to one victory. The other try-scorer for the Reds was another injury returnee, winger Lachie Turner, who also crossed for a double. The Force’s one try was scored by fullback Dane Haylett-Petty.
The Reds were immediately under pressure and went behind on 10 minutes when they were penalised for offside in front of the posts and Sias Ebersohn stepped up to put the home team in front 3-0.
James O’Connor hit back almost immediately with a searing break but he was pulled down just short of the line. The Reds however were awarded a penalty and played on quickly. The ball found its way to try-scoring machine Samu Kerevi who burrowed his way over in the left hand corner. But after considerable deliberation the try was chalked off by the TMO due to an illegal clean out in the build up.
The Reds effort was rewarded just a few minutes later. It started on 15 minutes when Ben McCalman was penalised for taking out a defender and Cooper set up a lineout in the Force 22. The Reds won another penalty and again played on quickly with Will Genia feeding danger man Kerevi who pulled in a number of defenders before getting an offload away to Cooper to score in the corner. Cooper then added the extras with a conversion from the left touchline to make it 7-3 on 17 minutes.
The Reds flyhalf then extended the lead to 10-3 with a 40-metre penalty on 29 minutes and it was all Cooper five minutes later as a trademark moment of magic set up Turner for the Reds second try. From a scum five metres out from the Force line, Cooper took the ball on the short side before a no-look flick pass to Turner on the outside put the winger over in the corner. He then knocked over his second touchline conversion to put the Reds out to 17-3.
A Haylett-Petty try converted by Ebersohn brought the score back to 17-10 at half time before Cooper and Turner combined again just six minutes in to the second half for the Reds’ third try. It began again with Cooper, who lofted a superb cut-out pass to a charging Jake Schatz on the right, who was pulled down just short of the line. The ball was then swiftly swung back out to the left, with Cooper handling again a number of times before Chris Feauai-Sautia drew the last tackler and found Turner on his outside to go over in the left corner. This time Cooper could not make it three sideline conversions in a row.
The Reds continued to pour on the pressure with another Cooper penalty on 55 minutes making it 25-10. It was then Genia’s turn to spark some magic on 62 minutes with the scrumhalf slicing through the Force defence from a scrum before finding Cooper on his right shoulder, who strolled over the line untouched. Cooper’s conversion took the score to 32-10.
The Force tried hard to reduce the deficit in the final 10 minutes but committed defence from the Reds held them at bay.
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Marcel Brache 12 Kyle Godwin 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Ryan Louwrens 8 Ben McCalman 7 MATT HODGSON (C) 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Adam Coleman 4 Steve Mafi 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Guy Millar 19 Sam Wykes 20 Kane Koteka 21 Alby Mathewson 22 Luke Burton 23 Patrick Dellit
SCORERS T: Haylett-Petty C: Ebersohn P: Ebersohn
REDS: 15 James O’Connor 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia 13 Karmichael Hunt 12 Samu Kerevi 11 Lachie Turner 10 Quade Cooper 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 James Horwill 4 Rob Simmons 3 Greg Holmes 2 James Hanson 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) Replacements (one to be omitted): Andrew Ready Pettowa Paraka Sam Talakai Ed O’Donoghue Beau Robinson Nick Frisby Jake McIntyre Ben Tapuai Jamie-Jerry Taulagi
SCORERS T: Cooper (2), Turner (2) C: Cooper (3) P: Cooper (2)
Referee: Matt O'Brien
CRUSADERS 35 - 18 HURRICANES
Trafalgar Park, Nelson - Friday 29 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 16-8
THE Crusaders were back to their best with a convincing 35-18 victory over the Hurricanes at Trafalgar Park in Nelson. Despite a fightback from the Super Rugby leaders just after half-time, the Crusaders always looked in control and were deserved winners by four tries to two, with Nemani Nadolo a constant threat.
Nadolo was once again the architect of the Crusaders' best moments, scoring a try of his own and making two assists with the break for Mitchell Drummond's early score to set the hosts on their way and a fine offload for Matt Todd. The Fijian giant is going to be a superstar at this year's Rugby World Cup.
An early interchange down the blindside from Blade Thomson and Julian Savea failed to produce a try as the Hurricanes threatened before a returning Dan Carter opened the scoring off the tee when Conrad Smith was penalised at the breakdown. Working the Hurricanes defence, the Crusaders doubled their lead after the visitors strayed offside for Carter to make it 6-0.
Otere Black, the youngster who will head off to the Junior World Championship with the New Zealand U20 side in the next few days, continued to fill the gap left by Beauden Barrett's injury and added his first points with a penalty, only for Carter to instantly reply after Reggie Goodes infringed at the ruck.
The Crusaders felt in full control and rubber-stamped their dominance with a well-worked try, Nadolo starting it off with a tackle-busting carry down the wing before feeding inside to David Havili and then Drummond for the score. Carter's conversion made it 16-3.
Controversy then saw the hosts' centre Robbie Fruean sin-binned for a careless tackle - in the eyes of the officials - on Nehe Milner-Skudder, even though there was little he could do about it. The Hurricanes capitalised by making the most of their man advantage and pouncing on a rare mistake from Carter when he missed touch, playing their way through the phases upfield for Dane Coles to score and close the gap. Black could not add the extra two, making it 16-8 to the Crusaders at half-time.
With the words of their coaches no doubt ringing in their ears the 'Canes came back out with a bang. Ardie Savea impressed once again with his pace as much as his power, racing over after Ma'a Nonu's grubber kick through for Smith came off and the flanker was on the shoulder to finish it off. Black's conversion made it a one-point game as the Hurricanes came right back into it, only for Nafi Tuitavake to score his first Super Rugby try down the other end as he did well to cling on to a low pass as Carter converted to make it 23-15.
A second penalty from Black cut the gap but Nadolo continued to cause havoc, freeing his arms in the tackle to put over Matt Todd for try number three. Twelve points ahead thanks to Carter's conversion, the Crusaders were cruising and made the Hurricanes pay for an off-colour performance when Nonu hesitated running back to cover a kick, with Nadolo sneaking up on his shoulder to dot down and secure the try bonus point and the result.
The Hurricanes did their best to end on a high note with a number of surges at the home side's try line, but came away with nothing.
Matt Proctor and Motu Matu'u's serious injuries saw them depart to give the Hurricanes some extra concern but this defeat might prove to be a necessary wake-up call going into the final few weeks of the season.
CRUSADERS: 15 Tom Taylor 14 Nafi Tuitavake 13 Robbie Fruean 12 David Havili 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Dan Carter 9 Mitchell Drummond 8 Jordan Taufua 7 RICHIE McCAW (C) 6 Matt Todd 5 Jimmy Tupou 4 Luke Romano 3 Owen Franks 2 Ben Funnell 1 Alex Hodgman BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Tim Perry 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Dominic Bird 20 Luke Whitelock 21 Andy Ellis 22 Kieron Fonotia 23 Jone Macilai
SCORERS T: Drummond, Tuitavake, Todd, Nadolo C: Carter (3) P: Carter (3) Fruean
HURRICANES: 15 James Marshall 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder 13 Conrad Smith 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Otere Black 9 TJ Perenara 8 Blade Thomson 7 Ardie Savea 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 JEREMY THRUSH (C) 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 2 Dane Coles 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Motu Matu’u 17 Ben May 18 Ben Franks 19 Mark Abbott 20 Victor Vito 21 Chris Smylie 22 Rey Lee-Lo 23 Matt Proctor
SCORERS T: Coles, Ardie Savea C: Black P: Black (2)
Referee: Ben O'Keefe
HIGHLANDERS 36 - 9 CHIEFS
Rugby Park, Invercargill - Saturday 30 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 11-3
THE Highlanders picked apart a poor Chiefs side with a convincing 36-9 victory down at Rugby Park in Southland.
There were simply too many errors from the Chiefs for them to be truly competitive with a high number of missed tackles and handling errors. This was accentuated by the aggression from the Highlanders at the breakdown, as they constantly forced errors out of their opponents.
Those errors made life a lot of easier for Lima Sopoaga, with the Chiefs coughing up early penalties for him to add six points off the boot within three minutes after Damian McKenzie had missed an earlier attempt. Played under the Southland mist at Rugby Park both sides have been renowned for their entertaining attacking rugby this year, but in many ways they cancelled each other out early on.
McKenzie made no mistake with his second attempt off the tee to make the score 6-3 but the Highlanders came closest to the first try when Waisake Naholo was denied just short of the line by a tackle from the exciting fullback to dislodge the ball.
The Chiefs clung on but with penalties racking up against them at the scrum and breakdown they were constantly under pressure, with the Highlanders eventually getting their score. Osborne was the man to deliver it as the powerful busted through some flimsy tackling by Hosea Gear to cut in off his left wing and drive over for the try after half an hour. Sopoaga could not convert but facing an 11-3 deficit the Chiefs rallied, bringing their big ball carriers into the game and starting a long phase of pressure inside the Highlanders 22.
The visitors looked to have snatched a try back through Damian McKenzie after he raced on to the kick ahead from his brother Marty, but despite the referee initially awarding the try, after consultation with the TMO the score was controversially scratched off, keeping the Highlanders ahead by eight at the interval.
The Chiefs needed to respond after half-time but instead the Highlanders struck with a super score from Naholo, the winger standing at first receiver off the lineout and blasting his way past Augustine Pulu before an arcing run took him to the corner at speed. Sopoaga's conversion gave the Highlanders a sizeable 18-3 advantage but Damien McKenzie did his best to chip back at the lead with two penalties.
A third penalty from Sopoaga however maintained the home side's dominance at 21-9 heading into the final quarter and his fourth successful three-pointer not long after brought up 400 points for him in Super Rugby.
The Chiefs continued to fall further away as they struggled to get out of their half, making any kind of result for Dave Rennie's men unlikely. Instead the Highlanders rubber-stamped their victory as they swept down the blindside, with Aaron Smith feeding Richard Buckman to go over in the corner.
There was still time for the Highlanders to try and find a bonus point try with four minutes to go and a central scrum, and they got it with time to spare. The captain Ben Smith spun his way over out wide to make sure the home side clinched all five points to move within nine of the Hurricanes, capping off an outstanding display.
HIGHLANDERS: 15 BEN SMITH (C) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Richard Buckman 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Dan Pryor 7 John Hardie 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Tom Franklin 4 Alex Ainley 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Joe Latta 20 Gareth Evans 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Osbourne, Naholo, Buckman, Ben Smith C: Sopoaga (2) P: Sopoaga (4)
CHIEFS: 15 Damian McKenzie 14 Hosea Gear 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Anton Lienert-Brown 11 Bryce Heem 10 Marty McKenzie 9 Augustine Pulu 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 Maama Vaipulu 5 Michael Fitzgerald 4 Ross Filipo 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Mitchell Graham 19 Brian Alainu’uese 20 Mitchell Crosswell 21 Brad Weber 22 Andrew Horrell 23 Tim Nanai-Williams
SCORERS P: Damian McKenzie (3)
Referee: Nick Briant
IT was a weekend of Vodacom Super Rugby firsts, doubles and good-byes as the DHL Stormers consolidated their place at the top of the South African Conference, while the Emirates Lions and Cell C Sharks both got one over their Australian opponents.
The weekend started on a false note for the Vodacom Bulls on Friday though, as they came up short by 22-16 in their third tour match, in Canberra against the Brumbies.
The Cell C Sharks won their second consecutive match against Aussie opposition when they beat the Rebels by 25-21 in Durban on Friday evening. It was the KwaZulu-Natalians’ fourth win over the side from Melbourne, who is still winless after five seasons of coming to South Africa.
Saturday’s derby in Cape Town between the DHL Stormers and Toyota Cheetahs ended in a rather one-sided 42-12 win for the home team as the visitors from Bloemfontein bid farewell to their coach, Naka Drotské, after eight seasons and 118 matches in charge of the men from Central South Africa.
Only three coaches – Frans Ludeke of the Cats and Vodacom Bulls, Ewen McKenzie (Waratahs, Reds) Robbie Deans (Crusaders) coached in more matches than Drotské, who guided the Toyota Cheetahs to a spot in the top six two seasons ago.
The final match of the weekend was a real humdinger as the Emirates Lions got their first-ever win as a franchise over the defending champion Waratahs, by 27-22 in Johannesburg, their ninth victory of the season in their final home encounter of 2015.
No fewer than six players – two South Africans and four Aussies – scored a brace of tries this weekend. They are Seabelo Senatla (DHL Stormers), Ruan Combrinck (Emirates Lions), Henry Speight (Brumbies), Scott Higginbotham (Rebels), Quade Cooper (Reds) and Lachie Turner (Reds).
Blitzbok star Senatla scored his first try at Vodacom Super Rugby level, as did his DHL Stormers team-mate Vincent Koch and Heimar Williams from the Cell C Sharks.SHARKS 25 - 21 MELBOURNE REBELS
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban - Friday 29 May 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 10-7
THE Cell C Sharks took the points after beating the Rebels by 25-21 at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Friday night, but the match will not be remembered for too long.
The Rebels had to play with 14 men for more than 50 minutes after their tighthead prop Laurie Weeks was red-carded for punching Jannie du Plessis, who got a yellow for a lesser infringement in the same incident.
Apart from these cards, the first half will only be remembered for S’bura Sithole’s strong burst for the opening try of the match. Unfortunately both sides made far too many unforced errors and the encounter lacked real structure.
The home team added two memorable tries early in the second half which all but secured the win for them, but they still had to dig deep in the final half hour.
First Lwazi Mvovo intercepted shortly after the break and ran 75 metres to score in the corner before Heimar Williams scored one of the tries of the season after a brilliant solo-run of more than 50 metres, beating a number of Rebels defenders in the process.
The Rebels hit back through Scott Higginbotham’s second try after the Cell C Sharks made a number of defensive errors and the visitors got their third when Bryce Hegarty went over with five minutes left, but the home team hung in for their second win in as many weeks over Aussie team.
SHARKS: 15 Lwazi Mvovo 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 S Sithole 10 Lionel Cronje 9 Stefan Ungerer 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Etienne Oosthuizen 6 Renaldo Bothma 5 MARCO WENTZEL (C) 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Franco Marais 17 Matt Stevens 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda 20 Jean Deysel 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Fred Zeilinga 23 Heimar Williams
SCORERS T: Sithole, Mvovo, Williams C: Cronje (2) P: Cronje (2) Jannie du Plessis
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Sefanaia Naivalu 12 Mitch Inman 11 Tom English 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Luke Burgess 8 SCOTT HIGGINBOTHAM (C) 7 Colby Fainga’a 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Laurie Weeks 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Paul Alo-Emile 19 Cadeyrn Neville 20 Scott Fuglistaller 21 Nic Stirzaker 22 Jordy Reid 23 Bryce Hegarty
SCORERS T: Higginbotham (2), Hegarty C: Debreczeni (3) Weeks
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
STORMERS 42 - 12 CHEETAHS
DHL Newlands, Cape Town - Saturday 30 May 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 23-7
THE DHL Stormers all but secured the South African Conference title with a 42-12 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
The Capetonians only need two more log points from their last two Vodacom Super Rugby matches to secure their third SA Conference title after they scored five tries en route to a comprehensive victory over the team from Central South Africa.
It was only their second try-scoring bonus-point of the season, but it came just at the right time for the DHL Stormers who balanced out their usual solid defensive play with moments of great attack.
Seabelo Senatla scored both his tries in the first half, showing great power on both occasions, but unfortunately for Nizaam Carr, playing in his 50th Vodacom Super Rugby match in the colours of the DHL Stormers, his “try” late in the first half was disallowed after the TMO spotted an earlier infringement.
Toyota Cheetahs flank Boom Prinsloo crashed over from a line-out drive in the first half and Carel Greeff did the same in the second, but three more tries by the home side after the break, by Damian de Allende, Vincent Koch and Sikhumbuzo Notshe, ensured the DHL Stormers got the full-haul of five points from this derby.
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Seabelo Senatla 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Nizaam Carr 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Vincent Koch 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Bongi Mbonambi 17 Oli Kebble 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: Senatla (2), de Allende, Koch, Notshe C: Catrakilis (4) P: Catrakilis (3)
CHEETAHS: 15 Clayton Blommetjies 14 Sergeal Petersen 13 Francois Venter 12 Michael van der Spuy 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Tian Meyer 8 Willie Britz 7 Boom Prinsloo 6 Tienie Burger 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Maks van Dyk 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Mienie BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 BG Uys 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen 19 Steven Sykes 20 Henco Venter 21 Sarel Pretorius 22 Coenie van Wyk 23 Rayno Benjamin
SCORERS T: Prinsloo, Greeff C: Pietersen Venter
Referee: Craig Joubert
LIONS 27 - 22 WARATAHS
Ellis Park, Johannesburg - Saturday 30 May 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 17-10
THE Emirates Lions, sticking to their ball in hand approach, beat the Waratahs for the first time ever as a franchise when they won an entertaining Vodacom Super Rugby match at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg by 27-22 on Saturday evening.
The home team started like a house on first when Ruan Combrinck went over for his first try in the sixth minute, but the Waratahs fought back to a 10-7 lead after 18 minutes courtesy of a try by Stephen Hoiles and a conversion and penalty goal by Bernard Foley.
It was 10-all when Combrinck scored his second try late in the first half – the Waratahs were down to 14 men at this stage with Rob Horne in the sin-bin for an illegal tackle – converted by Elton Jantjies who also added an earlier penalty goal, which meant the Emirates Lions held a 17-10 lead at the break.
Jantjies added three more shortly after the break, before Jacques Potgieter got the visitors’ second yellow card early in the second half for yet another an illegal tackle. With the Waratahs down a man yet again, Combrinck put Harold Vorster away for the Emirates Lions’ third try, which saw them take a commanding 27-10 lead into the final half hour.
The Waratahs hit back with tries by Adam Ashley-Cooper and Horne during an impressive 10 minutes midway through the second half, but the home team’s defence held firm as the recorded an impressive win over the defending champions from Sydney.
LIONS: Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Harold Vorster 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Faf de Klerk 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Franco Mostert 4 Martin Muller 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Armand van der Merwe 1 Schalk van der Merwe BENCH: 16 Malcolm Marx 17 Corne Fourie 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Robert Kruger 20 Kwagga Smith 21 Ross Cronje 22 Marnitz Boshoff 23 Stokkies Hanekom
SCORERS T: Combrinck (2), Vorster C: Jantjies (3) P: Jantjies (2)
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Stephen Hoiles 5 Dave Dennis 4 Mitchell Chapman 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Hugh Roach 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Dave Porecki 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Jacques Potgieter 20 Dean Mumm 21 Patrick McCutcheon 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Matt Carraro
SCORERS T: Hoiles, Ashley-Cooper, Horne C: Foley (2) P: Foley Horne, Potgieter
Referee: Jaco Peyper
REDS 14 - 21 SHARKS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Friday 22 May 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 7-16
THE Cell C Sharks ended a disappointing run of results with a good 21-14 win over the Reds in Brisbane on Friday, with scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer crossing for two tries in the process.
Ungerer, who is growing in stature every week, scored in each half for the visitors from Durban, who got their first Australasian win this year in their final tour match.
It was a solid performance by the Cell C Sharks as they finally found their groove. Their discipline was good and they defended much better than in recent weeks. The Durbanites’ set-piece play was also very good and they often had the home team’s pack on the back foot.
Ungerer’s first try came from a brilliant sniping break off the back of a solid Cell C Sharks scrum as he sprinted 30 metres to score in the corner.
The Cell C Sharks’ No 9 was a bit more fortuitous with his second as Reds fullback James O’Connor fluffed a clearance kick from inside his in-goal area, which went straight to Ungerer, five meters from the try-line, who dotted down untouched.
It was a bit of well-deserved luck the Cell C Sharks had missed recently and it came just in time for only their third ever win in Brisbane on the eve of their return home to South Africa.
REDS: 15 James O'Connor 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia 13 Karmichael Hunt 12 Samu Kerevi 11 Chris Kuridrani 10 Jake McIntyre 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 James Horwill 4 Rob Simmons 3 Greg Holmes 2 James Hanson 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 Andrew Ready 17 Pettowa Paraka 18 Sam Talakai 19 Ed O'Donoghue 20 Lolo Fakaosilea 21 Nick Frisby 22 Sam Greene 23 Ben Tapuai
SCORERS T: Kuridrani, Kerevi C: O'Connor (2)
SHARKS: 15 Lwazi Mvovo 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Frans Steyn 11 S'bura Sithole 10 Lionel Cronje 9 Stefan Ungerer 8 Renaldo Bothma 7 Willem Alberts 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 MARCO WENTZEL (C) 4 Stephan Lewies 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Franco Marais 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Etienne Oosthuizen 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Fred Zeilinga 23 Andre Esterhuizen
SCORERS T: Ungerer (2) C: Steyn P: Steyn (3)
Referee: Angus Gardner
WARATAHS 32 - 22 CRUSADERS
ANZ Stadium, Sydney - Saturday 23 May 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 17-8
THE NSW Waratahs bested the Crusaders 32-22 in a thrilling rematch of the 2014 Super Rugby Final at ANZ Stadium. A brace to Taqele Naiyaravoro and tries to Rob Horne and Bernard Foley gave the Tahs their first four-try bonus point at home this year, and powered them to the top of the Australian conference with only three weeks to play in the regular season.
Much had been made of the clash between giant Fijians Naiyaravoro and Nemani Nadolo and, in the opening 10 minutes of the game, neither winger disappointed. Naiyaravoro failed to field the kick-off, gifting Nadolo a try in the corner within the first two minutes. But Taqele made amends five minutes later, when some slick handling from Foley, Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau gave Naiyaravoro the return salvo in the right corner.
And then, in a double blow for the home side, Dan Carter slotted a penalty goal to seize the lead and hooker Tolu Latu was yellow carded for a lifting tackle on Sam Whitelock.
But the Waratahs’ defence lifted under pressure, and a crunching tackle from Michael Hooper forced a penalty when Owen Franks scooped up the loose ball from an offside position. Foley stepped up, and gave the home side a two point advantage midway through the half.
And the unrelenting Tahs’ defence continued to force errors all over the park. Slade spilt an easy pass and the impressive Rob Horne pounced – sprinting 55 metres for the Tahs’ second try. Foley converted from in front, giving the Tahs a 9-point advantage which they carried into the break.
The big men continued to wreak havoc in the Crusaders’ midfield when play resumed. Wycliff Palu and Will Skelton earned Foley his second penalty goal, and then Sekope Kepu punched the ball up the middle to help Naiyaravoro back into the right corner for his second try of the night.
Trailing by 17 points, the seven-time champions called on all their experience to claw their way back into the game. Carter turned the ball back inside to a charging Nadolo, who burst up the middle and fed Richie McCaw. Ten minutes later, a rolling maul pushed replacement flanker Mat Todd into the corner. Dan Carter nailed a sideline conversion and the Crusaders were only 3 points away from a stunning comeback.
After conceding 14 points in as many minutes, a stunned home crowd was brought right back into the game when perennial villain Richie McCaw was yellow carded for entering a ruck offside with ten minutes to play.
And, unlike the Crusaders, the Tahs were able to sink the boot in while the Crusaders were down. Bernard Foley chipped over the top from a scrum, regathered and secured the win and an all-important bonus point.
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Stephen Hoiles 5 DAVE DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tolu Latu 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Hugh Roach 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mitchell Chapman 20 Jack Dempsey 21 Pat McCutcheon 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Matt Carraro 24 Peter Betham
SCORERS T: Naiyaravoro (2), Horne, Foley C: Foley (3) P: Foley (2) Latu
CRUSADERS: 15 Tom Taylor 14 Nafi Tuitavake 13 Ryan Crotty 12 Dan Carter 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Mitchell Drummond 8 KIERAN READ (C) 7 Richie McCaw 6 Jordan Taufua 5 Sam Whitelock 4 Luke Romano 3 Owen Franks 2 Ben Funnell 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Joe Moody 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Matt Todd 21 Andy Ellis 22 Israel Dagg 23 Jone Macilai
SCORERS T: Nadolo, McCaw C: Carter (2) P: Carter McCaw
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
WESTERN FORCE 3 - 23 HIGHLANDERS
nib Stadium, Perth - Saturday 23 May 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 3-6
THE Highlanders picked up a vital 23-3 win over the Force in Perth on Saturday to strengthen their footing in the play-off positions.
It was a low-scoring first-half that the Highlanders edged 6-3 thanks to two Lima Sopoaga penalties to the one from Force pivot Sias Ebersohn. While the Force enjoyed the majority of possession and territory in that opening stanza, there was always the feeling the New Zealanders could strike from anywhere on the field. Centurion Ben Smith and the free-scoring Waisake Naholo were two players who offered plenty in attack.
However, the biggest chance of the half went the way of the Force and it came in the seventh minute as centre Marcel Brache looked set to dive over after chasing a kick ahead. He did not count on the aforementioned Smith putting in a hand and dislodging the ball in an outstanding try-saver.
Sopoaga then opened the scoring in the sixteenth minute with a sweet strike after Force number eight Ben McCalman was pinged for holding on at a ruck. The Force would hit back seven minutes later though to level as this time it was John Hardie penalised at a ruck by referee Andrew Lees.
The Highlanders were not done in the half though and when Force lock Adam Coleman came offside, Sopoaga slotted a simple three points for 6-3.
Hardie put his side in a promising position five minutes into the second-half when he was on the back of a driving maul and crashed over to make it 13-3 with Sopoaga's conversion. The fly half had earlier been off-target with a long-range penalty attempt but he was managing the team nicely.
It was not just the Highlanders strike runners offering a threat in Perth as so often has been the case in recent years. Their pack almost put another try on the board but replacement Elliot Dixon was denied by the officials, who deemed him to have been held up over the try-line from a close range hit and spin.
Fortunately for the visitors another replacement, Richard Buckman, set up Aaron Smith for their second try in the left corner, which had followed an intelligent decision from Sopoaga to send over a drop-goal moments earlier.
At this point the Highlanders were sitting pretty at 23-3 which was how it stayed until full-time as Jamie Joseph's men claimed their ninth win of the season.
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Marcel Brache 12 Kyle Godwin 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Ryan Louwrens 8 Ben McCalman 7 MATT HODGSON (C) 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Adam Coleman 4 Steve Mafi 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Guy Millar 19 Sam Wykes 20 Kane Koteka 21 Alby Mathewson 22 Luke Burton 23 Brad Lacey
SCORERS P: Ebersohn
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Ben Smith 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Nasi Manu 7 John Hardie 6 Gareth Evans 5 Mark Reddish 4 Alex Ainley 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Tom Franklin 20 Dan Pryor 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Richard Buckman 23 Marty Banks
SCORERS T: Hardie, Aaron Smith C: Sopoaga, Banks P: Sopoaga (2) DG: Sopoaga
Referee: Andrew Lees
CHIEFS 34 - 20 BULLS
Rotorua International Stadium - Friday 22 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 15-15
THE Chiefs turned up the heat in the second half of their Vodacom Super Rugby match with the Vodacom Bulls in Rotorua on Friday morning and ended up winning this clash between two former champion teams by 34-20.
The visitors from Pretoria started like a house on fire though and led by 15-3 after 15 minutes thanks to tries by Jan Serfontein (inside centre) and Bjorn Basson (left wing).
But bad defence and a slew of unforced errors meant the Vodacom Bulls let slip the pressure they held over the Chiefs, allowing the dangerous New Zealanders back into the match.
The teams were deadlocked at 15-all at half-time, but two quick tries midway through the second half by Chiefs scrumhalf Augustine Pulu meant the home team went into the final 20 minutes comfortably in front.
Vodacom Bulls replacement flank Lappies Labuschagne’s try seven minutes from the end gave the visitors some hope, but the Chiefs hammered the final nail in the visitors’ coffin with their fifth try on full-time.
CHIEFS: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Hosea Gear 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Anton Lienert-Brown 11 Bryce Heem 10 Damian McKenzie 9 Augustine Pulu 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 LIAM MESSAM (C) 5 Johan Bardoul 4 Michael Fitzgerald/Ross Filipo 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Mitchell Graham BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Pauliasi Manu 19 Brian Alainu’uese 20 Maama Vaipulu 21 Brad Weber 22 Andrew Horrell 23 Tim Nanai-Williams
SCORERS T: Messam, Heem, Pulu (2), Nanai-Williams C: McKenzie (3) P: McKenzie Cane
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Handré Pollard 9 Rudy Paige 8 Pierre Spies 7 Jacques du Plessis 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Victor Matfield 4 Flip van der Merwe 3 Marcel van der Merwe 2 Callie Visagie 1 Trevor Nyakane BENCH: 16 Jaco Visagie 17 Dean Greyling 18 Werner Kruger 19 Lappies Labuschagne 20 Arno Botha 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 22 Burger Odendaal 23 Travis Ismaiel
SCORERS T: Serfontein, Basson, Labuschagne C: Pollard P: Pollard
Referee: Chris Pollock
BLUES 5 - 29 HURRICANES
Eden Park, Auckland - Saturday 23 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 0-17
THE Hurricanes officially qualified for the Investec Super Rugby playoffs with three matches to spare after beating the Blues 29-5 at Eden Park. In winning with a four-try bonus point, the Hurricanes went to 57 points on the points table, 13 points clear of second placed New Zealand team, the Chiefs.
In driving rain, the Hurricanes played with patience and heart throughout most of the first half, pulling clear with two late tries to take a 17-0 lead into halftime. They added two more tries in the second half to shut the Blues out for the second time this season.
In atrocious conditions, the Hurricanes made a breezy start, almost scoring a try in the corner after a long opening sequence of play only for the Blues to break out into Hurricanes territory for the first time. The Hurricanes struck first blow in the 11th penalty with a penalty to first five-eighth Black.
Both sides continued to create chances in the slippery conditions, the Hurricanes pack attacking the corner through a lineout drive, but this was thwarted by the Blues. Their next clear chance went rewarded, however, with loosehead prop Eves driving over to score the game’s first try after another penalty and drive in the corner. Black added the conversion and the Hurricanes were rewarded for a hard-fought first 35 minutes with a 10-0 lead.
The Hurricanes poured on to attack once more, chasing up a Julian Savea kick and pushing the Blues defender into touch. The Hurricanes went wide, retained possession and swung the ball back the other way. Right wing Milner-Skudder went close to scoring but was cut down in a desperate tackle.
Halfback TJ Perenara was on hand at the next ruck and he dived over to score his eighth try of the season. Black converted and the Hurricanes went into halftime with a 17-0 lead.
Concerted attack turned to committed defence for the Hurricanes early in the second half, withstanding a strong period of Blues phase play.
They regained control, and from another penalty and lineout in the corner, hooker Dane Coles rumbled through to score their third try. Black added the conversion to put them ahead 24-0.
With steady rain falling again, the Blues plugged away and replacement back Matt Vaega crashed over out wide to score for the home team.
Hurricanes centre Rey Lee-Lo offloaded to Milner-Skudder who dived through to score a spectacular try in the corner to wrap the game up in emphatic fashion.
BLUES: 15 Lolagi Visinia 14 Ben Lam 13 Francis Saili 12 George Moala 11 Melani Nanai 10 Ihaia West 9 Jamison Gibson-Park 8 Akira Ioane 7 Blake Gibson 6 Brendon O'Connor 5 Josh Bekhuis 4 Culum Retallick 3 Ofa Tu’ungafasi 2 JAMES PARSONS (C) 1 Sam Prattley BENCH: 16 Keven Mealamu 17 Angus Ta’avao 18 Nic Mayhew 19 Will Lloyd/Hayden Triggs 20 Joe Edwards 21 Jimmy Cowan 22 Simon Hickey 23 Matt Vaega
SCORERS T: Vaega
HURRICANES: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Cory Jane 13 Rey Lee-Lo 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 James Marshall 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Ardie Savea 6 Blade Thomson 5 James Broadhurst 4 JEREMY THRUSH (C) 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 2 Dane Coles 1 Chris Eves BENCH: 16 Motu Matu'u 17 Ben May 18 Tolu Fahamokioa 19 Mark Abbott/Callum Gibbins 20 Brad Shields 21 Chris Smylie 22 Otere Black 23 Willis Halaholo
SCORERS T: Eves, Perenara, Coles, Milner-Skudder C: Black (3) P: Black
Referee: Nick Briant
THERE was a lot of movement in the South African Conference after Round 15 of Vodacom Super Rugby this weekend, with the DHL Stormers going top and the Emirates Lions surpassing the Vodacom Bulls into second spot.
The Vodacom Bulls started well against the Chiefs in Rotorua on Friday morning and led 15-3 after 20 minutes, but were left behind when the Kiwis stepped up a gear. The home team eventually won by 34-20 and the team from Pretoria dropped from third to eighth on the log.
After disappointing defeats in Wellington and Sydney in the last fortnight, the Cell C Sharks finally got a win on the road. Stefan Ungerer scored twice in their 21-14 win over the Reds in Brisbane, also on Friday.
Emirates Lions captain Warren Whiteley celebrated his 50th Vodacom Super Rugby cap in style as his team scored an impressive 40-17 win over the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday, the only local derby of the weekend.
It was the Emirates Lions’ eighth victory of the season, which means 2015 is now their best Vodacom Super Rugby season ever. The Bloem victory also moved Jozi’s Pride to the top of the SA Conference standings, but it only lasted for roughly two hours.
The DHL Stormers then took back top spot in the SA Conference courtesy of a 31-15 victory over the Rebels in Cape Town, which was the Melburians’ ninth successive defeat in the Republic.
CHEETAHS 17 - 40 LIONS
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein - Saturday 23 May 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 3-23
FLY HALF Elton Jantjies kicked 23 points and the Emirates Lions scored four tries in an emphatic 40-17 Vodacom Super Rugby victory over the Toyota Cheetahs at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday evening.
For most of the match there was only one team on the field and like last weekend, the Toyota Cheetahs left their charge too late. Boom Prinsloo crashed over twice from line-out drives in the last half-hour.
The visitors, yet again dominant upfront especially at scrum time, scored two tries in each half, with Jaco Kriel carding the opener and Lionel Mapoe rounding off a sublime movement after the buzzer had sounded at the end of the second half.
Courtnall Skosan added a third shortly after the break before the impressive Faf de Klerk sniped over from short range for the bonus-point try 15 minutes before the end to seal the Emirates Lions’ fourth successive victory over their former partners in the Cats-franchise.
CHEETAHS: 15 Clayton Blommetjies 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Francois Venter 12 Michael van der Spuy 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Francois Brummer 9 Tian Meyer 8 Willie Britz 7 Boom Prinsloo 6 Carel Greeff 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Maks van Dyk 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Minnie BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 BG Uys 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen 19 Steven Sykes 20 Henco Venter 21 Shaun Venter 22 Coenie van Wyk 23 Rayno Benjamin
SCORERS T: Prinsloo (2) C: van Wyk (2) P: Brummer
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Howard Mnisi 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Faf de Klerk 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Martin Muller 4 Andries Ferreira 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Jacques van Rooyen BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Schalk van der Merwe 18 Julian Redelinghuys 19 Franco Mostert 20 Robert Kruger 21 Ross Cronje 22 Jaco van der Walt 23 Harold Vorster
SCORERS T: Kriel, Mapoe, Skosan, de Klerk C: Jantjies (4) P: Jantjies (4) Coetzee
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
STORMERS 31 - 15 MELBOURNE REBELS
DHL Newlands, Cape Town - Saturday 23 May 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 18-7
DHL Stormers right wing Dillyn Leyds scored a brace of tries as the Capetonians beat the Rebels by 31-15 at DHL Newlands on Saturday evening.
After a dull opening 20 minutes, DHL Stormers centre Damian de Allende’s try from a good attacking move brought life to the match. After that score, the home team seemed to find another gear and had the visitors under pressure for the rest of the first half.
Leyds’ first try came on the stroke of half-time when he intercepted the ball inside the Rebels’ 22 and rounded off. Five minutes into the second half the speedy winger again finished well, this time off the back of yet another monstrous scrum by the DHL Stormers, which put them comfortably in the lead.
Despite being on the back foot upfront, the Rebels never gave up and their defence held firm for the rest of the match as the DHL Stormers failed to get that crucial fourth try.
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Seabelo Senatla 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Louis Schreuder 8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Schalk Burger 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Bongi Mbonambi 17 Ali Vermaak 18 Vincent Koch 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Nic Groom 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: de Allende, Leyds (2) C: Catrakilis (2) P: Catrakilis (4)
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Cam Crawford 13 Dom Shipperley 12 Mitch Inman 11 Tom English 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Scott Fuglistaller 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Paul Alo-Emile 2 Pat Leafa 1 Cruze Ah-Nau BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Keita Inagaki 18 Laurie Weeks 19 Cadeyrn Neville 20 Jordy Reid 21 Colby Fainga’a 22 Luke Burgess 23 Bryce Hegarty
SCORERS T: Shipperley, English C: Harris P: Debreczeni
Referee: Stuart Berry
REDS 46 - 29 MELBOURNE REBELS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Friday 15 May 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 11-17
REDS: 15 James O'Connor 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia 13 Karmichael Hunt 12 Samu Kerevi 11 Lachie Turner 10 Jake McIntyre 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 James Horwill 4 Rob Simmons 3 Greg Holmes 2 James Hanson 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 Andrew Ready 17 Pettowa Paraka 18 Sam Talakai 19 Ed O’Donoghue 20 Lolo Fakaosilea 21 Nick Frisby/Scott Gale 22 Sam Greene 23 Ben Tapuai
SCORERS T: Simmons, McIntyre, Turner (2), Feauai-Sautia, Gill C: O'Connor (5) P: O'Connor (2)
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Sefanaia Naivalu 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 SCOTT HIGGINBOTHAM (C) 7 Jordy Reid 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Paul Alo-Emile 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Laurie Weeks 19 Cadeyrn Neville 20 Colby Fainga'a 21 Luke Burgess 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Tom English
SCORERS T: Naivalu (2), Shipperley, Jones C: Harris (3) P: Harris Debreczeni
Referee: Andrew Lees
WARATAHS 33 - 18 SHARKS
Allianz Stadium, Sydney - Saturday 16 May 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 13-6
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Stephen Hoiles 5 DAVE DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tolu Latu 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Hugh Roach 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mitchell Chapman 20 Jed Holloway 21 Jack Dempsey 22 Tala Grey 23 Pat McCutcheon 24 Brendan McKibbin 25 Matt Carraro 26 Peter Betham
SCORERS T: Ashley-Cooper C: Foley P: Foley (2)
SHARKS: 15 Lwazi Mvovo 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Francois Steyn 11 S'bura Sithole 10 Lionel Cronje 9 Stefan Ungerer 8 Renaldo Bothma 7 Etienne Oosthuizen 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 MARCO WENTZEL (C) 4 Stephan Lewies 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Franco Marais 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Kyle Cooper 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Andre Esterhuizen 23 Waylon Murray
SCORERS P: Steyn (2)
Referee: Rohan Huffman
BLUES 23 - 18 BULLS
Eden Park, Auckland - Friday 15 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 16-13
BLUES: 15 Lolagi Visinia 14 Ben Lam 13 Francis Saili 12 George Moala 11 Melani Nanai 10 Ihaia West 9 Jamison Gibson-Park 8 STEVEN LUATUA (C) 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Akira Ioane 5 Josh Bekhuis 4 Culum Retallick 3 Charlie Faumuina 2 James Parsons 1 Tony Woodcock BENCH: 16 Keven Mealamu 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi 18 Sam Pratley 19 Will Lloyd 20 Blake Gibson 21 Jimmy Cowan/Jamie Booth 22 Simon Hickey 23 Matt Vaega
SCORERS T: Visinia, Moala C: West (2) P: West (3)
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Handré Pollard 9 Rudy Paige 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) 7 Arno Botha 6 Lappies Labuschagne 5 Victor Matfield 4 Flip van der Merwe 3 Marcel van der Merwe 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Trevor Nyakane BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Dean Greyling 18 Werner Kruger 19 Jacques du Plessis 20 Deon Stegmann 21 Burger Odendaal 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 23 Travis Ismaiel
SCORERS T: Serfontein (2) C: Pollard P: Pollard (2)
Referee: Mike Fraser
HURRICANES 22 - 18 CHIEFS
Westpac Stadium, Wellington - Saturday 16 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 10-13
HURRICANES: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Cory Jane 13 Conrad Smith 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 James Marshall 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Ardie Savea 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Motu Matu'u 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Dane Coles 17 Chris Eves 18 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 19 Mark Abbott/Callum Gibbins 20 Blade Thomson 21 Chris Smylie 22 Otere Black 23 Rey Lee-Lo
SCORERS T: Nonu (2), Ardie Savea C: Marshall (2) P: Marshall
CHIEFS: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Hosea Gear 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Damian McKenzie 9 Brad Weber 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 LIAM MESSAM (C) 5 Michael Fitzgerald 4 Michael Allardice 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Mitchell Graham 19 Liam Squire 20 Maama Vaipulu 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Andrew Horrell 23 Bryce Heem
SCORERS T: Ngatai, Cane C: Damian McKenzie P: Damian McKenzie (2) Squire
Referee: Glen Jackson
LIONS 20 - 30 BRUMBIES
Ellis Park, Johannesburg - Saturday 16 May 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 6-22
LIONS: 5 Andries Coetzee 14 Lionel Mapoe 13 Harold Vorster 12 Alwyn Hollenbach 11 Ruan Combrinck 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Faf de Klerk 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Robert Kruger 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Franco Mostert 4 Martin Muller 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Schalk van der Merwe BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Jacques van Rooyen 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 MB Lusaseni 20 Warwick Tecklenburg 21 Ross Cronje 22 Jaco van der Walt 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: Kriel, Andries Coetzee C: Jantjies, van der Walt P: Jantjies, Combrinck
BRUMBIES: 15 Jesse Mogg 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Matt Toomua 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Allan Alaalatoa BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 JP Smith 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jarrad Butler 20 Jordan Smiler 21 Michael Dowsett 22 James Dargaville 23 Robbie Coleman
SCORERS T: Kuridrani, Vaea, Leali'ifano, Tomane C: Leali'ifano (2) P: Leali'ifano, Mogg
Referee: Jaco Peyper
CHEETAHS 24 - 45 HIGHLANDERS
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein - Saturday 16 May 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 3-26
CHEETAHS: 15 Clayton Blommetjies 14 Rayno Benjamin 13 Francois Venter 12 Michael van der Spuy 11 Sergeal Petersen 10 Francois Brummer 9 Tian Meyer 8 Willie Britz 7 Boom Prinsloo 6 Tienie Burger 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Maks van Dyk 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Minnie BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 BG Uys 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen 19 Steven Sykes 20 Carel Greeff 21 Shaun Venter 22 Coenie van Wyk 23 Raymond Rhule
SCORERS T: Benjamin, Wegner, Francois Venter C: Brummer (3) P: Brummer Rhule
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Ben Smith (C) 14 Ryan Tongia 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Richard Buckman 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 NASI MANU (C) 7 John Hardie 6 Gareth Evans 5 Mark Reddish 4 Alex Ainley 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Tom Franklin 20 Elliot Dixon 21 Dan Pryor 22 Fumiaki Tanaka 23 Marty Banks
SCORERS T: Tongia (2), Aaron Smith (2), Osbourne, Evans, Ben Smith C: Sopoaga (4), Banks
Referee: Stuart Berry
MELBOURNE REBELS 40 - 22 BLUES
AAMI Park, Melbourne - Friday 08 May 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 18-10
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Tom English 13 Dom Shipperley 12 Mitch Inman 11 Sefanaia Naivalu 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Jordy Reid 6 Colby Fainga’a 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Paul Alo-Emile 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Tim Metcher 19 Cadeyrn Neville 20 Scott Fuglistaller 21 Luke Burgess 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Telusa Veainu
SCORERS T: Fainga'a, Smith, Higginbotham, Shipperley, Debreczeni C: Harris (4) P: Harris (3)
BLUES: 15 Lolagi Visinia 14 Melani Nanai 13 Francis Saili 12 George Moala 11 Tevita Li 10 Ihaia West 9 Jimmy Cowan 8 STEVEN LUATUA (C) 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Akira Ioane 5 Hayden Triggs 4 Culum Retallick 3 Angus Ta'avao 2 Keven Mealamu 1 Tony Woodcock BENCH: 16 Greg Pleasants-Tate 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi 18 Sam Prattley 19 Josh Bekhuis 20 Joe Edwards 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Simon Hickey 23 Hamish Northcott
SCORERS T: Nanai, Gibson-Park, Moala C: West (2) P: West
Referee: Angus Gardner
WESTERN FORCE 18 - 11 WARATAHS
nib Stadium, Perth - Saturday 09 May 2015
KO: 17:40 HT: 13-6
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Solomoni Rasolea 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Ryan Louwrens 8 Ben McCalman 7 MATT HODGSON (C) 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Adam Coleman 4 Steve Mafi 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Guy Millar 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp 20 Kane Koteka 21 Alby Mathewson 22 Luke Burton 23 Marcel Brache
SCORERS T: Lowrens, Hodgson C: Burton P: Burton (2) Hodgson
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 DAVE DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tolu Latu 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Hugh Roach 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mitchell Chapman 20 Tala Gray 21 Pat McCutcheon 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Matt Carraro 24 Peter Betham
SCORERS T: Naiyaravoro P: Foley Kepu
Referee: Rohan Huffman
CRUSADERS 58 - 17 REDS
AMI Stadium, Christchurch - Friday 08 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 15-10
CRUSADERS: 15 Tom Taylor 14 Nafi Tuitavake 13 Ryan Crotty 12 Dan Carter 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Andy Ellis 8 KIERAN READ (C) 7 Matt Todd 6 Jordan Taufua 5 Sam Whitelock 4 Dominic Bird 3 Nepo Laulala 2 Codie Taylor 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Ben Funnell 17 Alex Hodgman 18 Joe Moody 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Richie McCaw 21 Mitchell Drummond 22 Kieron Fonotia 23 Jone Macilai
SCORERS T: Ellis, Slade, Nadolo (2), Whitelock, Todd, Macilai-Tori, Bird C: Slade (6) P: Slade (2) Bird
REDS: 15 Lachie Turner 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia 13 Samu Kerevi 12 Anthony Fainga’a 11 James O’Connor 10 Nick Frisby 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 James Horwill 4 Rob Simmons 3 Greg Holmes 2 James Hanson 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 Andrew Ready 17 Sef Fa'agase 18 Sam Talakai 19 Marco Kotze 20 Lolo Fakaosilea 21 Scott Gale 22 Ben Tapuai 23 Jamie-Jerry Taulagi
SCORERS T: Kerevi, Feauai-Sautia C: O'Connor (2) P: O'Connor
Referee: Mike Fraser
HURRICANES 32 - 24 SHARKS
Westpac Stadium, Wellington - Saturday 09 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 14-10
HURRICANES: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Cory Jane 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Matt Proctor 10 James Marshall 9 Chris Smylie 8 Victor Vito 7 Ardie Savea 6 Blade Thomson 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Motu Matu'u 1 Chris Eves BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 Reggie Goodes 19 Callum Gibbins 20 Brad Shields 21 Frae Wilson 22 Otere Black 23 Rey Lee-Lo
SCORERS T: Jane, Smith, Goodes, Thrush C: Marshall (3) P: Marshall (2)
SHARKS: 15 Lwazi Mvovo 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Francois Steyn 11 S'bura Sithole 10 Lionel Cronje 9 Stefan Ungerer 8 Renaldo Bothma 7 Etienne Oosthuizen 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 MARCO WENTZEL (C) 4 Stephan Lewies 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Franco Marais 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Kyle Cooper 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Andre Esterhuizen 23 Waylon Murray
SCORERS T: Bismarck du Plessis, Sithole, Ndungane C: Steyn (3) P: Steyn Oosthuizen
Referee: Chris Pollock
LIONS 28 - 23 HIGHLANDERS
Ellis Park, Johannesburg - Saturday 09 May 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 3-20
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Harold Vorster 12 Alwyn Hollenbach 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Marnitz Boshoff 9 Ross Cronje 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Franco Mostert 4 Andries Ferreira 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Schalk van der Merwe BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Jacques van Rooyen 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Robert Kruger 20 Ruaan Lerm 21 Faf de Klerk 22 Elton Jantjies 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: Skosan, Kriel, Vorster C: Jantjies (2) P: Boshoff, Jantjies (2)
HIGHLANDERS: 15 BEN SMITH (C) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Richard Buckman 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Nasi Manu 7 Dan Pryor 6 Gareth Evans 5 Mark Reddish 4 Tom Franklin 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Kane Hames BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Brendon Edmonds 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Elliott Dixon 20 John Hardie 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Evans, Fekitoa C: Sopoaga (2) P: Sopoaga DG: Sopoaga, Ben Smith
Referee: Craig Joubert
STORMERS 25 - 24 BRUMBIES
DHL Newlands, Cape Town - Saturday 09 May 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 9-16
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Johnny Kotze 13 Juan de Jong/Huw Jones 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Schalk Burger 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Scarra Ntubeni 17 Ali Vermaak 18 Vincent Koch 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones/Pat Howard
SCORERS T: Burger C: Catrakilis P: Catrakilis (5) DG: Catrakilis
BRUMBIES: 15 Jesse Mogg 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Robbie Coleman 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 JP Smith BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jorden Smiler 20 Jarrad Butler 21 Michael Dowsett 22 James Dargaville 23 Nigel Ah Wong
SCORERS T: Tomane, Pocock C: Leali'ifano P: Leali'ifano (3), Mogg Smiler
Referee: Stuart Berry
BRUMBIES 10 - 13 WARATAHS
GIO Stadium, Canberra Friday - 01 May 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 10-7
THE NSW Waratahs stirred memories of last year’s impressive run to the Super Rugby title by toppling the ACT Brumbies in a thrilling encounter at GIO Stadium in Canberra.
A 17,500 strong crowd saw the Waratahs repel a determined Brumbies who attacked relentlessly in the closing minutes but still fall to a 13-10 defeat.
Joe Tomane opened the scoring in the eighth minute after a series of Brumbies line breaks only to see Adam Ashley-Cooper respond after the Waratahs first serious opportunity.
A scrum penalty allowed Christian Leali'ifano restore a lead and have the home side 10-7 in front at the break.
Kurtley Beale knocked over a long range penalty opportunity soon after the resumption to level the scores.
Canny play from Nick Phipps after 57 minutes found Ita Vaea offside and Bernard Foley’s penalty established a crucial three point margin.
The Brumbies determined to break a three match losing streak to the Waratahs piled on the pressure and almost broke the Waratahs following Rob Horne’s sin-binning with 26 minutes remaining.
Not satisfied with a draw the Brumbies sustained attack pressured the Waratahs into conceding a penalty in the 79th minute.
The Brumbies declined the shot at goal to seal all four points on offer but a Benn Robinson error in injury time ended the contest.
BRUMBIES: 15 Jesse Mogg 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Robbie Coleman 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Michael Dowsett 8 Ita Vaea 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Jordan Smiler 3 Ben Alexander 2 Stephen Moore 1 JP Smith BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Blake Enever 20 Jarrad Butler 21 Joe Powell 22 James Dargaville 23 Nigel Ah Wong
SCORERS T: Tomane C: Leali'ifano P: Leali'ifano
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Peter Betham 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 DAVE DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Tolu Latu 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mitch Chapman 20 Stephen Hoiles 21 Pat McCutcheon 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Taqele Naiyaravoro 24 Matt Carraro
SCORERS T: Ashley-Cooper C: Foley P: Beale, Foley Horne
Referee: Glen Jackson
MELBOURNE REBELS 16 -15 CHIEFS
AAMI Park, Melbourne Saturday - 02 May 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 16-3
THE RaboDirect Rebels claimed one of the gutsiest victories in the Club’s brief history, holding on for a narrow one-point win at AAMI Park to end the Chiefs’ four game winning streak and defeat them for the very first time.
It was the Rebels’ second home win of the 2015 Asteron Life Super Rugby season, with the score finishing at 16-15, as the Rebels showed enormous character and brilliant dedication to the cause.
The Rebels came into the game with a number of changes to the team which fell agonisingly short against the Waratahs the previous Saturday, Wallaby lock Luke Jones re-joining the starting line-up after a week off and Bryce Hegarty and Jordy Reid earning their maiden starts of the year.
And following a wonderful kicking display last week in Sydney, Jack Debreczeni got the Rebels off to the perfect start with a booming penalty goal from 57 metres out to secure the first points after six minutes.
The home side dominated possession in the opening quarter, peppering the Chiefs’ tryline for more than fifteen minutes until skipper Scott Higginbotham was able to finally force his way over in the corner, equalling Owen Finnegan’s record as the highest-scoring Super Rugby forward with his 29th in the competition.
The Chiefs shifted quickly into attack as they looked to respond straight away, and the visitors closed the gap to five with a penalty goal to Andrew Horrell shortly afterwards, before seeing a try disallowed and a yellow card dished out to winger James Lowe for foul play on the half hour mark, Debreczeni scoring his second penalty.
And as the half time buzzer loomed, the Rebels were able to extend the advantage as scrumhalf Nic Stirzaker broke loose from a lineout just outside the Chiefs’ 22 to dot down in the corner, extending the score to 16-3 at the break.
But as champion teams do, the 2012 and 2013 Super Rugby winners returned after the break determined to force their way back into the contest, testing the Rebels’ defence over an 18 minute period until centre Charlie Ngatai and a successful conversion to reserve Damian McKenzie closed the gap to just 6 points.
The visitors continued to be unrelenting with ball in hand, asking questions of the Rebels’ defence, and when giant back rower Michael Leitch scored the Chiefs’ second try on the night on the 68-minute mark, McKenzie had the chance to give his side the lead but smashed his conversion attempt into the post.
And that’s where the scores stayed, 16-15 to the Rebels, with the incredible noise of the home crowd lifting the hosts for ten final minutes that demanded discipline, intensity and defence of the highest order.
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Sefanaia Naivalu 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 SCOTT HIGGINBOTHAM (C) 7 Jordy Reid 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Paul Alo-Emile 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Tim Metcher 19 Cadeyrn Neville 20 Colby Fainga’a 21 Luke Burgess 22 Tom English 23 Bryce Hegarty
SCORERST: Higginbotham, Stirzaker P: Debreczeni (2)
CHIEFS: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Tim Nanai-Williams 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Andrew Horrell 9 Brad Weber 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 LIAM MESSAM (C) 5 Mike Fitzgerald 4 Matt Symons 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Jamie Mackintosh 19 Michael Allardice 20 Johan Bardoul 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Damian McKenzie 23 Bryce Heem
SCORERS T: Ngatai, Leitch C: McKenzie P: Horrell Lowe, Messam
Referee: Andrew Lees
HIGHLANDERS 48 - 15 SHARKS
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Friday - 01 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 24-10
THE Cell C Sharks started their tour of Australasia on a losing note when they were beaten 48-15 by a determined Highlanders side at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Friday morning.
Thirty minutes into this fixture, the scores were still level at 10-10, each side having scored a try with Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira burrowing his way over for the visitors.
But two tries late in the first half gave the home side a 14-point gap at the break. The Highlanders capitalised on this lead in the second half with some great skills coupled with too many mistakes by the Cell C Sharks as they crossed for four more tries.
The KwaZulu-Natalians got a second try when Bismarck du Plessis went over with less than 10 minutes to go on the clock, but by then it was game over in the deep south of New Zealand.
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Ben Smith 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Richard Buckman 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Nasi Manu 7 Dan Pryor 6 Gareth Evans 5 Mark Reddish 4 Tom Franklin 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Kane Hames BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Brendon Edmonds 18 Pingi Tala’apitaga 19 Joe Latta 20 Elliot Dixon 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Evans, Naholo, Osbourne, Reddish, Aaron Smith, Edmonds, Elliot Dixon C: Sopoaga (5) P: Sopoaga
SHARKS: 15 Odwa Ndungane 14 S'bura Sithole 13 JP Pietersen 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Fred Zeilinga 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Willem Alberts 7 Renaldo Bothma 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 MARCO WENTZEL (C) 4 Stephan Lewies 3 Lourens Adriaanse 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Franco Marais 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Matt Stevens 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Etienne Oosthuizen 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Lionel Cronje 23 Waylon Murray
SCORERS T: Mtawarira, du Plessis C: Zeilinga P: Zeilinga
Referee: Angus Gardner
BLUES 41 - 24 WESTERN FORCE
Eden Park, Auckland Saturday - 02 May 2015
KO: 17:30 HT: 17-0
THE Blues claimed their second win of the Super Rugby season on Saturday as they were too good for the Force, winning 41-24 at Eden Park.
It was fly half Daniel Bowden who opened the scoring in the third minute when a run from centre George Moala led to Force No8 Ben McCalman going off his feet at a ruck. Bowden stepped up and landed the 3 before Luke Burton missed a long-range shot for the visitors.
Burton was not alone in being unsuccessful though as on 18 minutes, Bowden was wayward with a simple attempt that stunned the player. Fortunately for him his blushes were short-lived as Melani Nanai raced in 5 minutes later down the left touchline before Bowden kicked the conversion.
The Blues were now ten points to the good when Charles Piutau (knee) joined Jeremy Kaino (finger) on the sideline but they were not done there in the half because after Western Force full-back Dane Haylett-Petty was yellow carded for taking out a man in the air, they launched a late-half onslaught on the whitewash.
First prop Tony Woodcock went close from a metre out before the resulting scrum saw Steven Luatua race over off the back of the set-piece for 17-0.
The Blues were in no mood to let up in the second-half, as first Nanai grabbed his brace to cap a powerful break from Moala on 43 minutes and then with the score of the game five minutes later, with the impressive Ioane showing real pace from 40 metres to go in. Ihaia West made it 31-0.
Akira Ioane had made well over 100 metres and beaten ten defenders by that point but it was the Force who struck next, showing good character as prop Pek Cowan crashed over to reduce the scoreline to 31-7 with centre Burton's conversion. However, pride was all they were playing for. They reclaimed some of that with a second try on 60 minutes as captain Matt Hodgson went over, peeling off the back of a maul to score.
At 31-12, the Blues were smart in their mindset when they opted for three points via the boot of West to establish a healthier cushion for the last sixteen minutes. But then West struck with ball in hand to put the icing on the cake for his side, who looked high on confidence.
Scrumhalf Ryan Louwrens did cross for a late try from close range for the Force on 69 minutes before McCalman went over as well, but the margin was simply too great for the visitors to recover from as the Blues claimed a comfortable victory.
BLUES: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Lolagi Visinia 13 Francis Saili 12 George Moala 11 Melani Nanai 10 Dan Bowden 9 Jimmy Cowan 8 JEROME KAINO (C) 7 Brendon O’Connor 6 Akira Ioane 5 Hayden Triggs 4 Culum Retallick 3 Charlie Faumuina 2 Keven Mealamu 1 Tony Woodcock BENCH: 16 James Parsons 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi 18 Angus Ta’avao 19 Steven Luatua 20 Luke Braid 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Ihaia West 23 Hamish Northcott
SCORERS T: Nanai (2), Luatua, Iaone, West C: Bowden (2), Visnia, West (2) P: Bowden, West
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Luke Burton 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Ryan Louwrens 8 Ben McCalman 7 MATT HODGSON (C) 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Adam Coleman 4 Steve Mafi 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Guy Millar 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp 20 Kane Koteka 21 Justin Turner 22 Marcel Brache 23 Junior Rasolea
SCORERS T: Cowan, Hodgson, Louwrens, McCalman C: Burton, Ebersohn Haylett-Petty
Referee: Ben O'Keefe
HURRICANES 29 - 23 CRUSADERS
Westpac Stadium, Wellington Saturday - 02 May 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 17-17
THE Hurricanes held on to beat the Crusaders 29-23 and maintain their lead at the top of the Super Rugby standings in their match at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night. The Canes seized their chances to score two decisive second half tries that broke a 17-17 halftime deadlock, taking maximum points from the match and recording their ninth win of the season.
It was the Crusaders who opened the scoring early with a converted try to second five-eighth Daniel Carter, running off the shoulder of first five-eighth Colin Slade.
Hurricanes first five-eighth Beauden Barrett hit back with a 70 metre runaway try, scooping up a dropped pass and out-sprinting the Crusaders chasers to score under the posts and making it 7-7 after 10 minutes.
This was followed barely two minutes later by a stunning Hurricanes try, to No. 8 Brad Shields. Shields’ try was started when left wing Julian Savea made a bullocking run up the touchline. Savea’s inside pass was recovered by the Crusaders but they kicked it straight back to fullback Milner-Skudder, who broke the Crusaders first line of defence, setting up a passing rush on the far side of the field between captain and centre Conrad Smith, openside flanker Ardie Savea and the try-scorer Shields. Barrett’s conversion put the Hurricanes ahead 14-7.
Slade missed two consecutive penalties for the Crusaders, before Hurricanes second five-eighth Ma’a Nonu was sin-binned for the Hurricanes after a short side raid by left wing Nemani Nadolo and halfback Andy Ellis. This time Slade kicked the penalty, cutting the Hurricanes’ lead to 14-10.
Slade then punched through a hole in midfield and weaved his way to the try line to score a seven-pointer, putting the Crusaders ahead 17-14.
Barrett made a similar break in midfield from a turnover, leading to an opportunity for Hurricanes lock Broadhurst in the corner, but the hard running lock spilled the ball forward over the line in a desperate tackle.
After a series of scrums in the corner, Barrett had the final say of the first half, kicking his first penalty to see the teams locked up at 17-17 at halftime.
Restored to 15 players with the return of Nonu, the Hurricanes made a concerted start to the second half with a strong passage of play with ball in hand. Left wing Julian Savea crossed the whitewash but was ruled to have made a double movement. The Crusaders regrouped, won a penalty at a ruck and Slade put them back in the lead, 20-17.
The run of play remained tight, before replacement Hurricanes flanker Blade Thomson made a big bust in midfield, carried on by Ardie Savea. Once again the Crusaders rallied and cleared the ball. But only as far back as the Hurricanes who attacked again in a long passage of play.
Sustained pressure saw loosehead prop Reggie Goodes drive over the line to score a try. Barrett’s conversion saw the Hurricanes ahead 24-20 with almost 25 minutes still to play.
More electric counter-attacking by Barrett and tremendous support play led to Thomson scoring the Hurricanes’ bonus point try. Barrett fielded a high kick 10 metres on his own side of halfway and took off. He linked up with lock Broadhurst and halfback TJ Perenara, who found Thomson ranging on the left wing to gallop through to score in the corner.
The Canes lost Barrett to injury, but collectively held firm to fulltime to maintain their 6 point lead at the head of the New Zealand Conference.
HURRICANES: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Cory Jane 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma’a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Brad Shields 7 Ardie Savea 6 Callum Gibbins 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Motu Matu’u 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Dane Coles 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 Chris Eves 19 Mark Abbott 20 Blade Thomson 21 Chris Smylie 22 Matt Proctor 23 James Marshall
SCORERS T: Barrett, Shields, Goodes, Thomson C: Barrett (3) P: Barrett Nonu
CRUSADERS: 15 Tom Taylor 14 David Havili 13 Ryan Crotty 12 Dan Carter 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Andy Ellis 8 KIERAN READ (C) 7 Matt Todd 6 Jordan Taufua 5 Sam Whitelock 4 Luke Romano 3 Owen Franks 2 Codie Taylor 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Ben Funnell 17 Joe Moody 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Luke Whitelock 21 Mitchell Drummond 22 Kieron Fonotia 23 Nafi Tuitavake
SCORERS T: Carter, Slade C: Slade (2) P: Slade (3)
Referee: Mike Fraser
THE Vodacom Bulls are back at the top of the South African Conference, taking over from the DHL Stormers who came up short in Bloemfontein on an exhilarating Saturday of Vodacom Super Rugby.
The weekend started on a disappointing note for the Cell C Sharks in Dunedin though. After a solid start for the visitors, the Highlanders turned on the heat and eventually beat the Durbanites by 48-15 in their opening tour match Down Under.
Saturday saw two cracking local derbies, both won by the home teams.
First up, the Toyota Cheetahs caused a minor upset when they won their third successive home game against the DHL Stormers in Bloemfontein, by 25-17.
The home team outscored the visitors by three tries to two and thoroughly deserved their fourth win of the season. It was also only the third time in 14 matches that the DHL Stormers could not score any log points against the Toyota Cheetahs.
The final match of the weekend was a proper humdinger in Pretoria, where the Vodacom Bulls beat their neighbours, the Emirates Lions, by 35-33. A total of seven tries were scored as both sides went hammer and tongs against each other for the full 80 minutes.
CHEETAHS 25 -17 STORMERS
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein Saturday - 02 May 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 18-10
THE Toyota Cheetahs scored a memorable 25-17 victory over the DHL Stormers at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon, capping off a fine showing by outscoring the Capetonians by three tries to two.
It was a typically tough South African derby and the result was in the balance until Clayton Blommetjies cut through the DHL Stormers’ defence in the 70th minute to put his side up by eight points.
Shortly before that, DHL Stormers replacement fly half Kurt Coleman missed two penalty attempts, which could’ve seen the match pan out differently. He also pulled wide an attempt at the death which cost his side a valuable bonus-point.
In the end the Toyota Cheetahs deserved this win. They started the match strongly and led 18-3 after 25 minutes thanks to tries by Michael van der Spuy and Rayno Benjamin, and Joe Pietersen’s boot. The DHL Stormers closed the gap to only eight points when Dillyn Leyds went over for a converted try.
With just over 20 minutes to go, it was 18-17 thanks to a converted try by DHL Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen, but 15 minutes later Blommetjies sealed the win for the home side.
CHEETAHS: 15 Clayton Blommetjies 14 Rayno Benjamin 13 Francois Venter 12 Michael van der Spuy 11 Sergeal Petersen 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Sarel Pretorius 8 Willie Britz 7 Boom Prinsloo 6 Tienie Burger 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Caylib Oosthuizen BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 Dolph Botha 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Steven Sykes 20 Carel Greeff 21 Tian Meyer 22 Francois Brummer 23 Danie Dames
SCORERS T: van der Spuy, Benjamin, Blommetjies C: Pietersen (2) P: Pietersen (2)
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Johnny Kotze 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Schalk Burger 5 Ruan Botha 4 Jean Kleyn 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Oli Kebble BENCH: 16 Scarra Ntubeni 17 Ali Vermaak 18 Vincent Koch 19 Manuel Carizza 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: Leyds, Vermeulen C: Catrakilis, Coleman P: Catrakilis
Referee: Craig Joubert
BULLS 35 - 33 LIONS
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Saturday - 02 May 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 25-13
THE Vodacom Bulls had to withstand a superb second-half fight-back by the Emirates Lions, but in the end the men from Pretoria had enough in the tank as they won this nail-biting Jukskei derby by 35-33 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening.
The home team scored three tries in first half, two of them going to Piet van Zyl in the first 10 minutes. The Vodacom Bulls started like a house on fire and almost had their fourth try in the bag before the break.
But the Emirates Lions had different plans after the break and came out firing in the second half. The visitors, whose first try was scored by Faf de Klerk, played great rugby and turned the half-time deficit into a one-point lead (26-25) within 15 minutes of the break.
The home team took back the lead thanks to a converted try by Pierre Spies, while Handré Pollard’s third penalty goal increased the Vodacom Bulls’ lead to nine points with five minutes left.
Yet again the Emirates Lions fought back, this time through a great converted try by Jaco Kriel, but in the end it was not enough as the Vodacom Bulls, buoyed by a very strong defensive performance and solid work in the line-outs, outlasted their neighbours, who played with their usual attacking freedom built on a very strong scrum.
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Handré Pollard 9 Piet van Zyl 8 Arno Botha 7 Jacques du Plessis 6 Pieter Labuschagne 5 VICTOR MATFIELD (C) 4 Flip van der Merwe 3 Marcel van der Merwe 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Trevor Nyakane BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Morné Mellett 18 Andrew Beerwinkel 19 Grant Hattingh 20 Pierre Spies 21 Tian Schoeman 22 Burger Odendaal 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: van Zyl (2), Engelbrecht, Spies C: Pollard (3) P: Pollard (3)
LIONS: 15 Marnitz Boshoff 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Harold Vorster 12 Howard Mnisi 11 Andries Coetzee 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Francois de Klerk 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Franco Mostert 4 Andries Ferreira 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Jacques van Rooyen BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Corne Fourie 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Luvuyiso Lusaseni 20 Robert Kruger 21 Ross Cronje 22 Alwyn Hollenbach 23 Courtnall Skosan
SCORERS T: de Klerk, van Rooyen, Kriel C: Jantjies (3) P: Jantjies (4)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
BRUMBIES 31 - 18 HIGHLANDERS
GIO Stadium Canberra - Friday 24 April 2015
KO: 19:55 HT: 31-6
A first-half hat-trick from Wallaby flanker David Pocock saw the Brumbies to a 31-18 Super Rugby victory over the Highlanders in Canberra on Friday.
The hosts got the job done inside 34 minutes when Pocock crashed over at the tail of a maul and despite not scoring in the second-half, the Brumbies comfortably held on to move clear at the top of the Australian Conference.
The Brumbies came out with real intent as they looked to get back to winning ways. And it took them just six minutes to get over, with a handling error from Lima Sopoaga leading to Pocock feeding Henry Speight for a run-in.
7-0 soon became a 10-point lead as visiting centre Richard Buckman failed to roll away on the ground, with Christian Leali’ifano on target.
And things got even better for the home side four minutes later as the Highlanders were being outplayed, this time a line-out drive led to Pocock getting over the line. Leali’ifano’s conversion meant it was now 17-0 with much more to come from the Brumbies and Pocock in the half.
Before that though the Highlanders would finally strike via the boot of Sopoaga after a ruck offence, which sparked a good spell for them.
However, Sopoaga's second penalty to make it 17-6 would be their final score of the opening stanza as then came the Pocock show, with two further tries from the Wallaby flank at the tail of the maul seeing him pick up his hat-trick. Leali’ifano’s conversions meant it was 31-6.
The Highlanders needed to score first after the turnaround and that was exactly what they did when centre Shaun Treeby powered over from a metre out after a decent period of sustained pressure. That made it 31-13 and in all honesty they needed a second and third score quickly.
Replacement flanker Dan Pryor got that second on 58 minutes when the Highlanders copied the Brumbies maul tactic and despite Sopoaga's miss off the tee, suddenly the gap was down to two scores at 13 points. The big question now was whether the Brumbies would feel the heat.
They did not as it was the Brumbies who came closest to scoring next as right wing Speight showed good soccer skills en route to the five-metre line. However, he could not re-gather with the line in sight as the score remained 31-18 on 67 minutes, before Leali’ifano missed a shot.
Despite not scoring a point in the second-half the Brumbies remained comfortable in their game and played smart rugby to see out the match, with the bonus-point having been locked up before the break. For the Highlanders, the task they had left themselves was simply too great.
BRUMBIES: 15 Jesse Mogg 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Robbie Coleman 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Michael Dowsett 8 Ita Vaea 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Blake Enever 4 Jordan Smiler 3 Ruan Smith 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 JP Smith BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ben Alexander 19 Rory Arnold 20 Jarrad Butler 21 Joe Powell 22 Rod Iona 23 Nigel Ah Wong
SCORERS T: Speight, Pocock (3) C: Leali'ifano (4) P: Leali'ifano
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Trent Renata 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Richard Buckman 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Fumiaki Tanaka 8 NASI MANU (C) 7 James Lentjes 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Joe Wheeler 4 Tom Franklin 3 Pingi Tala'apitaga 2 Liam Coltman 1 Kane Hames BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Brendon Edmonds 18 Josh Hohneck 19 Joe Latta 20 Gareth Evans 21 Dan Pryor 22 Josh Renton 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Treeby, Pryor C: Sopoaga P: Sopoaga (2)
Referee: Matt O'Brien
WARATAHS 18 - 16 MELBOURNE REBELS
ANZ Stadium Sydney - Saturday 25 April 2015
KO: 19:55 HT: 13-3
THE NSW Waratahs retained the Weary Dunlop Shield, overcoming the Melbourne Rebels in a nail-biting ANZAC Day encounter at ANZ Stadium. In torrid autumn conditions, the defending champions scored three tries to one, but uncharacteristically poor goal kicking kept the fast-finishing Rebels in the contest right up to the final whistle.
The Rebels defied the slippery conditions early, shifting the ball wide in their own 22 to send winger Sefanaia Naivalu into space down the left. But the Tahs’ defence did not panic, denying the visitors and creating momentum of their own.
Bernard Foley seized on the opportunity, stabbing a neat grubber kick into the left corner and forcing a lineout five metres out. From there, a textbook rolling maul pushed Michael Hooper over the first try of the game. Foley missed a tricky sideline attempt, and the Tahs held a 5-point lead ten minutes in.
Five minutes later, a powerful midfield burst from Tatafu Polota-Nau offered up Foley an easy three-pointer. Minutes later, some slick decoy running from Will Skelton and Israel Folau opened up a gaping hole for Hooper, who fed Adam Ashley-Cooper for the Tahs’ second try.
After leaking 13 points in 10 minutes the bad news kept coming for the Rebels, with backline lynchpin Mike Harris hobbling off to the reserves bench as Foley missed another tricky conversion.
Ill-discipline continued to hamper the Victorians and, after seven penalties in the opening 25 minutes, referee Rohan Hoffmann finally lost patience, sin binning Sefanaia Naivalu for handling the ball in a ruck ten metres out from his own line.
But the Tahs could not capitalise on the yellow card, and Naivalu returned to the field without a change in the score line. Instead, it was the visitors who were next on the board, as fly half Jack Debreczeni nailed three successive long-range penalty goals either side of half time to bring the Rebels within striking distance.
With the visitors breathing down their necks, the Waratahs attack clicked into gear when it counted. Foley and Beale’s long passing game gave Rob Horne just enough room to crash over in the corner for a decisive five-pointer midway through the second half.
With five minutes to play, the impressive Debreczeni slipped a deft inside ball to the charging Mitch Inman, who galloped into the danger zone. As the Waratahs scrambled to get back in cover defence, Bryce Hegarty dived into the open corner for the Rebels only try of the night. Debreczeni continued his perfect night with the boot, moving the Rebels within two points and setting up a grandstand finish.
But the defending champions held their nerve, resisting ten phases of Rebels attack after the siren to cling onto a well-deserved win.
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Peter Betham 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 DAVE DENNIS (C) 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 Mitch Chapman 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Tolu Latu 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Wycliff Palu 20 Stephen Hoiles 21 Brendan McKibbin 22 Matt Carraro 23 Taqele Naiyaravoro
SCORERS T: Hooper, Ashley-Cooper, Horne P: Foley
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Sefanaia Naivalu 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Scott Fuglistaller 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Cadeyrn Neville 3 Paul Alo-Emile 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Tim Metcher 19 Sam Jeffries 20 Colby Fainga’a 21 Luke Burgess 22 Jordy Reid 23 Bryce Hegarty
SCORERS T: Hegarty C: Debreczeni P: Debreczeni (3) Naivalu
Referee: Rohan Huffman
REDS 19 - 35 HURRICANES
Suncorp Stadium Brisbane - Sunday 26 April 2015
KO: 16:05 HT: 12-20
THE St.George Queensland Reds were overrun in the second half by the table topping Hurricanes, going down 35-19 in an historic Rugby Remembers Asteron Life Super Rugby match, honouring both nation’s ANZAC heroes, at Suncorp Stadium.
The Reds took the lead early through two tries to centre Samu Kerevi, but the Hurricanes hit back through tries to TJ Perenara and Callum Gibbins before a Liam Gill try closed it up early in the second half. Two further tries to Julian Savea and Perenara saw the Hurricanes home.
Reds head coach Richard Graham said the team was honoured to play a part in commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ANZACs. Played just a day after the 100th Anniversary of the ANZACs landing at Gallipoli, the match was preceded by a moving ANZAC tribute by both teams, who wore special commemorative jerseys for the match.
To add to the sense of occasion 10 of the Reds jerseys carried the names of 10 former Queensland Rugby representatives who served in the First World War. These included loose forward Adam Korczyk, on his starting debut, whose jersey was inscribed “LT Richards” for Tom ‘Rusty’ Richards and James Horwill, who wore “2LT Flynn” in honour of 2nd Lieutenant Hugh Flynn, a lock who received the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
Conditions were perfect for Rugby at the kick off with the temperature at 21 degrees, though the ground was a little soft underfoot. The Hurricanes took the lead three minutes in with a long-range penalty goal from All Blacks fly half Beauden Barrett.
But the Reds were on the board 14 minutes in. The pack won yet another scrum penalty in their own half and after a good touch finder by Lachie Turner the forwards worked the ball towards the Hurricanes tryline for 10 phases. Sensing an opportunity scrumhalf Will Genia swung the ball wide where James O’Connor fed rampaging centre Kerevi who burst through two tackles to score. O’Connor missed the conversion but the Reds were in front 5-3.
Kerevi went in for his second try just two minutes later. This time the Reds pack won a dominant scrum close to the Hurricanes’ line and after several phases the ball came to the midfield where Kerevi did superbly to get through two tacklers and stretch out his finger-tips to score on the line. This time O’Connor’s conversion was successful and the Reds were 12-3 leaders over the tournament leading Hurricanes after 22 minutes.
Barrett made it 12-6 on 28 minutes with a second penalty goal before hitting the post with another attempt three minutes later. But the ‘Canes were in front on 35 minutes with scrumhalf TJ Perenara finishing off a Conrad Smith break. Barrett’s conversion making it 13-12.
It was 20-12 just two minutes later after flanker Callum Gibbins completed a brilliant team try sparked by a surge from Ma’a Nonu from his own 22, Barrett again adding the conversion.
Barrett missed another penalty goal attempt right on half time to leave it 20-12 to the visitors at the break.
Barrett made it 23-12 with a penalty two minutes into the second half. But the Reds brought it back to 23-19 four minutes later as flanker Liam Gill, wearing “CAPT Cooper” on his jersey (in honour of Captain Vivian Cooper who was awarded the Military Cross for his service at Gallipoli and on the Western Front), went over from close range. The try converted by O’Connor.
The Reds then threatened to take the lead with breaks from O’Connor and Adam Thomson, but the Hurricanes held on and when Gill was yellow carded on 56 minutes, the Canes were able to use the 14-man advantage for Julian Savea to go over for a try on 63 minutes.
A second runaway try to TJ Perenara, converted by Barrett, completed the scoring.
REDS: 15 Lachie Turner 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia 13 Samu Kerevi 12 Anthony Fainga'a 11 James O'Connor 10 Nick Frisby 9 Will Genia 1 James Slipper 2 James Hanson 3 Greg Holmes 4 Rob Simmons 5 James Horwill 6 Adam Korczyk 7 Liam Gill 8 Adam Thomson BENCH: 16 Andrew Ready 17 Sef Faagase 18 Sam Talakai 19 Marco Kotze 20 Lolo Fakaosilea 21 Scott Gale 22 Campbell Magnay 23 Chris Kuridrani
SCORERS T: Kerevi (2), Gill C: O'Connor (2) Gill
HURRICANES: 15 James Marshall 14 Matt Proctor 13 Conrad Smith 12 Ma’a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Brad Shields 7 Ardie Savea 6 Callum Gibbins 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Motu Matu’u 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 Chris Eves 19 Mark Abbott 20 Adam Hill 21 Chris Smylie 22 Rey Lee-Lo 23 Cory Jane
SCORERS T: Perenara (2), Gibbins, Julian Savea C: Barrett (3) P: Barrett (3)
Referee: Nick Briant
CHIEFS 35 - 27 WESTERN FORCE
Waikato Stadium - Friday 24 April 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 23-8
THE Western Force fought back from a 22-point deficit to get to within striking distance of the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium tonight, before eventually succumbing 35-27 in a high-scoring and entertaining Anzac weekend encounter at Waikato Stadium.
On a weekend where New Zealanders and Australians remember the fallen, the Chiefs fought back after conceding an early try to storm back and punish the Western Australian outfit.
With the emotion of the Anzac commemorations pre-match, the Chiefs showed their intent with ball in hand as they constructed some well-worked play upfield allowing first five Marty McKenzie to nail the opening penalty.
The Force were swift to reply and were reverting to previous tactics using the rolling maul which was successful in their previous encounter last season. It resulted in points for the visitors with a penalty kick to second five-eighth Luke Burton allowing the Force to draw even. And the men from Perth were not done and soon grabbed the lead after some solid build up by both forwards and backs deep in Chiefs territory seeing loose forward Angus Cottrell crash over.
McKenzie soon knocked over his second penalty to claw back a few points for the Chiefs. But just as the Force took the lead, the Chiefs wrestled it right back when All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick wriggled out of a tackle to link up with Brad Weber who in turn gave the final pass to a supporting Charlie Ngatai who found his way to the try line.
Ill discipline was beginning to hamper the Force's efforts as they conceded further points to the boot of McKenzie to make it 16-8 after 24 minutes.
A pivotal moment in the contest came when Force halfback Ian Prior was red-carded for a dangerous and reckless tackle on Chiefs winger Tim Nanai-Williams.
Forced to play the remainder of the match with 14 men, the pressure eventually took a toll on the Force defence as the Chiefs piled on the pressure at set piece down in the opposition 22. On the stroke of halftime the Chiefs converted the pressure into points when a rolling maul was used against the Force which saw hooker Hika Elliot drop in under the posts for a five pointer.
Leading 23-8 at the start of the second stanza, the Chiefs showed no mercy at scrum time with a collective forward effort seeing referee Angus Gardner award the home side with a penalty try. It looked as if the flood gates were beginning to open with the Chiefs starting to run rampant but only for some desperate Force defence denying more points as well as the hosts missing a couple of opportunities to finish off movements.
Against the run of play the Force battled away and were able to break out from within their own half and gave winger Luke Morahan a clear run as he raced in for the try. Buoyed by their efforts the Force cashed in minutes later when captain Matt Hodgson rewarded with a try after an unstoppable driving maul close to the line.
However, before the Force could muster any hopes of an unlikely comeback, Chiefs winger Nanai-Williams quashed that with an electric individual effort. The crowd favourite displayed his deft footwork to brush aside four defenders on his way to the try line where he claimed the bonus point try for his team.
As the game wore on both teams were guilty of throwing loose passes but it was the Force who managed to gain the composure in their play. The Force's replacement hooker Heath Tessmann capped off a spirited display diving over in the corner for a late consolation try to round up the match.
CHIEFS: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Bryce Heem 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 Tim Nanai-Williams 10 Marty McKenzie 9 Brad Weber 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 Johan Bardoul 5 Brodie Retallick 4 MATT SYMONS (C) 3 Siate Tokolahi 2 Hika Elliot 1 Mitchell Graham BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Pauliasi Manu 18 Ben Tameifuna 19 Michael Fitzgerald 20 Liam Squire 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Damian McKenzie 23 Andrew Horrell
SCORERS T: Ngatai, Elliot, PT, Nanai-Williams C: Marty McKenzie (3) P: Marty McKenzie (3)
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Luke Burton 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Ian Prior 8 Ben McCalman 7 MATT HODGSON (C) 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Adam Coleman 4 Steve Mafi 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp 20 Kane Koteka 21 Ryan Louwrens 22 Junior Rasolea 23 Marcel Brache
SCORERS T: Cottrell, Morahan, Hodgson, Tessmann C: Burton (2) P: Burton Prior
Referee: Angus Gardner
CRUSADERS 29 - 15 BLUES
AMI Stadium Christchurch - Saturday 25 April 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 17-10
AFTER a fortnight of losses, the Crusaders bounced back with a 29-15 triumph over the Blues where they were ahead from start to finish in Christchurch.
On a weekend where they had to win and ideally with four tries or more to have any hope of staying in the play-off hunt, the Crusaders came good.
It has been a mixed campaign for the seven-time champions after a typical slow start, but their demolition job on the Sharks in Durban not so long ago proved to be a false dawn. Playing as they did on Saturday however, albeit against a poor Blues outfit, they issued a reminder of how much talent they possess and also that doing the basics well is an undervalued quality.
Nemani Nadolo was the inspiration for both of the Crusaders first-half tries. The mere presence of the Fijian giant had the Blues defenders thinking twice before committing and he exploited it ruthlessly.
That first moment of hesitation enabled Nadolo to make space on his outside for Ryan Crotty, with the All Black centre showing great composure keeping the ball in two hands before releasing Mitchell Drummond on his inside as the scrum-half went over untouched for the first try in only the second minute of the match.
Knowing they had to bounce back after a disappointing few weeks, the Crusaders played with plenty of tempo and showed some excellent handling as they dominated territory. Nadolo looked in for all money when he was released into space down the left touchline, but he showed some real subtlety by drawing in the last two defenders before a short pass put Jordan Taufua in for try number two.
The Crusaders were helped naturally by a fairly average Blues defence, with basic mistakes being made and more required from their senior players at half-back in Jimmy Cowan and Dan Bowden. Those two tries had the Crusaders 14-0 up, but they switched off defensively when Munster-bound Francis Saili perfectly hit a fine line cutting back on the defence and burst through for a simple but fine try. Saili's converted score and an earlier penalty from Bowden brought the Blues back into the contest, with Colin Slade's three-pointer taking the score to 17-10 before half-time, allowing the home side to settle down.
Nadolo, though, was unstoppable, setting up Tom Taylor for the third try after making something out of nothing. Josh Bekhuis widely hacked the ball clear right into the hands of Taylor who shipped it onto Nadolo, who promptly beat Frank Halai down the outside and drew in the covering tackles before releasing Taylor with another brilliant offload.
Jamison Gibson-Park's introduction was brief after he shown a yellow card for killing the ball with the Blues under pressure chasing back in their 22, with the Crusaders stepping up their hunt for a try bonus point. Codie Taylor delivered it after more sublime, patient handling from the Crusaders as they spread the ball from left to right to wrap up the result before 60 minutes.
All eyes on were on Richie McCaw after he appeared to suffer a concussion, but as the Blues played on, they constructed a well-worked score for Brendan O'Connor in the corner to keep the match alive to a degree, as McCaw left the field. O'Connor's try gave the Blues an injection of belief as they rolled out their bench, but long phases of possession did not yield any more points. Persistent running from the likes of the impressive youngster Akira Ioane and Saili kept the Crusaders on their toes.
The final pass or breakthrough just was not there for the Blues though, who slumped to a ninth loss of the season. The Crusaders meanwhile have just about kept their ambitions for the season alive with a necessary triumph.
CRUSADERS: 15 Tom Taylor 14 David Havili 13 Ryan Crotty 12 Dan Carter 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Mitchell Drummond 8 KIERAN READ (C) 7 Richie McCaw 6 Jordan Taufua 5 Sam Whitelock 4 Luke Romano 3 Owen Franks 2 Codie Taylor 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Ben Funnell 17 Joe Moody 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Matt Todd 21 Andy Ellis 22 Kieron Fonotia 23 Nafi Tuitavake
SCORERS T: Drummond, Taufua, Tom Taylor, Codie Taylor C: Slade (3) P: Slade
BLUES: 15 Lolagi Visinia 14 Frank Halai 13 Francis Saili 12 George Moala 11 Melani Nanai 10 Dan Bowden9 Jimmy Cowan 8 Steven Luatua 7 Brendon O’Connor 6 Akira Ioane 5 Hayden Triggs 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Charlie Faumuina 2 KEVEN MEALAMU (C) 1 Tony Woodcock BENCH: 16 Matt Moulds 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi 18 Angus Ta’avao 19 Culum Retallick 20 Blake Gibson 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Ihaia West 23 Tevita Li
SCORERS T: Saili, O'Connor C: Bowden P: Bowden Gibson-Park
Referee: Chris Pollock
IT was a weekend of drama and excitement in South Africa as the DHL Stormers moved to the top of the local Vodacom Super Rugby log and the Emirates Lions kept alive their dream of reaching the top six.
The Emirates Lions beat the Toyota Cheetahs by 34-29 in an eight-try humdinger on Saturday afternoon to record their sixth victory of the season, making 2015 their second best yet but with six rounds to go.
Last year, the Emirates Lions finished with seven wins, two better than their five from 2007, but they are on track to better their best in the coming weeks.
The Toyota Cheetahs also deserve a lot of credit for never giving up as they returned to Bloemfontein with two bonus points.
The second local match on Saturday delivered heaps of drama and the result was in the balance right until the end, but the DHL Stormers hung on for their second victory over the Vodacom Bulls this season as they won by 15-13.
The visitors from Pretoria scored the only try of the match when Bjorn Basson went over early in the second half, but the match-clinching moment came at the death when Duane Vermeulen charged down an attempted drop-goal by Handré Pollard to lead his side to their seventh win of the season.
LIONS 34 - 29 CHEETAHS
Ellis Park Johannesburg - Saturday 25 April 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 7-10
Eight tries were scored at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg where the Emirates Lions scored an entertaining 34-29 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs on Saturday afternoon.
The victory – the Johannesburgers’ sixth of the season – means the Emirates Lions are still in with a shout of reaching the top six on the overall log.
The Toyota Cheetahs deserve a lot of credit for never giving up though, after a tight first half. On a number of occasions in the second half it looked like the home team were going to pull away, but the visitors stuck to their guns and fought back every time.
The Emirates Lions changed a 10-7 half-time deficit to a 24-10 lead within the first 10 minutes of the second half, mainly thanks to two quick tries by Ruan Combrinck and Lionel Mapoe, but the Toyota Cheetahs drew level 15 minutes later after Francois Venter and Johann Sadie scored.
A converted try by Faf de Klerk and another Elton Jantjies penalty sealed the result for the home team, but when Carel Greeff went over for the visitors in the 77th minute, it set up an exciting finale and ultimately secured the Toyota Cheetahs two bonus points.
The Emirates Lions came out tops in almost every category, but the visitors played with a never-say-die attitude which ensured the match will be remembered for a long time.
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Harold Vorster 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Faf de Klerk 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Franco Mostert 4 Andries Ferreira 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Armand van der Merwe 1 Jacques van Rooyen BENCH: 16 Robbie Coetzee 17 Corne Fourie 18 Julian Redelinghuys 19 MB Lusaseni 20 Robert Kruger 21 Ross Cronje 22 Marnitz Boshoff 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: Tecklenburg, Combrinck, Mapoe, de Klerk C: Jantjies (4) P: Jantjies (2)
CHEETAHS: 15 Joe Pietersen 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Johann Sadie 12 Francois Venter 11 Rayno Benjamin 10 Willie du Plessis 9 Sarel Pretorius 1 Danie Mienie 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 3 Maks van Dyk 4 Carl Wegner 5 Francois Uys 6 Tienie Burger 7 Boom Prinsloo 8 Willie Britz BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 Caylib Oosthuizen 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen 19 Steven Sykes 20 Carel Greeff 21 Tian Meyer 22 Michael van der Spuy 23 Clayton Blommetjies
SCORERS T: Hendricks, Venter, Sadie, Greeff C: Pietersen (3) DG: Pietersen
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
STORMERS 15 - 13 BULLS
DHL Newlands Cape Town - Saturday 25 April 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 12-3
IT was trench-warfare for most of the 80 minutes at DHL Newlands on Saturday, but ultimately the DHL Stormers came out tops with a 15-13 victory over the Vodacom Bulls in a very tough local derby.
The home team had to withstand a massive second half performance by the team from Pretoria and if it was not for a superb charge-down of an attempted Handré Pollard drop-goal by Duane Vermeulen at the death, the result could’ve been different.
The DHL Stormers, who ground out victory thanks to a dominant scrum and superb defence, now lead the Vodacom Bulls by one point on the South African Log. Where the Pretorians still have their Australasian tour coming up, the Capetonians will play four of their remaining six matches at home.
The home side took a 9-0 lead after 20 minutes thanks to three penalty goals by Demetri Catrakilis and at the break it was 12-3, but the Vodacom Bulls showed their intentions and closed the gap to 12-10 with a brilliant try by Bjorn Basson which started deep in their own territory shortly after the break.
Thereafter the DHL Stormers had to do most of the defending, but they held on. The result could’ve swung late in the match when Pollard first missed a difficult penalty and then saw his drop-goal charged down, which was a fitting end to a superb match.
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Johnny Kotze 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Pat Howard 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 Duane Vermeulen 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Schalk Burger 5 Ruan Botha 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Scarra Ntubeni 17 Oli Kebble 18 Vincent Koch 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS P: Catrakilis (5)
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Handré Pollard 9 Piet van Zyl 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) 7 Jacques du Plessis 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Grant Hattingh 4 Flip van der Merwe 3 Marcel van der Merwe 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Dean Greyling BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Morné Mellett 18 Trevor Nyakane 19 Arno Botha 20 Lappies Labuschagne 21 Akona Ndungane 22 Tian Schoeman 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: Basson C: Pollard P: Pollard (2)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
BRUMBIES 8 - 13 MELBOURNE REBELS
GIO Stadium, Canberra - Saturday 18 April 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 5-13
THE RaboDirect Rebels secured back to back wins after downing the Brumbies 13-8 in a torrid, physical affair in Canberra in Round Ten of the 2015 Asteron Life Super Rugby competition.
Celebrating centre Tamati Ellison’s 100th Super Rugby appearance, the entire Rebels team stepped up in a game where the conditions dictated patient strategy, and both sides scored just one try.
The Rebels’ defence and discipline was outstanding, against a determined and committed Brumbies outfit with nine Wallabies, and who had won their previous eleven home matches.
The Rebels got off to a good start as Mike Harris kicked truly twice in the opening fifteen minutes, first with a penalty and then converting a wonderful try, as the Rebels held an opposition tryless in the opening quarter for the seventh time this season.
The try was the second Super Rugby try for Sefanaia Naivalu, who was released by scrumhalf Nic Stirzaker after he found space from a scrum on the halfway line, Naivalu out-foxing three Brumbies defenders on his way to the line.
The Rebels’ tryline defence when the hosts threatened was strong and the set piece dominant as a scrum penalty allowed Harris to extend the gap just before the half time break with a sweet strike from the sideline, 40 metres out.
The Brumbies could not be denied forever though, and patient phase play saw Henry Speight score out wide. The Rebels still found a way to finish the half on a positive note, Stirzaker charging down Christian Leali’ifano’s conversion attempt to retain an eight point margin at the break, 13-5.
The rain, which had been steady in the first half, upped its intensity over the course of the break as both sides dealt remarkably well with a slippery ball while a second half kicking battle ensued, with Jack Debreczeni and Harris accurate when finding touch and putting the Brumbies’ back three under plenty of pressure.
Jordy Reid replaced Scott Fuglistaller before the hour mark, Fuglistaller’s defensive work having been a real highlight of the match, while the Brumbies replaced their entire front row in one move before the hour mark as both sides patiently worked towards another scoring opportunity.
The Rebels backs joined the forwards to hold out a twelve-man Brumbies maul, with David Pocock stopped just two metres out in another minor victory as they end neared, and although Leali’ifano reduced the deficit with a penalty goal the visitors were spurred by their own defensive tenacity.
A critical Colby Fainga’a steal and a big tackle from fellow replacement Reid in the closing stages were just the tonic, and Harris was able to put the ball into touch from a scrum after the siren as the Rebels secured a first ever victory in the nation’s capital.
Rebels Head Coach Tony McGahan was proud of his side for holding on for a win despite the Brumbies’ immense pressure at the close.
“It was a really pleasing achievement to win in Canberra for the first time as a Club,” McGahan said. “The Brumbies are a Club we have a tremendous amount of respect for, and we needed our whole team to perform tonight to secure this victory.
“I thought our defence was outstanding, and we held our discipline at key times of the game to great effect. It’s a fitting way to celebrate Tamati’s 100th Super Rugby game, and we’re excited to head to Sydney next week.”
BRUMBIES: 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Lausii Taliauli 13 Henry Speight 12 Nigel Ah Wong 11 Joe Tomane 10 Christian Leali'ifano 9 Michael Dowsett 8 Jarrad Butler 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 JP Smith BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Blake Enever 20 Ita Vaea 21 Jordan Smiler 22 Joe Powell 23 Rodney Iona
SCORERS T: Speight P: Leali'ifano
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Tom English 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Sefanaia Naivalu 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Scott Fuglistaller 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Paul Alo-Emile 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Tim Metcher 19 Cadeyrn Neville 20 Colby Fainga'a 21 Jordy Reid 22 Luke Burgess 23 Bryce Hegarty
SCORERS T: Naivalu C: Harris P: Harris (2)
Referee: Angus Gardner
WESTERN FORCE 6 - 13 STORMERS
nib Stadium, Perth - Saturday 18 April 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 6-10
A brave display from the Western Force was not enough to topple the high-flying Stormers, with the Cape Town-based side taking a 13-6 win at the ‘Force Field’ (nib Stadium), the visitors finishing their Australasian tour with a second win.
In an 80-minute arm wrestle, neither side’s try line could be breached with the only try coming through a first-half penalty try to the visitors from a 5m scrum.
While the Stormers held a narrow 10-6 lead at the break, the Force held the majority of running in the second stanza but was unable to breakthrough for the decisive score.
Force No.8 Ben McCalman, who received the Haigh & Hastings Man of the Match, was again in the thick of the action in carrying the ball forward to give his side momentum, as well as assuming the captaincy when skipper Sam Wykes was assisted from the field with a foot injury. Fullback Dane Haylett-Petty continued on his rich vein of form in continually challenging the Stormers defensive line, while fly half Sias Ebersohn also controlled the match on the back of a shrewd kicking display.
The Capetonians had to dig deep defensively late in the match as the Force launched numerous attacks which could have seen them draw the game, but the DHL Stormers held on with the home team actually crossing the try-line without dotting down as the final whistle went.
The visitors got the only try of the match as they were awarded a penalty try for crushing the Force’s scrum under the uprights early in the match. Thereafter the kickers dominated proceedings in a match that will not be remembered for too long.
The DHL Stormers showed a lot of character in this victory, returning to Cape Town with a haul of 10 log points from their four matches abroad, their best since 2012 when they won three encounters on the other side of the Indian Ocean. Last year the Capetonians lost all four tour matches and in 2013 they won only once.
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Luke Burton 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Chris Alcock 6 Steve Mafi 5 Adam Coleman 4 SAM WYKES (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Ross Haylett-Petty 20 Angus Cottrell 21 Ian Prior 22 Zack Holmes 23 Marcel Brache
SCORERS P: Burton (2) Burton
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Kobus van Wyk 13 JUAN DE JONGH (C) 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Louis Schreuder 8 Nizaam Carr 7 Schalk Burger 6 Siya Kolisi 5 Ruan Botha 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Scarra Ntubeni 17 Ali Vermaak 18 Vincent Koch 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe 21 Nic Groom 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: PT C: Catrakilis P: Catrakilis, Coleman
Referee: Mike Fraser
CRUSADERS 9 - 26 CHIEFS
Stadium, Christchurch Friday - 17 April 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 6-18
THE Chiefs made it back-to-back triumphs over the Crusaders in 2015 as they claimed a comfortable 26-9 victory in Christchurch on Friday.
Defeat means the hosts are now 12 points off the second-placed Chiefs in the New Zealand conference, with their play-off hopes taking another substantial hit. The seven-time champions seem bereft of ideas right now as they could not bounce back from the previous week's home loss to the Highlanders.
Things were not helped when their woeful first-half record against the Chiefs continued in a mistake-ridden 40 minutes as they went in 18-6 down at the break. Such is their bleak openings against their rival, it is now the fifth straight game they have failed to hit double figures.
That rot should have been broken though had Dan Carter had his kicking boots on, as his three missed penalties cost the Christchurch outfit.
The Chiefs thought they had opened the scoring on 5 minutes when scrum-half Brad Weber sent wing Tim Nanai-Williams under the posts. But the TMO rightly intervened as he spotted that prop Ben Tameifuna had held loosehead Wyatt Crockett to create the gap.
Carter struck 3 minutes later from the tee when Weber's pass on halfway was this time intercepted by flanker Jordan Taufua, who ran to within 10m before Sam Cane was carded for tackling the nine. Aaron Cruden levelled from the restart as Sam Whitelock was isolated.
Unfortunately for the Crusaders, they did not make their numerical advantage count as the next score went the way of the Chiefs when Cane had returned. However, it was not from their regular kicker as Cruden hobbled off with a knee problem so Nanai-Williams slotted one from in front. Those 3 points followed two poor misses off the tee from Carter, as the decision to drop Colin Slade from those duties became a mystery.
A mystery too was the Crusaders errors under no real pressure and it cost them another 7 points on 21 minutes as Richie McCaw's knock-on led to No8 Michael Leitch going over with relative ease. Replacement fly-half Andrew Horrell made no mistake as their third kicker.
At 13-3, the Chiefs were in a promising position, and with Carter missing another effort on the half-hour before finally finding his range on 37 minutes, there was no doubt who the happier head coach would have been heading into the dressing rooms as time ticked on in Christchurch.
But the first-half was not done there as déjà vu from Hamilton saw in-form wing James Lowe race over on the left after the Crusaders lost the ball at ruck time on halfway. That meant that the Chiefs went in 18-6 ahead and looking like they held the psychological edge on their hosts.
After the turnaround, the score was cut to 18-9 by Carter when Cane was pinged for not releasing the tackled player. Todd Blackadder sensed his charges needed something else out there and sent on Owen Franks and Jimmy Tupou for Nepo Laulala and Luke Romano respectively before the 58 minute mark. However, it did not lead to them further reducing the gap as it was in fact Horrell who struck next.
21-9 was now the scoreline with the Chiefs looking far too comfortable from a Crusaders' perspective as the crowd was muted due to that fact. And the result was rubber stamped with 7 minutes remaining as Tom Marshall's brilliant carry before Nanai-Williams' smart offload in the home 22 led to replacement No8 Liam Squire cruising over. Missed extras from Horrell meant the Chiefs were home and hosed at 26-9.
The Chiefs kept plugging away into added time looking for the try bonus-point, but in the end they would settle for the four.
CRUSADERS: 15 Israel Dagg 14 David Havili 13 Kieron Fonotia 12 Dan Carter 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Andy Ellis 8 KIERAN READ (C) 7 Richie McCaw 6 Jordan Taufua 5 Sam Whitelock 4 Luke Romano 3 Nepo Laulala 2 Ben Funnell 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Joe Moody 18 Owen Franks 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Matt Todd 21 Mitchell Drummond 22 Tom Taylor 23 Nafi Tuitavake
SCORERS P: Carter (3)
CHIEFS: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Tim Nanai-Williams 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Aaron Cruden 9 Brad Weber 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 LIAM MESSAM (C) 5 Brodie Retallick 4 Matt Symons 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Mitchell Graham BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Pauliasi Manu 19 Michael Fitzgerald 20 Liam Squire 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Andrew Horrell 23 Bryce Heem
SCORERS T: Leitch, Lowe, Squire C: Horrell P: Cruden, Nani-Williams, Horrell Cane
Referee: Nick Briant
HURRICANES 24 - 29 WARATAHS
Westpac Stadium - Saturday 18 April 2015
KO: 16:30 HT: 19-19
THE NSW Waratahs earned a bonus point victory in a tough encounter against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday afternoon, winning 29-24.
Two tries to winger Peter Betham, and with Israel Folau and Will Skelton both crossing the try line in support, cemented the win against the top side in the Asteron Life Super Rugby competition, whilst the Canes losing bonus point came from four tries from captain Conrad Smith, Beauden Barrett, Brad Shields and TJ Perenara.
The Waratahs were lucky to escape early points to the Hurricanes as a certain try went begging when Hurricanes flanker Ardie Savea knocked the ball on while crossing the line. They were outrun by their Wellington based opposition for the first ten minutes as the visitors fell off tackles and were unable to hold onto the ball.
But pure determination and some excellent defence from the men from NSW brought about the first try of the game as the Waratahs defence woke up, forced the turnover and patiently worked their way into the Hurricanes’ red zone, before Peter Betham crashed over for the try. The successful conversion by Bernard Foley took the score to 7-0.
The hungry Hurricanes countered quickly with their own try as Conrad Smith received the ball from a five metre scrum to score in the corner untouched. The successful conversion by fly half Beauden Barrett took the score to 7-7.
A chip kick from Beauden Barrett from the re-start took the Waratahs defence off guard allowing Barrett to regather the ball and score in the corner taking the score 7-14.
Despite the defensive lapse the Waratahs continued with their attacking game plan and camped in the Hurricanes half. The Waratahs thought they had their second when Kurtley Beale dived over the line only for the ball to be spilled for a knock on. The resulting plays eventually allowed the towering Will Skelton to dive over the line for his first Super Rugby try.
Number eight Brad Shields was the beneficiary of some excellent work from the Hurricanes backs when he evaded the sweeping defence of Nick Phipps to score in the corner to take the score to 12-19.
With the halftime siren echoing around the ground the Hurricanes stole from the Waratahs playbook by trying to run the ball from their own 22. As Michael Hooper rushed up in defence to make the tackle a well-placed Peter Betham swooped in to score an intercept try underneath the posts to take the score to 19-19 at half time.
The first ten minutes of the second half saw neither team able to break the deadlock despite a daring run by Captain Dave Dennis who picked up the ball with no one in front of him as he steamrolled towards the line. Dennis was brought down just a metre from the line and the Waratahs rued the missed scoring opportunity.
The pressure the Waratahs attack created for the Hurricanes continued to cause problems for the home side with the Waratahs scoring the all-important fourth try. A brilliant run from flanker Michael Hooper broke the Hurricanes defensive line allowing the backs to give the ball to Israel Folau who cruised around Julian Savea to score in the corner. The successful conversion from Bernard Foley took the score to 26-19 in favour of the Waratahs.
With the Waratahs enjoying momentum the men in blue continued to hammer the Hurricanes line and were rewarded with a penalty when the Hurricanes went offside taking the score to 29-19.
The Hurricanes scored through TJ Perenara as the scrumhalf dived over the Waratahs try line from the back of a ruck with less than ten minutes remaining to take the score to 29-24 in favour of NSW.
The Waratahs earned the right to a penalty with less than three minutes to go that would have buried the Hurricanes but the usually accurate Bernard Foley sent the ball wide. With the clock ticking away the Hurricanes were unable to maintain composure allowing Kurtley Beale to put the ball into touch to win the match.
HURRICANES: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Cory Jane 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Brad Shields 7 Ardie Savea 6 Callum Gibbins 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Motu Matu'u 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 Chris Eves 19 Mark Abbott 20 Adam Hill 21 Frae Wilson 22 Rey Lee-Lo 23 James Marshall
SCORERS T: Smith, Barrett, Shields, Perenara C: Barrett (2)
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Peter Betham 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Pat McCutcheon 5 DAVE DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tolu Latu 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: (two to be omitted): 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Jacques Potgieter 20 Mitchell Chapman 21 Stephen Hoiles 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Matt Carraro 24 David Horwitz 25 Jed Holloway
SCORERS T: Betham (2), Skelton, Folau C: Foley (3) P: Foley
Referee: Glen Jackson
HIGHLANDERS 30 - 24 BLUES
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin - Saturday 18 April 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 24-0
An impressive first-half performance set the platform for the Highlanders to beat the Blues 30-24 in Dunedin on Saturday.
The Highlanders' sixth win from eight games this season keeps them in the hunt in the New Zealand Conference but they will regret missing the four-try bonus point that was well within their reach.
Three unanswered tries - including a double for Malakai Fekitoa - saw the home side lead 24-0 at the interval.
The second half was a very different story though as the Blues raised their intensity to score four tries of their own with Keven Mealamu touching down twice.
The Blues conspired to fluff a few golden opportunities and when Fekitoa bagged his second before the break, things were looking bleak for the visitors. But the Blues did not lie down as tries from George Moala, Patrick Tuipulotu and Mealamu early in the second period kept the contest alive before Mealamu's second in the dying minutes set up a tense finish.
Unlike his opposite number Dan Bowden, who had a shocker from the tee, Lima Sopoaga had his kicking shoes on and opened the scoring early on. The Highlanders back three have set the benchmark for attacking play this season and Naholo was phenomenal once again, creating a try and scoring another in the first 20 minutes alone. First he drew two defenders to put Fekitoa away for the opening try before showing he has plenty of power too, as Akira Ioane tried to bring the big wing down only for momentum to take them both over the line. Sharp-shooting Sopoaga, who finished with a perfect record, added both conversions and the hosts were cruising at 17-0 in the first quarter.
The Highlanders withstood a long period of pressure with some committed defending but the Blues will be wondering how they failed to score as twice massive overlaps did not produce any points. An unlucky bounce from an necessary cross-field kick and then a wayward pass let the hosts off the hook as the Blues' decision making and execution left much to be desired.
Fekitoa ensured his team had an impressive 24-0 lead going into half time as he split the Blues midfield apart with some impressive footwork after Aaron Smith took a quick tap. Sopoaga added the extras as the hooter sounded.
After being read the riot act by John Kirwan, the Blues started the second half breathing fire and Moala powered over soon after the restart.
Sopoaga added a penalty for the hosts but the Blues kept coming as Tuipulotu forced his way over after series of pick and drives. Bowden missed both conversion though, meaning a comeback remained unlikely.
Highlanders lock Joe Wheeler was sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle and the Blues immediately capitalised on the extra man as Mealamu muscled his way over from close range.
Bowden finally found the target with the conversion but Sopoaga's third penalty goal meant the Highlanders had a 13-point leading with 15 minutes left on the clock.
There was late drama though as Mealamu crashed over in the 77th minute, and Ihaia West added the conversion to bring the men from Auckland with striking distance of victory. It was not to be though and the Blues will have to settle for two well-deserved bonus points.
HIGHLANDERS: 15 BEN SMITH ( CO-C ) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Jason Emery 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 NASI MANU ( CO-C ) 7 James Lentjes 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Joe Wheeler 4 Mark Reddish 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Kane Hames BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Brendon Edmonds 18 Pingi Tala’apitaga 19 Tom Franklin 20 Dan Pryor 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Richard Buckman
SCORERS T: Fekitoa (2), Naholo C: Sopoaga (3) P: Sopoaga (3) Wheeler
BLUES: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Frank Halai 13 Pita Ahki 12 George Moala 11 Melani Nanai 10 Dan Bowden 9 Jamison Gibson-Park 8 JEROME KAINO (C) 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Akira Ioane 5 Patrick Tuipulotu 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Angus Ta'avao 2 James Parsons 1 Ofa Tu'ungafasi BENCH: 16 Keven Mealamu 17 Tony Woodcock 18 Charlie Faumuina 19 Hayden Triggs 20 Blake Gibson 21 Jimmy Cowan 22 Ihaia West 23 Francis Saili
SCORERS T: Moala, Tuipulotu, Mealamu (2) C: Bowden, West
Referee: Chris Pollock
THE DHL Stormers finished their Australasian tour with a second win while the Vodacom Bulls consolidated their position at the top of the South African Conference as Vodacom Super Rugby 2015 entered the second half of the season.
However, the Toyota Cheetahs and Cell C Sharks both lost at home as the teams from Pretoria and Cape Town opened up a bit of a gap in the local conference and the Vodacom Bulls moved up to second on the overall log.
The DHL Stormers were made to work hard for a scrappy win in Perth on Saturday afternoon as they defeated the struggling Force by 13-6, the only five-pointer of the encounter a penalty try to the visitors after yet another superb scrum. The win concluded their best Australasian tour in three years.
Back home, the Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks delivered a typically hard local derby in Durban with the three-time champions from Pretoria ultimately winning by 17-10, with each team scoring a solitary try.
The Toyota Cheetahs unfortunately could not build on their good win in Perth last weekend when they were beaten by 18-17 by the Reds in Bloemfontein.
Down Under, the defending champions, the Waratahs, and the Chiefs recorded impressive victories in Wellington and Christchurch respectively.
SHARKS 10 - 17 BULLS
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban - Saturday 18 April 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 3-8
THE Vodacom Bulls were too strong for the Cell C Sharks moved and into the second position on the log after winning a bruising South African derby at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Saturday afternoon by 17-10.
The highlight of the first half was a superb try by Vodacom Bulls wing Francois Hougaard, who rounded off after a sniping blindside break by scrumhalf Rudy Paige. The interplay by the two men from Pretoria was good as Hougaard rounded off in the corner shortly before the break.
At that stage the scores were tied at 3-3 after Fred Zeilinga and Handré Pollard traded earlier penalty goals, but the Springbok fly half missed the conversion.
The Cell C Sharks hit back immediately after the break and took a 10-8 lead when Zeilinga converted Springbok flank Marcell Coetzee’s try in the 42nd minute, but that was the last points scored by the home team.
Pollard added three more penalty goals to his tally as the visitors took control of the match to record their second win over the Cell C Sharks in 2015.
SHARKS: 15 Odwa Ndungane 14 S'bura Sithole 13 Waylon Murray 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Fred Zeilinga 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Renaldo Bothma 7 Willem Alberts 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 MARCO WENTZEL (C) 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 Franco Marais 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Monde Hadebe 17 Thomas du Toit 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda 20 Etienne Oosthuizen 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Lionel Cronje 23 SP Marais
SCORERS T: Coetzee C: Zeilinga P: Zeilinga
BULLS: 15 Jessie Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Burger Odendaal 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Handré Pollard 9 Rudy Paige 1 Dean Greyling 2 Adriaan Strauss 3 Marcel van der Merwe 4 Flip van der Merwe 5 Grant Hattingh 6 Deon Stegmann 7 Jacques Du Plessis 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Morné Mellett 18 Trevor Nyakane 19 Arno Botha 20 Pieter Labuschagne 21 Piet van Zyl 22 Tiaan Schoeman 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: Hougaard P: Pollard (4)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
CHEETAHS 17 - 18 REDS
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein - Saturday 18 April 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 10-3
A late drop goal by the Reds, coupled with a missed penalty goal by the Toyota Cheetahs late in the match, saw the side from Queensland record only their second ever win in Bloemfontein on Saturday evening.
Nick Frisby’s drop goal in the 73rd minute was the final points after an impressive second half by the Reds where they scored both their tries.
Sadly for the home team, Joe Pietersen hit the upright with a penalty attempt in the 79th minute. It would be unfair to blame the Toyota Cheetahs’ pivot for the defeat though as the team from Central South Africa failed to build on a very good first-half performance after the break.
Ryno Benjamin scored a wonderful try in the opening 40 minutes after the Toyota Cheetahs capitalised on the Reds’ inability to control the ball after a partially charged down kick, while Boom Prinsloo went over in the second half after a strong rolling maul.
It was the Toyota Cheetahs’ sixth defeat of the season and they remain in 12 position on the log and injuries to a number of key players will make it hurt even more.
CHEETAHS: 15 Coenie van Wyk 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Johann Sadie 12 Francois Venter 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Sarel Pretorius 8 Willie Britz 7 Boom Prinsloo 6 Heinrich Brussow 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 BG Uys BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 Danie Mienie 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Steven Sykes 20 Tienie Burger 21 Tian Meyer 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Ryno Benjamin
SCORERS T: Benjamin, Prinsloo C: Pietersen (2) P: Pietersen
REDS: 15 Karmichael Hunt 14 Lachie Turner 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia 12 Samu Kerevi 11 James O’Connor 10 Nick Frisby 9 Will Genia 8 Adam Thomson 7 Liam Gill 6 Curtis Browning 5 James Horwill 4 Rob Simmons 3 Greg Holmes 2 James Hanson 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 Andrew Ready 17 Ben Daley 18 Sam Talakai 19 Marco Kotze 20 Adam Korczyk 21 Anthony Fainga’a 22 Campbell Magnay 23 Chris Kuridrani
SCORERS T: Korczyk, Kerevi C: O'Connor P: O'Connor DG: Frisby
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
WARATAHS 18 - 32 STORMERS
Allianz Stadium, Sydney Saturday - 11 April 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 15-13
THE NSW Waratahs went down 32-18 to the Stormers at Allianz Stadium. A brace to Springbok centre Damian de Allende, and tries to Jacobus van Wyk and Cheslin Kolbe, proved too much for the defending champions, as the Stormers recorded their first victory in Sydney since 2007.
The Stormers inflicted only the second defeat in 13 home matches on the champion NSW Waratahs, scoring their first try-scoring bonus point of the season on the way, to kick their tour to life in some style.
The visitors had all the possession in the opening five minutes, but the Tahs welcomed them to Sydney with some physical defence; they lost over 20 metres in attack on each of their two opening visits to the Tahs’ 22, courtesy of some driving tackling from the likes of Wycliff Palu and Jacques Potgieter.
It was a scrum penalty that finally got the Stormers off the mark, as fly half Demetri Catrakilis kicked the opening three points seven minutes into the half.
Momentum soon swung the Tahs’ way, and Israel Folau broke through and offloaded to giant winger Taqele Naiyaravoro, who steamrolled over three would-be tacklers on his way into the right corner.
A minute later, Catrakilis seized back the lead with his second penalty goal. But the Waratahs’ swarming defence was clearly agitating the visitors, as the fly half tried a speculative drop goal attempt that wobbled over the dead ball line.
It was an error on attack, rather than defence, which finally broke the Waratahs down, as Catrakilis pounced on a loose ball in the 22. From there it an easy proposition for the Stormers, as they swung it wide to an unmarked Damian de Allende. Catrakilis kicked the extras, and the visitors had an imposing 5-13 lead midway through the half.
After a disjointed opening, the Tahs attack finally found some fluency with five minutes to go in the half. Foley slotted a penalty goal and then Kurtley Beale burst through down the right and fed Nick Phipps, who was dragged down by de Allende metres from the line.
From the next scrum Phipps fired a crisp cut-out ball to Rob Horne, who muscled past opposing winger van Wyk to lunge over in the far left corner. And with Foley’s sideline conversion, the Tahs went into the halftime break with a two-point advantage, 15-13.
The Stormers subbed Catrakilis during the interval, and his replacement Kurt Coleman missed a tricky first attempt from beyond halfway three minutes into the second half. The substitute made amends soon after, nudging a pinpoint chip kick into the open arms of van Wyk, who sprinted 70m downfield for a remarkable long-range try.
Three minutes later, Foley had a chance to narrow the margin but his attempt ricocheted off the left upright. His second from a similar position didn’t miss, and the Tahs reduced the margin to two points with 20 minutes remaining.
But that was as close as the home side would come, as some poor execution and sloppy cover defence cruelled any hope of a comeback. A one-handed intercept from Stormers Captain Juan de Jongh on halfway gifted de Allende his second try of the game, and fullback Cheslin Kolbe scooped up a loose ball to hand the visitors a four-try bonus point in the shadows of fulltime.
The Stormers had a simply storming second half, outscoring the home side 19-3, as their alertness in defence and deftness in counter-attack confounded a Waratahs team at a loss to find a way through, round or over the Cape Town team’s defence.
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Matt Carraro 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 DAVID DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tolu Latu 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mitchell Chapman 20 Peter Betham 21 Stephen Hoiles 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Adam Ashley-Cooper
SCORERS T: Naiyaravoro, Horne C: Foley P: Foley (2)
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Kobus van Wyk 13 JUAN DE JONGH (C) 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 Nizaam Carr 7 Michael Rhodes 6 Schalk Burger 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Frans Malherbe 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Bongi Mbonambi 17 Oli Kebble 18 Vincent Koch 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Siya Kolisi 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: de Allende (2), van Wyk, Kolbe C: Catrakilis, Coleman (2) P: Catrakilis (2)
Referee: Mike Fraser
WESTERN FORCE 15 - 24 CHEETAHS
nib Stadium, Perth Saturday - 11 April 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 10-8
THE Toyota Cheetahs showed a never-say die attitude to end their four-match tour on a high note with a victory built on hard-working defence, beating the Western Force.
In the club’s 10th season anniversary match, the Force held a 10-8 lead at the half-time break before the visitors responded with 16 points in the final half-an-hour of the match to claim the nine-point victory.
Despite scoring two tries apiece, it was ultimately the boot of Joe Pietersen that proved the difference with the Cheetahs fly half kicking 14 points for the night.
The Toyota Cheetahs made 173 tackles to just 62 and although they missed a number (20), their determination and scrambling defence effectively tackled the Force to a standstill.
The home side dominated possession and led at halftime but the Cheetahs were not to be denied their second successive win in Perth.
For the seventh time in nine meetings between the teams the match was decided by fewer than ten points and for the seventh time in those matches it was another low scorer with fewer than 40 points scored by the teams.
The Force may have thought they had taken a winning lead when their second try, shortly after the break, took them out to a 15-8 lead against a team playing the last 40 minutes of a long and disappointing tour.
But the Toyota Cheetahs had different ideas and they clawed their way back into the match with a penalty and drop goal from fly half Joe Pietersen before the remorseless Heinrich Brussӧw finished off a rolling maul to give the visitors the lead with 13 minutes remaining.
Another Pietersen penalty with three minutes to play closed out the game for the Toyota Cheetahs against a Force team that had been tackled into confusion.
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Luke Burton 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Kane Koteka 6 Steve Mafi 5 Adam Coleman 4 SAM WYKES (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Angus Cottrell 20 Chris Alcock 21 Ian Prior 22 Zack Holmes 23 Marcel Brache
SCORERS T: Morahan, Alcock C: Burton P: Burton
CHEETAHS: 15 Willie le Roux 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Johann Sadie 12 Francois Venter 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Sarel Pretorius 8 Willie Britz 7 Boom Prinsloo 6 Heinrich Brussow 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 BG Uys BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 Danie Mienie 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Steven Sykes 20 Tienie Burger 21 Tian Meyer 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Ryno Benjamin
SCORERS T: Rhule, Brussow C: Pietersen P: Pietersen (3) DG: Pietersen
Referee: Jaco Peyper
BLUES 16 - 14 BRUMBIES
Eden Park, Auckland Friday - 10 April 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 13-0
THE Blues dominated the first 40 minutes to down the Aquis Brumbies 16-14 for their first win of 2015 in Auckland on Friday.
Fighting back from 13-0 at halftime the Brumbies led with just a minute to play, but Blues replacement fly-half Ihaia West slotted three from the sideline to give his side an eventual win. Nic White had a chance to reclaim the win after a scrum penalty on the bell, but it went wide, handing the Blues their first win in three games at Eden Park between these two sides since 2012.
The Blues shot out to an early lead thanks to a glut of penalties, the Brumbies left to defend their line and watch the ball soar over their heads on two occasions to give the home side an early, 6-0 lead.
Matt Toomua left the field after just 15 minutes with a calf injury bringing Lausii Taliauli into the action on the wing, but new fly-half Christian Leali’ifano faced an uphill battle turning his troops around.
The Blues had all the ball, all the momentum and all the running for the first 40 minutes of the game, a whopping penalty count of 7-1 and some enterprising play leading to Daniel Bowden’s self-converted-try and a 13-0 lead at half time.
Leali’ifano finally lifted the Brumbies off dot with a penalty in front of the sticks to make it 13-3, Blues up after 45 minutes. The Blues pushed back with more territory advantage but with the smallest sniff, the Brumbies got back into the match with a try to Lausii Taliauli off a Nic White long ball.
At 13-8 up with 58 minutes played cracks started to appear for the Blues, the Brumbies managing to find ground through the inside channels propelling themselves into rare, Blues territory.
Again instrumental, David Pocock forced his fourth turnover of the game, keeping his feet to keep his side in the game with 15 minutes to play.
The Brumbies had found their rhythm, were on the charge and received a fifth penalty for the half, Leali’ifano landing it to give his side a 14-13 lead with 10 to play.
Enter Ilaia West. The Blues replacement fly-half stood tall from the left sideline, slotting a penalty to give his side a slender 16-14 point lead.
BLUES: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Frank Halai 13 Pita Ahki 12 George Moala 11 Melani Nanai 10 Dan Bowden 9 Jamison Gibson-Park 8 JEROME KAINO (C) 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Luke Braid 5 Patrick Tuipulotu 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Charlie Faumuina 2 James Parsons 1 Ofa Tu'ungafasi BENCH: 16 Keven Mealamu 17 Sam Prattley 18 Angus Ta'avao 19 Hayden Triggs 20 Steven Luatua 21 Jamie Booth 22 Ihaia West 23 Francis Saili
SCORERS T: Bowden C: Bowden P: Bowden (2), West
BRUMBIES: 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Joe Tomane 13 Henry Speight 12 Christian Leali’ifano 11 James Dargaville 10 Matt Toomua 9 Nic White 8 Jarrad Butler 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Blake Enever 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 JP Smith 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Ita Vaea 21 Michael Dowsett 22 Lausii Taliauli 23 Nigel Ah Wong
SCORERS T: Taliauli P: Leali'ifano (3)
Referee: Andrew Lees
CRUSADERS 20 - 25 HIGHLANDERS
AMI Stadium, Christchurch Saturday - 11 April 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 14-13
THE Highlanders claimed their first victory in Christchurch since 2008, overturning an early deficit to beat the Crusaders 25-20 on Saturday. The result sees the Highlanders end a six-game losing streak against their Kiwi rivals thanks to an impressive comeback.
A thrilling match saw the Crusaders race to a 14-3 lead courtesy of two tries from their loose trio before the Highlanders came storming back with three tries from their back three, including a double for Waisake Naholo.
The host led 14-13 at the end of an all-action first half but the complexity of the game changed dramatically after the interval as the visitors built up a healthy lead early in the second period.
Lima Sopoaga opened the scoring for the visitors from the kicking tee early on but the Crusaders were first to cross the whitewash with a brilliant try. Colin Slade made the initial break before sending a long pass wide to Nemani Nadolo, who cut inside to draw two defenders before producing a sensational offload that put Matt Todd clear to score in the corner. Slade needed some attention from the medics after colliding with opposite number Sopoaga so Israel Dagg stepped up to slot the conversion from the touchline.
To make matters worse for the Highlanders, Sopoaga was sent to the bin for the hit on Slade. It was a tough call on the fly-half, who appeared to be bracing himself for impact as he tried to pull out of the tackle once Slade released the ball, but the lack of arms meant referee Glen Jackson had little choice but to pull out a yellow card.
The Crusaders were rewarded for a brave decision to turn down 3 easy points in favour of a scrum as Jordan Taufua crossed over for their second try. The credit must go to Nadolo though for his barnstorming run that sucked in five defenders to create the gap for Taufua. Slade added the extras to put the hosts 14-3 up at the end of the first quarter and a thrashing looked on the cards.
But Sopoaga pulled 3 points back for the visitors before his break through midfield set up a try for full-back Ben Smith with half time looming large on the horizon. Sopoaga added the conversion to put the Highlanders right back into contention as the teams headed for the changing rooms, 14-13.
The Highlanders charged into the lead soon after the restart as Naholo intercepted a pass from Kieron Fonotia to sprint home from long range.
Malakai Fekitoa was unlucky to be denied a try for a second movement but his team nevertheless bagged a third try soon afterwards as Naholo crossed on the overlap out wide. Sopoaga added the conversion, meaning the Highlanders had scored 22 unanswered points.
Slade pulled three points back for the Crusaders just before the hour mark and added his second penalty to bring his team within striking distance in the dying minutes. But the Highlanders' defence held firm, meaning the Crusaders had to settled for a losing bonus point.
CRUSADERS: 15 Israel Dagg 14 David Havili 13 Kieron Fonotia 12 Ryan Crotty 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Andy Ellis 8 KIERAN READ (C) 7 Matt Todd 6 Jordan Taufua 5 Sam Whitelock 4 Jimmy Tupou 3 Owen Franks 2 Ben Funnell 1 Joe Moody BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Alex Hodgman 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Scott Barrett 20 Richie McCaw 21 Mitchell Drummond 22 Dan Carter 23 Nafi Tuitavake
SCORERS T: Todd, Taufua C: Dagg, Slade P: Slade (2)
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Ben Smith 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Nasi Manu 7 James Lentjes 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Joe Wheeler 4 Tom Franklin 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Ash Dixon 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Liam Coltman 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown 18 Pingi Tala’apitaga 19 Mark Reddish 20 Dan Pryor 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Ben Smith, Naholo (2) C: Sopoaga (2) P: Sopoaga (2) Sopoaga
Referee: Glen Jackson
THE Vodacom Bulls held onto their leadership of a ferociously contested South African Conference on a weekend of success at the expense of Australian teams.
The Vodacom Bulls maintained their two-point advantage over the DHL Stormers – as both recorded bonus point victories over the Queensland Reds (43-22) and NSW Waratahs (32-18) respectively – while the Toyota Cheetahs showed enormous character to finish their tour on a high in Perth with a win over the Western Force (24-15).
In the South African derby at Emirates Airlines Park, the Emirates Lions underlined the seriousness of their challenge for the Conference title with two-point victory (23-21) over a significantly improved Cell C Sharks who missed a long-range last-kick penalty that would have snatched the victory.
The upshot of the weekend was that the top four SA teams are separated by just four points on the log – in contrast to their fellow conferences where the Hurricanes top the standings as New Zealand’s top four are spread by 11 points while in an even more clear-cut Australian race sees the ACT Brumbies head a log in which 17 points cover the top four Australian contenders.
Three of SA’s winners had to overcome half-time deficits to record victories with the most notable being those of the DHL Stormers and Toyota Cheetahs who achieved it on Australian soil.
However, the margins were small – both trailed by two points – while the Emirates Lions turned round three points adrift of the Cell C Sharks as all three teams showed fitness and character to ‘win’ the second half.
In the other match the Vodacom Bulls’ recent home success over the Queensland Reds continued as they stomped to a six-try victory with Francois Hougaard scoring two tries from the wing to take his tally to four for the season and join Marcell Coetzee as the leading South African try scorers.
BULLS 43 - 22 REDS
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Saturday - 11 April 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 24-5
DESPITE dominating possession and collecting a four-try bonus point, the St.George Queensland Reds have fallen 43-22 to the Bulls in a high-scoring Super Rugby clash played in Pretoria early Sunday morning Queensland time. The Bulls raced out to a 24-5 lead at halftime another one-sided rout appeared on the cards.
Hard work was the watchword of this performance for the home side as they used aggressive defence – their 140 tackles was more than double that of the Reds – as an attacking weapon, forcing turnovers and mistakes to run in six tries (their best of the season) and score their second try-scoring bonus point of the campaign. The Bulls’ tries were scored by Marcel van der Merwe, Piet van Zyl, Burger Odendaal, captain Pierre Spies and a double to Francois Hougaard. Jacques-Louis Potgieter added three conversions and a penalty with Tian Schoeman also landing two conversions.
The Reds’ four tries were scored by Nick Frisby, Lachie Turner, Will Genia and replacement Marco Kotze. Turner added one conversion.
Conditions were perfect at Loftus Versfeld at kick-off on a cool, dry night with the temperature at 18 degrees. The Bulls took an early 10-0 lead after a penalty goal to Potgieter and a long-range try to Hougaard.
The Reds however hit back on 16 minutes; Frisby tried a chip-kick to pierce the Bulls fast rushing defence, but this time the bounce favoured the visitors and the Reds' fly half re-gathered before sending a bouncing pass out to Lachie Turner who sprinted over to score wide on the right. Turner missed his conversion attempt but the Reds were right back in it at 10-5.
The Bulls hit back immediately after they re-gathered an up and under and Spies sprinted away to score. Potgieter’s conversion made it 15-5 on 20 minutes. Despite mounting considerable pressure on the Bulls line, Queensland conceded another long-range try on 35 minutes after Hougaard stripped the ball away from captain James Slipper and sprinted away. Potgieter added the extras to make it 24-5.
Queensland started the second half strongly and after a powerful scrum from the dominant Reds pack 20 metres out from the Bulls line, scrumhalf Will Genia darted away and broke through the defence to score under the posts on 46 minutes. Turner’s conversion made 24-12.
It got even better for the Reds just three minutes later when some slick ball movement saw Kerevi and Gill charge close to the Bulls line, before a pinpoint grubber from Genia was collected by Frisby to score his sixth Super Rugby try. The missed conversion meant the Reds trailed 24-17.
But Thomson was yellow carded for pulling down a maul close to the line soon after and the Reds conceded another try to Marcel van der Merwe on 54 minutes. Replacement Schoeman’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
The Reds again hit back almost immediately. Replacement Ben Tapuai popped a neat pass to Kerevi who broke three tacklers on a searing 70-metre run downfield. He was stopped just short but managed to lay the ball back to Kotze who dove over after 57 minutes. Turner again was unsuccessful with the conversion but it was back to 31-22.
Burger Odendaal scored soon after to give the Bulls some breathing space and a try to Piet van Zyl and conversion to Schoeman completed the scoring.
The Reds continued to attack in the final minutes, with Kerevi again prominent, but they could not add to their four-try haul. There was time however for Reds Elite Development Squad member Adam Korczyk to make his debut off the bench, incredibly the Reds 13th debutant this season.
Reds lock Dave McDuling suffered a knee injury during the match and returned home to Brisbane for treatment, replaced by James Horwill who joins the team in Johannesburg for training as soon as possible.
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Burger Odendaal 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 9 Rudy Paige 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) 7 Arno Botha 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Grant Hattingh 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Trevor Nyakane 2 Callie Visagie 1 Dean Greyling BENCH: 16 Jaco Visagie 17 Morné Mellett 18 Marcel van der Merwe 19 Flip van der Merwe 20 Hanro Liebenberg 21 Piet van Zyl 22 Tian Schoeman 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: Hougaard (2), Spies, Marcel van der Merwe, Odendaal, van Zyl C: Potgieter (3), Schoeman (2) P: Potgieter
REDS: 15 Karmichael Hunt 14 Lachie Turner 13 Samu Kerevi 12 Anthony Fainga’a 11 Chris Feauai-Sautia 10 Nick Frisby 9 Will Genia 8 Adam Thomson 7 Liam Gill 6 Curtis Browning 5 Rob Simmons 4 Dave McDuling 3 Greg Holmes 2 Saia Fainga’a 1 James Slipper BENCH: 16 James Hanson 17 Ben Daley 18 Sef Faagase 19 Marco Kotze 20 Tom Murday 21 Adam Korczyk 22 Ben Tapuai 23 Chris Kuridrani
SCORERS T: Turner, Genia, Frisby, Kotze C: Turner Thomson
Referee: Rohan Huffman
LIONS 23 - 21 SHARKS
Ellis Park, Johannesburg Saturday - 11 April 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 11-14
A 37,000-strong Emirates Airlines Park audience was not disappointed as the home team put a dismal record against the Ceil C Sharks behind them in an edge-of-the-seat victory.
Tries by Faf de Klerk and Harold Vorster shortly after the break gave the Emirates Lions the lead in the 47th minute and they held on to record only their second victory over the Cell C Sharks in their the past 12 meetings.
Replacement prop Thomas du Toit scored the Cell C Sharks third try with two minutes remaining to close the gap to two points and set up a frantic closing period.
The visitors were in possession when the siren sounded and were awarded a long range penalty as the Emirates Lions infringed in their desperate attempts to close out the game.
Cell C Sharks fly half Fred Zeilinga was left with a difficult kick – some 15 metres in from the right-hand touchline and just inside the Lions’ half. His strike was good but his accuracy marginally awry and the ball sailed away to the right of the uprights.
The Lions have now won five of their last six matches, all by margins of fewer than five points.
They had been held tryless by the Cell C Sharks in their previous two meetings but on this occasion scored their three tries in a frenetic eight period either side of half time.
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Harold Vorster 11 Mark Richards 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Faf de Klerk 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Franco Mostert 4 Andries Ferreira 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Jacques van Rooyen BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Corne Fourie 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Robert Kruger 20 Derick Minnie 21 Lohan Jacobs 22 Marnitz Boshoff 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: Mnisi, de Klerk, Vorster C: Jantjies P: Jantjies (2)
SHARKS: 15 Odwa Ndungane 14 S'bura Sithole 13 Waylon Murray 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Fred Zeilinga 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Renaldo Bothma 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 MARCO WENTZEL (C) 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Lourens Adriaanse 2 Franco Marais 1 Dale Chadwick BENCH: 16 Monde Hadebe 17 Thomas du Toit 18 Matt Stevens 19 Etienne Oosthuizen 20 Willem Alberts 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Lionel Cronje 23 Jack Wilson
SCORERS T: Bothma, Mvovo, du Toit C: Zeilinga (3) Esterhuizen
Referee: Stuart Berry
MELBOURNE REBELS 23 - 15 REDS
AAMI Park, Melbourne Friday - 03 April 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 15-15
THE RaboDirect Rebels claimed their first home victory of the season, beating a dogged Queensland Reds 23-15 in a Good Friday clash at AAMI Park.
The visitors made a determined start, with lock James Horwill scoring the game’s opening try after 6 minutes, Quade Cooper successful with the conversion attempt.
A penalty goal to fullback Mike Harris a few minutes later put the Rebels on the board; however, the Reds continued to capitalise on their opportunities, splitting open the Rebels’ defence for a try to Jake Schatz to extend the margin.
Horwill received a red card for an alleged infringement in the tackle just before the half hour mark. A man up, the Rebels powered forward, and a driving maul from the lineout gave Lopeti Timani the Rebels’ first try of the night, with Harris’ sharp boot bringing the Rebels back within two.
Despite a penalty goal to Cooper, the Reds were unable to hold on to the lead late in the half, with Tom English finding space on the right side to score his first of the season and his team’s second of the night, squaring things up at the break, 15-all.
The Rebels again dominated the possession and territory stats when the second half kicked off. They were, however, unable to break away on the scoreboard. Reid, who made a significant impact when introduced after 50 minutes, was denied a try by the TMO following great work by Sefanaia Naivalu, while handling errors and lack of numbers at the breakdown within the opposition 22 meant other opportunities went begging.
The homeside could not be denied for ever, with former Box Hill winger Naivalu slicing through the Reds’ defence before offloading to Nic Stirzaker for the Rebels’ third try of the night. Despite missing the conversion, Harris was able to extend the lead shortly after with a penalty goal.
The Rebels continued to push forward in the closing minutes, but could not find that elusive fourth try and claim the bonus point, with the score finishing 23-15.
Rebels’ Head Coach Tony McGahan was pleased to win at home against quality opposition, though believes his side need to be more ruthless when presented with opportunities.
“We’ve been really close with our last three games here at home and haven’t been able to find a way, so we’re really delighted to get the win,” said McGahan.
“However, we are a bit disappointed we weren’t ruthless enough to get that bonus point try. We thought we had enough opportunities to do that, but credit to the opposition for preventing that. I thought the Reds were brilliant in their approach, and their courage to play with fourteen men. The way they stuck at their task was excellent, and a sign of a really strong group.”
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Tom English 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Sefanaia Naivalu 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Scott Fuglistaller 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Paul Alo-Emile 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Tim Metcher 19 Cadeyrn Neville 20 Colby Fainga’a 21 Luke Burgess 22 Jordy Reid 23 Bryce Hegarty
SCORERS T: Timani, English, Stirzaker C: Harris P: Harris (2)
REDS: 15 Lachie Turner 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia 13 Samu Kerevi 12 Anthony Fainga’a 11 James O’Connor 10 Quade Cooper 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 James Horwill 4 Dave McDuling 3 Greg Holmes 2 James Hanson 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 Ben Daley 17 Saia Fainga’a 18 Sef Faagase 19 Marco Kotze 20 Curtis Browning 21 Nick Frisby 22 Chris Kuridrani 23 Karmichael Hunt
SCORERS T: Horwill, Schatz C: Cooper P: Cooper RC Horwill
Referee: Matt O'Brien
BRUMBIES 20 - 3 CHEETAHS
GIO Stadium, Canberra Saturday - 04 April 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 13-3
BRUMBIES pivot Christian Leali'ifano scored 15 points as his team beat the Toyota Cheetahs 20-3 in their Super Rugby match in Canberra on Saturday.
The Brumbies scored in the first five minutes, as they took advantage of some lacklustre defence on the Cheetahs part to launch an attack from a lineout and then spread it wide before Leali’ifano bumped off Joe Pietersen to stroll over the line for the opening try.
The Cheetahs were lucky not to concede more points as Matt Toomua was denied by a double movement and the home side were over the line twice more during the game where they did not get the reward.
Leali’ifano made it 13-3 at the break through two more penalties, again with the Cheetahs unable to answer except for a brief flurry that led to the penalty by Pietersen.
The second half disintegrated into a freefall of errors, although in the opening few minutes of the half, the home side scored their second. David Pocock took a lineout drive close to the line before Blake Enever picked up and went over the line.
BRUMBIES: 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Joe Tomane 13 Henry Speight 12 Christian Leali'ifano 11 James Dargaville 10 Matt Toomua 9 Nic White 8 Jarrad Butler 7 David Pocock 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Blake Enever 3 Scott Sio 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Ben Alexander BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Allan Alaalatoa 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Ita Vaea 21 Michael Dowsett 22 Lausii Taliauli 23 Nigel Ah Wong
SCORERS T: Leali'ifano, Enever C: Leali'ifano (2) P: Leali'ifano (2)
CHEETAHS: 15 Willie le Roux 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Johann Sadie 12 Francois Venter 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Tian Meyer 8 Willie Britz 7 Boom Prinsloo 6 Heinrich Brussow 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Mienie BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 BG Uys 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Steven Sykes 20 Tienie Burger 21 Sarel Pretorius 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Rayno Benjamin
SCORERS P: Pietersen
Referee: Ben O'Keefe
HURRICANES 25 - 20 STORMERS
Westpac Stadium, Wellington Friday - 03 April 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 25-3
THE Hurricanes withstood a brave and determined DHL Stormers second half comeback to hold out for a 25-20 win at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Friday that cements their place at the top of the Super Rugby log nearing the halfway mark.
The Hurricanes dominated the first half, during which they scored three tries to open up a 25-3 advantage at the break.
However, the Stormers enjoyed forward dominance throughout, and that dominance became even more marked in the second half, when they took complete control of the territory and possession battle. They scored two tries in that period, one of them a penalty try, but unfortunately for the Cape team, the Hurricanes’ defensive system stood firm.
The visitors will be looking at improving their defence as they have conceded 11 tries in their last three matches.
The first try, which came just beyond the 20 minute mark with the Hurricanes leading 6-3 after two Beauden Barrett penalties had cancelled out one from Demetri Catrakilis. The Stormers were attacking on the Hurricanes line, but turned the ball over and the Hurricanes made their way upfield before a Barrett cross kick bounced in a way that evaded Stormers fullback Cheslin Kolbe, and also Julian Savea, but found the hands of Hurricanes No 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder, who was adjudged by the TMO to have dotted the ball down.
Two more tries from counter attacks has the Cape side in trouble, but credit to them as the second half belonged to the DHL Stormers.
Their first try was a penalty try awarded after the Hurricanes had repeatedly been penalised at a sequence of scrums under their posts, and the second one with a 15 phase build-up after a poor Hurricanes clearance eventually seeing centre Huw Jones go off after a thrust down the right flank from Vermeulen as the home team ran out of defenders.
HURRICANES: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Cory Jane 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Callum Gibbins 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Motu Matu'u 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Ben May 18 Chris Eves 19 Mark Abbott 20 Adam Hill 21 Chris Smylie 22 Rey Lee-Lo 23 James Marshall
SCORERS T: Milner-Skudder, Savea, Barrett C: Barrett (2) P: Barrett (2)
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Kobus van Wyk 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Schalk Burger 6 Siya Kolisi 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Vincent Koch 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Bongi Mbonambi 17 Oli Kebble 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Ruan Botha 20 Michael Rhodes 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: PT, Jones C: Catrakilis (2) P: Catrakilis, Coleman
Referee: Rohan Huffman
CHIEFS 23 - 16 BLUES
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Saturday - 04 April 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 10-3
THE Chiefs enjoyed their Easter weekend after claiming a physically absorbing 23-16 win over nearby rivals the Blues at Waikato Stadium.
It was clear from the outset that both teams were attempting to run with ball in hand as each had open space to work with early on. As the Chiefs appeared to settle into their work, the Blues were having trouble with their discipline as first five-eighth Aaron Cruden calmly slotted a penalty after 17 minutes into the contest.
From the resulting kickoff the Waikato Stadium crowd rose when winger Tom Marshall wriggled his way past the Blues defence and then nudging ahead for teammate Augustine Pulu who went within a touch of scoring. Unfortunately for the Chiefs halfback he was not able to ground the ball as the Blues survived conceding further points.
Eventually the first five-pointer of the night came as a result of superb ball control when the Chiefs continued to batter the Blues try line. After stringing together a number of phases with the forwards inching closer, the opportunity came when captain Liam Messam found winger James Lowe lurking on his inside and then crashing over for the try for a 10-0 lead.
The Blues were able to post points of their own through the boot of first five Dan Bowden who reduced the margin to 10-3 going into the half time interval.
Needing a lift in the second half, the Blues did not need to look far for inspiration when captain Jerome Kaino bulldozed his way through from the base of the scrum for a try. Bowden's conversion brought the scores level before another chance to break out by the visitors deep in their own half saw them earn a penalty which the Blues number 10 knocked over for their first lead of the game.
With the Chiefs looking to play more within the opposition's half, Cruden was able to bring his side back on level terms with a penalty kick.
In what proved to be a pivotal moment of the match, the Blues looked to be hot on attack before a turnover saw Chiefs number 8 Michael Leitch storm down field to set up the Chiefs attack. Moments later, the Chiefs capitalised on a defensive lapse by the Blues as Marshall capped off an excellent performance by slicing through for the crucial go ahead try.
The task was made even more difficult for the Blues when Cruden cashed in on his third penalty to give his side some breathing space on the scoreboard late in the game.
With the result seemingly out of reach as time expired, the Blues battled away and were awarded with the penalty which replacement Ihaia West converted as the Chiefs picked up the all important win.
CHIEFS 1 Mitchell Graham 2 Hika Elliot 3 Ben Tameifuna 4 Matt Symons 5 Brodie Retallick 6 LIAM MESSAM (C) 7 Sam Cane 8 Michael Leitch 9 Augustine Pulu 10 Aaron Cruden 11 James Lowe 12 Sonny Bill Williams 13 Andrew Horrell 14 Tom Marshall 15 Damian McKenzie BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Pauliasi Manu 19 Michael Allardice 20 Liam Squire 21 Brad Weber 22 Anton Lienert-Brown 23 Bryce Heem
SCORERS T: Lowe, Marshall C: Cruden (2) P: Cruden (3)
BLUES: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Frank Halai 13 Pita Ahki 12 George Moala 11 Tevita Li 10 Dan Bowden 9 Jamison Gibson-Park 8 Jerome Kaino 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Steven Luatua 5 Hayden Triggs 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Charlie Faumuina/Angus Ta'avao 2 Keven Mealamu 1 Ofa Tu'ungafasi BENCH: 16 James Parsons 17 Sam Prattle 18 Ta'avao 19 Patrick Tuipulotu 20 Luke Braid 21 Jimmy Cowan 22 Ihaia West 23 Francis Saili
SCORERS T: Kaino C: Bowden P: Bowden (2), West
Referee: Mike Fraser
THE Emirates Lions scored a dramatic late try at Emirates Airlines Park to beat the Vodacom Bulls on a weekend where the Johannesburg-based side was the only South African team to register a win in Round 8 of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition.
The losing bonus point secured by the Vodacom Bulls did push them to the top of the South African Conference standings though as they moved past the Cell C Sharks who lost heavily to the Crusaders in Durban.
Both sides have 19 log points, but things are tight in the conference, with the DHL Stormers, who were edged out by the Hurricanes in Wellington, and the Emirates Lions are on 17 points. The Toyota Cheetahs, who lost to the Brumbies in Canberra, props up the local conference with nine league points.
There was plenty of drama in Durban on Saturday, where a plethora of cards almost made a mockery of the fifteens code. The Crusaders at one stage had three players in the bin with yellow cards, before Jean Deysel was shown a red for using his knee on an opponent’s head.
This was their second biggest defeat suffered by the Cell C Sharks in the competition, as this 42 point deficit is one less than the 43 points difference they suffered against the Crusaders in 2005, when the home side won 77-34 in Christchurch.
The Toyota Cheetahs found little comfort in Canberra, a venue they have never won at. The Toyota Cheetahs are looking for their first-ever win in Canberra, a venue South African teams have won only five from 45 previous encounters since 1996.
Two early tries in the beginning of each half helped the Brumbies to beat the Cheetahs, who failed to cross their opponent’s tryline, with a lone Joe Pietersen penalty the only reward to the central franchise team.
On Friday the DHL Stormers found the home side to slick in the first half and could not overhaul the 25-3 deficit in the second 40 minutes of play. The Cape side dropped to a fifth consecutive defeat to a New Zealand opponent, the first time they have lost five in a row in New Zealand since 1998.
SHARKS 10 - 52 CRUSADERS
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban Saturday - 04 April 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 3-28
THE Crusaders record an overwhelming 52-10 victory over the Cell C Sharks in a Super Rugby match played at Kings Park on Saturday.
The Crusaders exposed cracks in the home side's defence almost at will, running up a 28-3 halftime lead, booking their four-try bonus point as early as the 34th minute, and effectively wrapping up the match by the fifth minute with a quick-fire two-try burst.
Odwa Ndungane did get one back for the Sharks in the second half, but not before the New Zealand team had added two more, and what made it even more unbearable surely for Sharks fans, was the fact that the first of those second-half tries was scored while it was 12 Crusaders playing against 14 Sharks.
That was after a bizarre end to the first half, with the Crusaders losing three players in quick succession to yellow cards in the last five minutes, while the Sharks had senior player Jean Deysel red carded for an unforgiveable kick to a Crusaders players head.
The first try was scored after just three minutes, Kieran Read featuring in a sweep down the right flank that resulted in scrumhalf Andy Ellis going over off an inside pass. Just two minutes later, it was the turn of Israel Dagg to break through an inept tackle attempt from just a few metres out as the Crusaders were propelled into a 14-0 lead at a time when many supporters were not even settled yet into their seats or in front of the TV.
Sharks skipper Patrick Lambie drew three points back with a penalty, but Fonotia slipped a tackle attempt by Marais to make it 21-3 after as many minutes, and the bonus point was secured when Ryan Crotty crashed over off an inside pass with six minutes to go before the break.
SHARKS: 15 SP Marais 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 PATRICK LAMBIE (C) 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Jean Deysel 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Marco Wentzel 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 Kyle Cooper 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Franco Marais 17 Thomas du Toit 18 Matt Stevens 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda 20 Renaldo Bothma 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Fred Zeilinga 23 Waylon Murray
SCORERS T: Ndungane C: Zeilinga P: Lambie Deysel
CRUSADERS 15 Israel Dagg 14 David Kaetau Havili 13 Kieron Fonotia 12 Ryan Crotty 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Andy Ellis 1 Wyatt Crockett 2 Ben Funnell 3 Nepo Laulala 4 Luke Romano 5 Sam Whitelock 6 Jordan Taufua 7 Matt Todd 8 Kieran Read BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Joe Moody 18 Owen Franks 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Richie McCaw 21 Mitchell Drummond 22 Tom Taylor 23 Nafi Tuitavake
SCORERS T: Ellis, Dagg, Fonotia, Crotty, Slade, Havili, Todd, Tom Taylor C: Slade (5), Tom Taylor Laulala, Fonotia, Nadolo
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
LIONS 22 - 18 BULLS
Ellis Park, Johannesburg Saturday - 04 April 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 6-9
EMIRATES Lions reserve hooker Akker van der Merwe scored an epic 80th minute try to give his side an amazing last-gasp 22-18 victory against the Vodacom Bulls in their Super Rugby match at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg.
Van der Merwe’s score was the only one of the game, and came in the last movement as the Lions simply decided to 'never say die' after the Bulls looked to have clinched the game with a penalty a minute earlier.
But instead of accepting the loss, the Lions took a quick restart, had luck go their way as they claimed the ball and took it up, forming a strong rolling maul that claimed a penalty.
And then, in the spirit of positivity, they backed themselves and Faf de Klerk took the quick tap, passing to Van der Merwe who bounced off two poor tackles to plop over and start scenes of ecstasy both on the substitutes bench and in the stands.
It was the perfect conclusion to an epic game, one which may have lacked tries, but never lacked in passion, heart and physicality. There may have been rain but both sides went at it hammer and tongs, never giving an inch with the match descending into a fascinating arm-wrestle. Both sides made more than 100 tackles – 113 by the Lions to 104 by the Bulls – shows just how close it all was.
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Harold Vorster 11 Anthony Volmink 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Ross Cronje 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Derick Minnie 5 Franco Mostert 4 Andries Ferreira 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Jacques van Rooyen BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Corne Fourie 18 Julian Redelinghuys 19 Robert Kruger 20 Jaco Kriel 21 Faf de Klerk 22 Marnitz Boshoff 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: van der Merwe C: Jantjies P: Jantjies (5)
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Burger Odendaal 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 9 Rudy Paige 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) 7 Hanro Liebenberg 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Grant Hattingh 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Trevor Nyakane 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Dean Greyling BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Morné Mellett 18 Marcel van der Merwe 19 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg 20 Roelof Smit 21 Piet van Zyl 22 Tian Schoeman 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS P: Potgieter (6)
Referee: Stuart Berry
REDS 17 - 18 LIONS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Friday - 27 March 2015
KO: 19:00 HT: 3-8
THE Emirates Lions have returned to South Africa with three wins from four matches on their Australasian tour, making it their best-ever visit Down Under since the Cats franchise split up after the 2005 season. The St.George Queensland Reds fell 18-17 to the Lions in Brisbane in a thrilling Asteron Life Super Rugby clash.
The match had started well for the home side with Cooper putting the Reds in front with a close range penalty goal after 12 minutes before the Lions hit back with a try to Vorster out wide. They had a chance to go ahead again on 33 minutes but this time Cooper’s attempt was unsuccessful. Jantjies then landed a penalty from 37 metres out on the stroke of half time to make it 8-3 to the visitors at the break.
After a tight first half the match opened up in the second 40, with Cooper putting wing James O’Connor into a yawning gap on 46 minutes.
But it was the Lions who were next to score two minutes later. The Reds failed to gather the ball at the back of a lineout close to their line and the Lions pounced with Tecklenburg going over next to the posts. Jantjies conversion making it 15-3.
The Reds rallied and Samu Kerevi was prominent, splitting the Lions defensive line on 50 minutes after a clever pass from Will Genia. The Lions were scrambling and Ruan Combrinck was sent to the bin for killing the ball close to the line when it seemed the Reds were certain to score. The Reds then used their scrum domination to earn a penalty try on 53 minutes with Cooper’s conversion closing it back up to 15-10.
Then on 67 minutes a superb move from a scrum saw the Reds get in position to take a well deserved lead. The Reds kept the momentum going and a minute later Kerevi charged over with Cooper’s conversion making it 17-15 lead.
But the Lions hit back with Tapuai penalised on 72 minutes for holding on at the breakdown in front of his posts, which saw Jantjies put the Lions back in front.
Cooper had a difficult late chance of field goal heroics from 30 metres out in the final moments but the attempt was charged down; in the end the Reds fell to the smallest of margins after a pulsating encounter.
REDS: 15 Lachie Turner 14 Chris Kuridrani 13 Samu Kerevi 12 Anthony Fainga'a 11 James O'Connor 10 Quade Cooper 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Curtis Browning 6 Adam Thompson 5 Dave McDuling 4 James Horwill 3 Sam Talakai 2 James Hanson 1 James Slipper (C) BENCH: 16 Saia Fainga'a 17 Ben Daley 18 Greg Holmes 19 Marco Kotze 20 Michael Gunn 21 Nick Frisby 22 Ben Tapuai 23 Chris Feauai-Sautia
SCORERS T: PT, Kerevi C: Cooper (2) P: Cooper
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Harold Vorster 11 Sampie Mastriet 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Ross Cronje 8 Warren Whiteley (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Derick Minnie 5 Franco Mostert 4 Robert Kruger 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Schalk van der Merwe BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Jacques van Rooyen 18 Julian Redelinghuys 19 Martin Muller 20 Jaco Kriel 21 Faf de Klerk 22 Marnitz Boshoff 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: Vorster, Tecklenburg C: Jantjies P: Jantjies (2) Combrinck
Referee: Glen Jackson
WARATAHS 23 - 11 BLUES
Allianz Stadium, Sydney Saturday - 28 March 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 7-6
THE NSW Waratahs have survived a gritty encounter against the Auckland Blues at Allianz Stadium, notching up a hard-fought 23-11 win. The home side were made to work hard for the full 80 minutes, as a dogged Blues outfit fronted up with some staunch defence in the hope of springing an ambush.
Israel Folau began the mach picking up where he left off last week against the Brumbies, stepping his way around winger Melani Nanai one-on-one to gallop into space, but Beale’s round the corner offload could not find a pair of Waratahs hands in the next phase.
Minutes later, a slick series of offloads from Beale, Rob Horne and Matt Carraro opened up space in the Blues defence, and when Skelton steamrolled his way through the 22 the Tahs looked certain to score. But some frantic defence denied veteran prop Benn Robinson, who was held up over the line in his record-breaking 138th appearance for NSW.
After two promising build-ups it was third time lucky for the Tahs, as Folau ran a perfect decoy angle to open up a gaping hole for fellow Vice-Captain Michael Hooper to stroll into. The flanker then showed a cool head to link with Nick Phipps on the inside for the first try of the game.
But some sloppy execution denied the Waratahs more opportunities, and new Blues recruit Dan Bowden kicked two penalties in ten minutes to keep the Blues within striking distance.
A huge effort from the powerful Tahs’ forward pack forced two scrum penalties in the closing stages of the half, but it was referee Jaco Peyper’s contentious decision to deny them a third that enraged the passionate local crowd. Peyper left the field to a chorus of boos, while the home side entered the sheds clinging to a slender 7-6 lead.
A fired-up Waratahs side were straight onto the attack after the break, but after 18 phases of attacking pressure the Blues defence proved impenetrable. Foley’s consolation penalty attempt drifted wide and robbed the home side of a tangible return on their early momentum.
Instead it was the visitors who were next on the board, with replacements Keven Mealamu and Jamison Gibson-Park linking up to break the Tahs’ line and send the Blues into the attacking zone. Some sweet stepping from Charles Piutau wrong-footed the cover defence in the ensuing phase, giving Francis Saili enough room to crash over the line and give the Blues the lead for the first time in the match in the 54th minute.
But that advantage was short-lived, as Foley kicked successive penalty goals to wrestle back the lead within five minutes. As his third sailed over in the 68th minute, replacement Stephen Hoiles ran on for a milestone 100th Super Rugby cap.
Minutes later, Blues Captain Jerome Kaino was yellow carded for a high shot on opposing skipper Dave Dennis. The sin binning proved the catalyst for the Tahs’ second try, as the ball travelled through six sets of hands before finding replacement winger Peter Betham in space out on the left. Foley’s conversion saw the final score tick over to 23-11.
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Matt Carraro 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 David Dennis (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tolu Latu 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Hugh Roach 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 20 Mitchell Chapman 21 Stephen Hoiles 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Peter Betham
SCORERS T: Phipps, Betham C: Foley (2) P: Foley (3)
BLUES: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Frank Halai 13 George Moala 12 Francis Saili 11 Melani Nanai 10 Dan Bowden 9 Jimmy Cowan 1 Tony Woodcock 2 James Parsons 3 Charlie Faumuina 4 Hayden Triggs 5 Patrick Tuipulotu 6 Steven Luatua 7 Brendon O'Connor
8 Jerome Kaino BENCH: 16 Keven Mealamu 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi 18 Angus Taavao-Matau 19 Culum Retallick 20 Luke Braid 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Simon Hickey 23 Pita Ahki
SCORERS T: Saili P: Bowden (2) Kaino
Referee: Jaco Peyper
HURRICANES 36 - 12 MELBOURNE REBELS
Westpac Stadium, Wellington Friday - 27 March 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 10-12
THE RaboDirect Rebels went down to the Hurricanes in Wellington, the hosts seizing upon counter-attacking opportunities and building a defensive fortress to post their sixth straight win despite trailing at the half time break.
While TJ Perenara scored the only try of the opening quarter, which was the first the Rebels have conceded inside twenty minutes this season, there were plenty of positive signs for the visiting side in the opening stages.
A stolen lineout, a scrum penalty against the feed and a Mike Harris penalty to kick off proceedings were just some of the highlights, as the Rebels dominated territory and possession from the outset, with Pat Leafa and Luke Jones leading from the front as the Rebels looked to run the ball at every opportunity.
Two further penalties from Harris by the half hour mark saw the lead regained by the Rebels, as their brick-wall like defence managed to hold out a slick Hurricanes’ backline. Former Rebel Jason Woodward scored a penalty directly in front just before the break, however Harris had the final word for the half as he made it four successful attempts as the siren sounded at 10-12.
The Rebels started the second half like the first, patient and disciplined, however a spilt ball led to a Hurricanes counter attack and off the back of a rolling maul Cory Jane scored in the absolute corner, Woodward nailing a very tough kick.
Mitch Inman looked to have scored the first try for the Rebels, only for the TMO to rule it held up. Callum Gibbins then pounced on a counter attacking opportunity and scored the hosts’ third of the evening just before the hour mark, after they took advantage of a fortuitous bounce from an up and under kick, and a twelve point lead opened up as the game neared conclusion.
The Rebels refused to die but simply could not find their way through a spirited Hurricanes defence, and two late tries to Nehe Milner-Skudder swelled the final score and shored up the result as the Hurricanes remained undefeated and at the top of the table.
HURRICANES: 15 Jason Woodward 14 Cory Jane 13 Conrad Smith (C) 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Matt Proctor 10 James Marshall 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Callum Gibbins 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben May 2 Motu Matu'u 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 Chris Eves 19 Mark Abbott 20 Adam Hill 21 Chris Smylie 22 Otere Black 23 Nehe Milner-Skudder
SCORERS T: Perenara, Jane, Gibbins, Milner-Skudder (2) C: Woodward (4) P: Woodward Perenara
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Sefanaia Naivalu 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Tom English 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Scott Fuglistaller 6 Sean McMahon 5 Cadeyrn Neville 4 Luke Jones 3 Laurie Weeks 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Paul Alo-Emile 19 Radike Samo 20 Colby Fainga’a 21 Ben Meehan 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Jonah Placid
SCORERS P: Harris (4)
Referee: Stuart Berry
CHIEFS 37 - 27 CHEETAHS
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Saturday - 28 March 2015
KO: 16:30 HT: 14-13
HEINRICH BRÜSSOW scored two tries for the Toyota Cheetahs, but also got yellow carded as they allowed another good first-half performance to turn into defeat in New Zealand.
The Chiefs, two-time champions, started very well with two tries in the first 20 minutes, but the visitors never gave up and fought their way back into the encounter, with two Kiwis spending time in the sin-bin in the first half.
Boom Prinsloo scored the visitors’ first try during this time, but unfortunately the Toyota Cheetahs could not make this numerical advantage count. When Brüssow was sin-binned after the break, 12 minutes after scoring his first try, the Chiefs scored two more to put the result beyond any doubt.
Brüssow scored a second try towards the end of the match which meant that six of the seven tries in this encounter were scored by loose forwards.
CHIEFS: 15 Damian McKenzie 14 Bryce Heem 13 Charlie Ngatai/Seta Tamanivalu 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 Tom Marshall 10 Aaron Cruden 9 Brad Weber 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 Liam Messam (C) 5 Michael Fitzgerald 4 Matt Symons 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Quentin MacDonald 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Rhys Marshall 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Mitchell Graham 19 Michael Allardice 20 Johan Bardoul 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Andrew Horrell 23 Marty McKenzie
SCORERS T: Leitch, Messam, Cane, Horrell C: Cruden (4) P: Cruden (3) Fitzgerald, Tameifuna
CHEETAHS: 15 Clayton Blommetjies 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Johann Sadie 12 Michael van der Spuy 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Shaun Venter 8 Boom Prinsloo 7 Jean Cook 6 Heinrich Brussow 5 Francois Uys (C) 4 Steven Sykes 3 Maks van Dyk 2 Stephan Coetzee 1 BG Uys BENCH: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld 17 Caylib Oosthuizen 18 Danie Mienie 19 Carl Wegner 20 Willie Britz 21 Tian Meyer 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Rayno Benjamin
SCORERS T: Prinsloo, Brussow (2) C: Pietersen (2), du Plessis P: Pietersen (2) Brussow
Referee: Craig Joubert
HIGHLANDERS 39 - 21 STORMERS
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Saturday - 28 March 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 24-7
THE DHL Stormers ran into a rampant Highlanders side in Dunedin on Saturday morning, with the home team recording their first win over the Capetonians since 24 February 2007.
It was a polished performance by the Highlanders, who exploited mistakes on defence by the DHL Stormers, to win their fourth game of the season, while their visitors lost their second successive encounter of 2015 following a slew of uncharacteristic errors.
It was also the DHL Stormers’ biggest defeat in New Zealand in almost six years, since the Hurricanes beat them by 34-11 in 2009.
Juan de Jongh, who took over the captaincy for this match, scored two tries for the visitors. His first opened the scoring in the 19th minute, but it seemed to wake the home team up, who scored three of their own before the break.
The Highlanders got their bonus-point try in the 48th minute and with the score 31-7 to the home team with half an hour to go, it was effectively the end of the DHL Stormers’ charge.
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Ben Smith (CC) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Nasi Manu (CC) 7 James Lentjes 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Joe Wheeler 4 Tom Franklin 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Ash Dixon 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Liam Coltman 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown 18 Pingi Tala’apitaga 19 Mark Reddish 20 Dan Pryor 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Aaron Smith, Naholo (2), Osborne, Pryor C: Sopoaga (4) P: Sopoaga, Banks Aaron Smith
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Kobus van Wyk 13 Juan de Jongh (C) 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 Nizaam Carr 7 Schalk Burger 6 Siya Kolisi 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Jean Kleyn 3 Vincent Koch 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Bongi Mbonambi 17 Oli Kebble 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Eben Etzebeth 20 Michael Rhodes 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: de Jongh (2), Rhodes C: Catrakilis, Coleman (2)
Referee: Rohan Huffman
THE Vodacom Bulls delivered their top performance of the season as the Emirates Lions recorded their best Vodacom Super Rugby tour yet during an exciting weekend of Southern Hemisphere rugby.
The match in Pretoria was the undoubted highlight of the weekend from a quality point of view, with the Vodacom Bulls extending their winning run at home over the Crusaders after winning 31-19.
For sheer audacity, the Emirates Lions deserve a lot of plaudits for beating the Reds by 18-17 in Brisbane on Friday morning and thus ending their tour on three wins from four – their best Australasian return yet.
The Cell C Sharks meanwhile moved to the top of the South African Conference and into the top three on the log with a hard-fought 15-9 win over the Force in Durban on Saturday afternoon, scoring all their points in the second half.
The Toyota Cheetahs and DHL Stormers found the going tough in New Zealand though as both went down – the side from Central South Africa by 37-27 to the Chiefs in Hamilton and the Capetonians by 39-21 to the Highlanders in Dunedin.
SHARKS 15 - 9 WESTERN FORCE
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban Saturday - 28 March 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 0-6
THE Cell C Sharks’ 15-9 victory over the Force at Growthpoint Kings Park on Saturday afternoon will probably not be remembered for too long, but it was enough to see the KwaZulu-Natalians move into the top three on the log.
The first half was an especially drab affair, with two penalty goals by the visitors’ South African-born fly half Sias Ebersohn the only points scored, while unforced errors proved costly for both sides.
Things looked a bit better for the Cell C Sharks in the second half. SP Marais rounded off after a good attacking move in the 43rd minute. The home team’s fullback also played a big role in the 68th minute try of Lwazi Mvovo with a brilliant counter-attacking run off an average kick by the visitors.
The Force had opportunities late in the game, first when Ebersohn missed a sitter in front of the uprights and later when the TMO disallowed a try for obstruction, but they did get a losing bonus-point with a penalty goal at the death.
The battle at the top of the SA Conference log is heating up, with six points separating the top four teams, although the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers both have a match in hand over the Cell C Sharks and Emirates Lions.
SHARKS: 15 SP Marais 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Frans Steyn 9 Conrad Hoffmann 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Jean Deysel (C) 6 Renaldo Bothma 5 Marco Wentzel 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 Kyle Cooper 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Monde Hadebe 17 Thomas du Toit 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda 20 Daniel du Preez 21 Stefan Ungerer 22 Fred Zeilinga 23 Waylon Murray
SCORERS T: Marais, Mvovo C: Zeilinga P: Zeilinga
FORCE: 15 Luke Morahan 14 Marcel Brache 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Luke Burton 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Kane Koteka 6 Steve Mafi 5 Adam Coleman 4 Sam Wykes (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp 20 Angus Cottrell 21 Ian Prior 22 Zack Holmes 23 Dane Haylett-Petty
SCORERS P: Ebersohn (2), Burton
Referee: Nick Briant
BULLS 31 - 19 CRUSADERS
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Saturday - 28 March 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 18-16
TWO tries in the first 10 minutes set the Vodacom Bulls up to record a very good 31-19 win over the Crusaders at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening, extending their winning run at home over the seven-time champions to five matches.
The home team put the Cantabrians under massive pressure early on and when Francois Hougaard and Burger Odendaal, a late replacement for Jan Serfontein, crossed for tries, the Vodacom Bulls led by 12-0.
The Crusaders clawed their way back though and continued to use their advantage in possession to good effect, but the Vodacom Bulls defended very well and managed to restrict their visitors to only one try in the match.
In fact, the Crusaders could only score three points in the entire second half, while the Vodacom Bulls opened up a gap on the score board thanks to Handré Pollard’s kicking boot and an intercept try by Grant Hattingh, which saw the replacement forward run more than 50 metres before going over.
The Vodacom Bulls’ solid defence forced mistakes from the Crusaders, while the visitors’ discipline gave Pollard a number of opportunities to put points on the board in a very exciting and tough encounter.
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Handré Pollard 9 Rudy Paige 8 Pierre Spies (C) 7 Arno Botha 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Victor Matfield 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Trevor Nyakane 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Morné Mellett BENCH: 16 Jaco Visagie 17 Dean Greyling 18 Marcel van der Merwe 19 Grant Hattingh 20 Hanro Liebenberg 21 Piet van Zyl 22 Tian Schoeman 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: Hougaard, Odendaal, Hattingh C: Pollard (2) P: Pollard (3)
CRUSADERS: 15 Israel Dagg 14 Kieron Fonotia 13 Ryan Crotty 12 Tom Taylor 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Dan Carter 9 Andy Ellis 1 Joe Moody 2 Ben Funnell 3 Owen Franks 4 Luke Romano 5 Sam Whitelock 6 Jordan Taufua 7 Richie McCaw 8 Kieran Read BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Wyatt Crockett 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Matt Todd 21 Mitchell Drummond 22 Colin Slade 23 David Havili
SCORERS T: Nadolo C: Carter P: Carter (4)
Referee: Angus Gardner
MELBOURNE REBELS 16 - 20 LIONS
AAMI Park, Melbourne Friday - 20 March 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 13-3
THE Lions earned a gutsy win against the RaboDirect Rebels at AAMI Park in Round Six of the 2015 Asteron Life Super Rugby season, scoring late to win by four points.
Mike Harris and Dom Shipperley made their 50th Super Rugby appearance, while Jonah Placid scored a try on debut, but it was not enough as the Lions secured the second win of their Australasian tour.
The Rebels starting the match strongly, owning possession in the opening moments and taking an early lead through a Harris penalty goal. With Lions lock Franco Mostert yellow carded shortly after, the Rebels took advantage as Mitch Inman was able to score his first try of the season after eight minutes.
Placid was the next to score as the Rebels continued to gel in attack, with a cut out pass from Lopeti Timani sending the young fullback over in the corner. Pat Leafa looked to have scored the Rebels’ third after great work by Tamati Ellison shortly afterwards, however a knock on in the lead up saw the try disallowed, as the Lions began to find their feet late in the half.
The Lions scored their first points of the night just after the half hour with a penalty goal to centre Elton Jantjies, and they continued to attack in the closing stages of the half. However a knock on less than five metres out as the siren sounded meant the Rebels led 13-3 at the break.
The Lions started the second half on the front foot, with fly half Marnitz Boshoff finding a gap for their first of the night shortly after the break, and a successful conversion to Jantjies closed the gap.
The Rebels’ defence continued to be tested as the Lions pushed hard in attack and maintained possession, however just before the hour mark, a turnover propelled the Rebels back into attack. Mike Harris looked to be about to celebrate his 50th cap with a try, however the TMO found the fly half had lost the ball forward under the pack, and a penalty goal after 60 minutes to Jantjies tied things up.
Harris regained the Rebels’ lead through a penalty goal with less than ten minutes remaining after a Sefanaia Naivalu break brought him into range, however, the Lions were to have the final say as centre Lionel Mapoe crossed with 3 minutes remaining. Jantjies’ successful conversion was the final score of the night, the Johannesburg-based side holding out for a 20-16 victory.
Rebels Head Coach Tony McGahan was disappointed with the result, after his side held control for so long, but credited the Lions for their tenacity when it counted.
“I’m disappointed to be in a game and be in control and not have the win at the end,” McGahan said. “But that’s the game and you have to be in for eighty minutes. The Lions just stuck in and stuck in, as we knew they would and talked about all week, and they just hung in exceptionally well.
“The Lions were not going to give up and scrambled exceptionally well; they prevented two really good try scoring opportunities just from sheer desperation. These are harsh lessons, but we have to learn them.”
REBELS: 15 Jonah Placid 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Tom English 10 Mike Harris 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 SCOTT HIGGINBOTHAM (C) 7 Scott Fuglistaller 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Laurie Weeks 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Paul Alo-Emile 19 Steve Cummins 20 Colby Fainga’a 21 Luke Burgess 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Sefanaia Naivalu
SCORERS T: Inman, Placid P: Harris (2) Cummins
LIONS: 15 Jaco van der Walt 14 Sampie Mastriet 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Elton Jantjies 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Marnitz Boshoff 9 Faf de Klerk 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Derick Minnie 5 Franco Mostert 4 Robert Kruger 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Armand van der Merwe 1 Schalk van der Merwe BENCH: 16 Robbie Coetzee 17 Corne Fourie 18 Julian Redelinghuys 19 Andries Ferreira 20 Jaco Kriel 21 Ross Cronje 22 Harold Vorster 23 Andries Coetzee
SCORERS T: Boshoff, Mapoe C: Jantjies (2) P: Jantjies (2) Mostert
Referee: Mike Fraser
WARATAHS 28 - 13 BRUMBIES
Allianz Stadium, Sydney Sunday - 22 March 2015
KO: 16:05 HT: 20-13
The NSW Waratahs recorded a comprehensive 28-13 victory over the ACT Brumbies in a fiery local derby at Allianz Stadium. The home side were brilliant in attack and brutal in defence, as they ran in 22 unanswered points to stake their claim as Australian conference frontrunners.
Rob Horne looked to have opened the scoring in the 2nd minute of the match, as he latched onto a loose Brumbies pass and bolted off downfield. However referee Craig Joubert ruled Horne offside, incensing a vocal Sydney crowd.
Outrage turned to stunned silence in the next minute of play, as Brumbies fly half Matt Toomua drifted through a half-gap and opened up an early seven-point lead.
Unperturbed by the setback, Beale found a gap and was dragged down inches from the line. In the next phase, Foley’s cutout pass to an open Wycliff Palu was slapped down by Brumbies flanker Scott Fardy. After initially awarding a scrum, Joubert referred the incident to the TMO and Fardy was sin binned for cynical play.
But the Tahs could not take advantage of the yellow card, as Foley and Leali'ifano traded two penalty goals apiece, allowing the Brumbies to retain a seven-point lead as Fardy re-entered the fray.
It took some Israel Folau magic to finally ignite the Tahs backs; the gifted fullback sliced through the Brumbies left-hand defence and fed Bernard Foley for the Waratahs’ first five-pointer. The fly half converted his own try from the sideline, locking the game up at 13-all in the process.
The right channel opened up again for the Tahs minutes later, with Matt Carraro breaking down the sideline and offloading to Folau for his first try of the season. Foley continued his perfect record with the boot, and the Tahs took a 20-13 lead into halftime.
After the interval, monster winger Taqele Naiyaravoro barrelled his way up the sideline and helped earn the Tahs their first points for the second half, with Kurtley Beale’s booming kick from the halfway line extending the home side’s lead to beyond a converted try.
With ten minutes to go, some nice interplay between the Brumbies backs gave Henry Speight a glimmer of hope out wide, but a diving Michael Hooper did enough to extract the ball next to the corner post.
After denying the visitors, the Tahs sealed the win with some counter-attacking brilliance – again sparked by Man of the Match Folau, who ducked and weaved his way through four Brumbies defenders on a kick return. Naiyaravoro then steamrolled his opposing winger Joe Tomane, giving hooker Tolu Latu acres of space to dive over in the opposite corner.
The try was good, but the last-minute defensive shutout was even better. Tolu Latu was yellow carded for repeated team infringements, but the Tahs’ fronted up with some staunch defence to force a turnover and seal a crucial 28-13 win.
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Matt Carraro 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 DAVID DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tolu Latu 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Hugh Roach 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Sam Lousi 20 Mitchell Chapman 21 Stephen Hoiles 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Peter Betham
SCORERS T: Foley, Folau, Latu C: Foley (2) P: Foley (2), Beale Latu
BRUMBIES: 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Christian Leali'ifano 11 Joe Tomane 10 Matt Toomua 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 Jarrad Butler 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Scott Sio 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Ben Alexander BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Jean-Pierre Smith 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 David Pocock 21 Michael Dowsett 22 James Dargaville 23 Lausii Taliauli
SCORERS T: Toomua C: Leali'ifano P: Leali'ifano (2) Fardy
Referee: Craig Joubert
HIGHLANDERS 13 - 20 HURRICANES
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Friday - 20 March 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 3-3
OUTSTANDING character and commitment gave the Hurricanes a 20-13 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin tonight - their fifth consecutive victory of the 2015 Investec Super Rugby season.
The Hurricanes out-scored the Highlanders two tries to one, but it was scrambling second half defence that won them the match against a fiercely competitive southern side.
Earlier, the roof was on but it was raining knock-ons and penalties throughout a scrappy first half. Both teams should have scored at least one try in the first half, instead all either could show from the opening 40 minutes was a penalty apiece, and it was 3-3 at halftime.
Highlanders pivot Sopoaga intercepted a pass which led to him scooting up field and then kicking the game’s first points.
The story of the next 20 minutes for both teams was a succession of half-chances that could all have been converted into points. The Hurricanes went close to scoring tries on several occasions, while Highlanders centre Fekitoa did cross the chalk but support player Ben Smith was penalised for impeding a defender.
Barrett was successful with his second shot at goal, locking the contest up at 3-3.
Sopoaga missed consecutive penalties either side of halftime, before the Hurricanes once more created a wave of pressure using a series of one-off runners to punch up into the 22 and on towards the tryline. After several converted phases under the posts, loosehead prop Reggie Goodes lunged at the line and scored the game’s opening try.
Barrett converted Goodes’ try to put the Hurricanes ahead 10-3 after 50 minutes. Barrett missed another penalty, before Perenara made a clean break towards the line from a scrum 30 metres out that was saved by his opposite Aaron Smith in the act of passing the ball over his head to his support player.
From a subsequent offence at a ruck, Barrett kicked his second penalty of the second half and it was now 13-3 heading towards the fourth quarter – as momentum shifted markedly in the Highlanders’ favour.
Sopoaga pulled three points back with the Highlanders’ next raid, making it 13-6 and the Hurricanes were asked to defend a massive wave of pressure. The homeside lifted their tempo and went very close to breaking through on several occasions only to be thwarted by desperate Hurricanes defence.
The Hurricanes withstood this onslaught and instead it was them that broke through, second five-eighth Ma’a Nonu - moments after making a try saving tackle on Highlanders centre Malakai Fekitoa - making a clean break and helping to set up a try to halfback TJ Perenara.
First five-eighth Beauden Barrett converted Perenara’s try, putting the Hurricanes ahead 20-6 with just over five minutes to play. But the contest was far from over.
The Highlanders swung straight back onto attack. The Hurricanes lost wing Julian Savea to the sin-bin and Highlanders first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga dived through to score a converted try, closing the score up 20-13.
The home side then ran the ball back from the kick-off and cut through again, only to be called back for a forward pass, and the Hurricanes held on to win.
With their fifth win under their belts, creating their longest winning Super Rugby streak since 2003, the Hurricanes head home to host the Rebels in Wellington in a week’s time.
The epic win came a cost, losing dynamic flanker Ardie Savea during the second half to a hand injury.
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Ben Smith 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Nasi Manu 7 Dan Pryor 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Joe Wheeler 4 Tom Franklin 3 Josh Hohneck 2 Liam Coltman 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Daniel Leniert-Brown 18 Pingi Tala'apitaga 19 Mark Reddish 20 Gareth Evans 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Sopoaga C: Sopoaga P: Sopoaga (2)
HURRICANES: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Cory Jane 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Ardie Savea 6 Brad Shields 5 Blade Thomson 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 Ben Franks 2 Motu Matu’u 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Ben May 18 Chris Eves 19 Mark Abbott 20 Callum Gibbins 21 Chris Smylie 22 Rey Lee-Lo 23 James Marshall
SCORERS T: Goodes, Perenara C: Barrett (2) P: Barrett (2) YC Savea
Referee: Ben O'Keefe
CRUSADERS 57 - 14 CHEETAHS
AMI Stadium, Christchurch Saturday - 21 March 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 10-14
THE Crusaders, with Dan Carter leading the charge, showed why they are regarded as one of the best teams in the competition when they beat the Toyota Cheetahs by 57-14 in Christchurch on Saturday.
This big win came despite the visitors leading by 14-10 at the break. Carter scored 27 points as the Crusaders “won” the second half 47-0, with the visitors’ Willie le Roux and Coenie Oosthuizen yellow carded in the final 40 minutes.
Before half-time, the Toyota Cheetahs played some enterprising rugby and both their centres, Francois Venter and Johann Sadie, scored to put them in the lead, whilst only Jordan Taufua found the whitewash for the homeside.
With Le Roux in the bin early in the second half, the Crusaders scored 28 unanswered points from Israel Dagg, Carter, Nadolo and a penalty try, all converted by Carter. They followed that up with 19 more when Oosthuizen was off, Taufua and Carter adding another each, alongside replacement David Havili. Carter missed just one of his eight conversions to rack up over half a century on the Cheetahs. It put an end to the visitors’ hopes of winning and gave the Crusaders their fourth 50-point haul against the team from Central South Africa.
CRUSADERS: 15 Israel Dagg 14 Kieron Fonotia 13 Ryan Crotty 12 Dan Carter 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Andy Ellis 8 KIERAN READ (C) 7 Matt Todd 6 Jordan Taufua 5 Sam Whitelock 4 Luke Romano 3 Owen Franks 2 Codie Taylor 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Ben Funnell 17 Joe Moody 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Scott Barrett 20 Luke Whitelock 21 Mitchell Drummond 22 Tom Taylor 23 David Havili
SCORERS T: Taufua (2), PT, Dagg, Carter (2), Nadolo, Havili C: Carter (7) P: Carter Fonotia
CHEETAHS: 15 Willie le Roux 14 Clayton Blommetjies 13 Johann Sadie 12 Francois Venter 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Tian Meyer 8 Jean Cook 7 Oupa Mohoje 6 Heinrich Brussow 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C ) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Mienie BENCH: 16 BG Uys 17 Stephan Coetzee 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Steven Sykes 20 Boom Prinsloo 21 Shaun Venter 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Ryno Benjamin
SCORERS T: Francois Venter, Sadie C: Pietersen (2) le Roux, Oosthuizen
Referee: Andrew Lees
THE Emirates Lions won their second tour match as the Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks had to dig deep to win at home in an interesting sixth round of Vodacom Super Rugby.
The men from Johannesburg weathered an early storm and clinched their third successive win over the Rebels, by 20-16, courtesy of a late try by Lionel Mapoe on Friday in Melbourne. With this victory, the Emirates Lions emulated their feats in 2007 and 2011, when they also won two tour matches.
On Saturday, the Toyota Cheetahs started well and were in front at the break against the Crusaders in Christchurch, but the home team took proper advantage of two second-half yellow cards against the visitors from Bloemfontein to win comfortably by 57-14.
Two matches were played in South Africa on Saturday afternoon, both in less-than-perfect weather conditions.
First up, the Vodacom Bulls had to rely on a late penalty goal by Handré Pollard to pip the Force by 25-24 in Pretoria before the Cell C Sharks, playing for more than 50 minutes with 13 men against 14 following three red cards, had to dig deep to beat the Chiefs by 12-11 in Durban.
The DHL Stormers had a bye.
BULLS 25 - 24 WESTERN FORCE
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Saturday - 21 March 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 9-7
HANDRÉ POLLARD kicked 20 points, including a long-range penalty goal at the death, which sealed a hard-fought 25-24 win for the Vodacom Bulls over the Force at a wet Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon.
The Force wrestled back a 24-22 lead with three minutes remaining through a booming Sias Ebersohn penalty attempt from inside his own half, before Handré Pollard responded with a long-range attempt of his own to steal the one-point win.
Despite outscoring the home side three tries to one, the Force’s lack of discipline at key times proved costly with the side reduced to 13 men during the second half following yellow cards to Adam Coleman and Tetera Faulkner, while Pollard capitalised through six penalty goals for the match in a personal tally of 20 points.
Pollard’s last-minute heroics came after an illegal tackle by the visitors and at the end of a very topsy-turvy game. Both sides made too many handling errors, while the decision making was poor at times.
Though the Force outscored the Vodacom Bulls in tries, when prop Marcel van der Merwe burrowed over with two Aussie players in the bin in the second half, Pollard’s boot had the final say in a game which will not be remembered for too long.
It was the second time that the Force scored more tries to the Vodacom Bulls, but ended up losing in Pretoria. This also happened in 2009 when the men from Pretoria won 32-29 despite scoring only three tries to four.
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Francois Hougaard 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Bjorn Basson 10 Handrè Pollard 9 Rudy Paige 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) 7 Lappies Labuschagne 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Grant Hattingh 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Marcel van der Merwe 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Dean Greyling BENCH: 16 Jaco Visagie 17 Morne Mellett 18 Trevor Nyakane 19 Victor Matfield 20 Arno Botha 21 Tian Schoeman 22 Piet van Zyl 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: van der Merwe C: Pollard P: Pollard (6)
FORCE: 15 Luke Morahan 14 Marcel Brache 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Luke Burton 11 Nick Cummins 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Kane Koteka 6 Steve Mafi 5 Adam Coleman 4 SAM WYKES (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins/Guy Millar 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp 20 Angus Cottrell 21 Ian Prior 22 Zack Holmes 23 Solomoni Jnr Rasolea
SCORERS T: Coleman, Wykes, Godwin C: Burton (2), Ebersohn P: Ebersohn Coleman, Faulkner
Referee: Nick Briant
SHARKS 12 - 11 CHIEFS
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban Saturday - 21 March 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 9-11
THE Cell C Sharks came out tops in a match where there were more red cards than tries when they beat the Chiefs by 12-11 at a wet and windy Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Saturday evening.
The Chiefs scored the only try of the match, which saw three red cards in the space of 15 minutes in the first half. There had been 41 red cards in the history of Vodacom Super Rugby, but never more than one in a match.
First Chiefs hooker Hika Elliott was sent off in the 15th minute for foul play, but he was followed three minutes later by his direct opponent and Cell C Sharks captain Bismarck du Plessis.
When Frans Steyn was also red carded in the 28th minute, for an illegal tackle, it was 13 against 14 for more than 50 minutes of a game played in very bad conditions.
The Cell C Sharks ultimately employed better wet-weather tactics than their Kiwi opponents. Both sides committed a slew of handling errors, but the Chiefs tried to run with the ball more than their hosts, which probably was not the best option.
Bismarck du Plessis pleaded guilty at the subsequent SANZAR judicial hearing for kicking Michael Leitch, and was suspended from play for four weeks, up to 19th April 2015.
“I want to unreservedly apologise for my behaviour both as captain and a senior player. My actions were unacceptable and I fully accept the punishment handed down to me by SANZAR,” said the Sharks captain.
In addition to the punishment handed to Bismarck by SANZAR, The Sharks have also handed the player a heavy punishment, details of which remain an internal matter.
Hika Elliott, the Chiefs hooker was banned for one week after his dangerous charge on Tendai Mtawarira, and free to return to play on 29th March 2015.
The SANZAR Disciplinary Panel found Francois Steyn not guilty of a dangerous tackle on Aaron Cruden, after watching extensive footage of the incident, and his red card was expunged from the record.
SHARKS: 15 SP Marais 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 P Pietersen 12 Francois Steyn 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Patrick Lambie 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Renaldo Bothma 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Marco Wentzel 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (C) 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Kyle Cooper 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Lubabalo Mtyanda 20 Daniel du Preez 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Andre Esterhuizen 23 Waylon Murray
SCORERS P: Lambie (4) du Plessis, Steyn
CHIEFS: 15 Damian McKenzie 14 Bryce Heem 13 Seta Tamanivalu 12 Andrew Horrell 11 James Lowe 10 Aaron Cruden 9 Brad Weber 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 LIAM MESSAM (C) 5 Michael Fitzgerald 4 Matt Symons 3 Siate Tokolahi 2 Hika Elliot 1 Jamie Mackintosh BENCH: 16 Rhys Marshall 17 Ben Tameifuna 18 Mitchell Graham 19 Michael Allardice 20 Johan Bardoul 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Tom Marshall 23 Hosea Gear
SCORERS T: Cane P: Cruden (2) Elliot
Referee: Angus Gardner
WESTERN FORCE 17 - 21 MELBOURNE REBELS
nib Stadium, Perth Friday - 13 March 2015
KO: 19:00 HT: 7-15
THE RaboDirect Rebels secured a gritty win in Perth against the Western Force, keeping the hosts at bay as they pushed hard at the death to secure a 21-17 victory in Round Five of the 2015 Super Rugby competition.
With Foundation Rebel Luke Jones becoming just the fourth player in the Club’s history to reach 50 Rebels caps, and debutant second rower Steve Cummins entering the field in the first half to become Rebel Number 79, two first half tries were the difference as the Club evened up the season’s win/loss ratio after four matches.
A strong opening saw Mike Harris score his first try in Rebels colours and convert under the posts just 6 minutes in, following quick distribution from Nic Stirzaker and support from an eager pack making great strides. Despite the slippery conditions, the Rebels were keen to run early and after seeing off a lineout deep in their own territory, a Mitch Inman break then saw Dom Shipperley released for his first Rebel try just before the half hour mark.
The Rebels went close to a third again moments later, and Harris was happy to add to the score by knocking over a penalty goal from 30 metres out with just five minutes left in the half. However the Western Force could not be denied just before the break as Alby Mathewson took a clever tap and scored right in front, Luke Burton converting to reduce the deficit to 8 points at half time.
The hosts seemed rejuvenated by that try and came out firing in the second half, an early Burton penalty bringing the margin back to 5, and while the Rebels worked hard to earn opportunities a scrum 15 metres out came to nothing as the rain set in and the already sticky ball got wet.
Harris hit back with two successful penalty goals within 5 minutes, as Tony McGahan looked to his bench for reinforcements, with Luke Burgess replacing the excellent Stirzaker and Cruze Ah-Nau coming on for his first Super Rugby match in the city where he was born.
There was still time for Western Force prop Tetera Faulkner to score in the final stages, causing a nervy finish, but the Rebels held on to record a 21-17 victory; their second successive away win following the Round One victory over the Crusaders in Christchurch.
FORCE: 15 Luke Burton 14 Marcel Brache 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Solomoni Jnr Rasolea 11 Nick Cummins 10 Zack Holmes 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Chris Alcock 6 Brynard Stander 5 Steve Mafi 4 SAM WYKES (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Adam Coleman 20 Kane Koteka 21 Ian Prior 22 Sias Ebersohn 23 Mitchell Scott
SCORERS T: Mathewson, Faulkner C: Burton (2) P: Burton
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Tom English 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Scott Fuglistaller 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Laurie Weeks 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Tom Sexton 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Paul Alo-Emile 19 Steve Cummins 20 Colby Fainga’a 21 Luke Burgess 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Sefanaia Naivalu
SCORERS T: Harris, Shipperley C: Harris P: Harris (3)
Referee: Rohan Huffman
REDS 0 - 29 BRUMBIES
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Saturday - 14 March 2015
KO: 18:40 HT: 0-10
AN injury-ravaged St.George Queensland Reds battled gamely before going down 29-0 to the competition-leading Brumbies in a tough clash at Suncorp Stadium.
The Reds went down through five tries to the visitors with Ben Alexander getting a double and Stephen Moore, Ita Vaea, and Christian Leali’ifano also crossing. Leali’ifano landed two conversions.
Conditions were perfect with the temperature 24% at a dry Suncorp at kick-off. The Brumbies started on the offensive but James Horwill did well to disrupt a breakdown in a dangerous position. The visitors won a penalty from the resulting scrum but Leali’ifano’s attempt went wide.
Horwill was again prominent, winning an important turnover on 10 minutes as fullback Ben Tapuai and 18-year-old winger Campbell Magnay were making some inroads with ball in hand.
The Brumbies strung together the phases on 20 minutes and despite desperate defence from the Reds, Moore snuck over out wide with Leali’ifano missing the conversion. The Queensland line was again breached on 28 minutes with the Brumbies once more applying pressure over multiple phases close to the line before prop Alexander forced his way over. Leali’ifano’s conversion attempt hit the post to leave the score at 10-0.
The Reds strung some excellent phases together in the 32nd minute, with Chris Kuridrani making good yards down the right wing, but the promising move broke down when Matt Toomua intercepted an Adam Thomson pass.
On 38 minutes Nick Frisby chipped over the Brumbies defensive line and won a penalty due to a premature tackle. But his long range penalty attempt was out to the right to leave the score 10-0 to the visitors at half time.
Liam Gill was yellow carded early in the second half for a dangerous tackle on Nic White, with Alexander going over for his second try in the same movement. This time Leali’ifano’s conversion was successful to make it 17-0.
The Brumbies notched a further two tries through Ita Vaea and Leali’ifano to take the score to 29-0 by full time.
REDS: 15 Ben Tapuai 14 Chris Kuridrani 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia 12 Anthony Fainga’a 11 Campbell Magnay 10 Nick Frisby9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 James Horwill 4 Marco Kotze 3 Sam Talakai 2 Saia Fainga’a 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 James Hanson 17 Ben Daley 18 Sef Faagase 19 Dave McDuling 20 Curtis Browning 21 Scott Gale 22 Sam Johnson 23 Tom Banks
SCORERS Gill
BRUMBIES: 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Christian Leali'ifano 11 Joe Tomane 10 Matt Toomua 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 Jarrad Butler 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 Stephen Moore 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Ruan Smith 18 JP Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Blake Enever 21 Michael Dowsett 22 Lausii Taliauli 23 James Dargaville
SCORERS T: Moore, Alexander (2), Vaea, Leali'ifano C: Leali'ifano (2)
Referee: Andrew Lees
HURRICANES 30 - 23 BLUES
FMG Stadium, Palmerston North Friday - 13 March 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 18-17
THE Hurricanes pulled clear late in the match to beat the Blues 30-23 at a balmy FMG Stadium in Palmerston North on Friday night.
The Hurricanes opened their scoring in the 5th minute with a penalty to first five-eighth Beauden Barrett, before lighting up the night with the game’s opening try to halfback TJ Perenara. Perenara scored after throwing a long pass out to left wing Julian Savea, who linked with fullback Nehe Milner-Skudder who passed back to Perenara to score and make it 8-0.
The Hurricanes swung back onto attack and made several probing thrusts. Savea was held up over the line on the TMO’s advice, but referee Glen Jackson came back for an offside penalty and Barrett slotted his second penalty to put them ahead 11-0.
The Hurricanes were looking dangerous again, stealing a lineout and pouncing on attack. But Blues fullback Lolagi Visina stole an intercept and sprinted almost 90 metres to score under the posts. West converted and an action packed first quarter closed with the Hurricanes ahead 11-7.
The Blues went further ahead with their second try. Halfback Jimmy Cowan probed from an attacking scrum which lead to right wing Frank Halai crashing over in a powerful manoeuvre. West kicked his first penalty of the evening, extending the visitors’ lead to 17-11.
The Hurricanes finished the first half with a stunning try, which started deep inside their own territory and finished with a phenomenal play by right wing Matt Proctor. With the halftime hooter reverberating in their ears, the Hurricanes won a defensive penalty and ran the ball. In vintage Hurricanes style, the ball was kept alive through numerous sets of hands, recycled efficiently and Barrett stabbed a kick over the top for Proctor to re-gather, beat the last Blues defender and roll over to score in the right hand corner. Barrett slotted the sideline conversion and the Hurricanes were back ahead by the interval, 18-17.
The second half started off in high tempo, with both sides creating opportunities. West drew first blood, kicking a penalty to push the Blues back ahead.
Their lead was short-lived, as Savea burst through to the Hurricanes’ third try. Off the top of a lineout, second five-eighth Ma’a Nonu punched at a gap and offloaded a beautiful short pass to fullback Milner-Skudder who broke the line and created a try for Savea in the corner. Barrett’s conversion put the Hurricanes ahead 25-20.
The Hurricanes cavalry arrived off the bench and it was them who held their composure and made fewer mistakes under pressure.
West replied with a penalty, and the Hurricanes were in front 25-23 with 25 minutes remaining.
The Hurricanes went desperately close to scoring another try after another promising assault inside the Blues’ 22 that was just held out. The Blues regained possession and territory, and West missed two consecutive penalties, presenting the Hurricanes with the final say to clinch the win with Savea’s unconverted try.
HURRICANES: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder 14 Matt Proctor 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma’a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Victor Vito 7 Ardie Savea 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 Mark Abbott 3 Ben Franks 2 Dane Coles 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Motu Matu’u 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 Chris Eves 19 Jeremy Thrush 20 Blade Thomson 21 Chris Smylie 22 Rey Lee-Lo 23 James Marshall
SCORERS T: Perenara, Proctor, Julian Savea (2) C: Barrett (2) P: Barrett (2)
BLUES: 15 Lolagi Visinia 14 Frank Halai 13 Charles Piutau 12 Francis Saili 11 Melani Nanai 10 Ihaia West 9 Jimmy Cowan 8 Steven Luatua 7 LUKE BRAID (C) 6 Brendon O'Connor 5 Patrick Tuipulotu 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Charlie Faumuina 2 James Parsons 1 Tony Woodcock BENCH: 16 Keven Mealamu 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi 18 Angus Ta'avao/Sam Prattley 19 Hayden Triggs 20 Akira Ioane 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Simon Hickey 23 George Moala
SCORERS T: Visinia, Halai C: West (2) P: West (3)
Referee: Glen Jackson
CRUSADERS 34 - 6 LIONS
AMI Stadium, Christchurch Saturday - 14 March 2015
KO: 16:30 HT: 13-3
THE Crusaders were back to their best as they beat the Emirates Lions by 34-6 in Christchurch on Saturday morning.
The seven-time champions laid the foundation upfront, where their play in the set-pieces was simply too good for the visitors.
But although the scoreline suggests an easy win for the Crusaders, the Emirates Lions deserve a lot of credit for always putting up a fight. With 30 minutes to go the score was 13-6 but the visitors again struggled to convert opportunities into points.
The Emirates Lions also seemed to rely too much on their attacking approach, while the Crusaders were tactically superior.
With Julian Redelinghuys in the sin-bin for repeated infringements at the scrum, the Crusaders scored 14 unanswered points, which effectively put an end to the team from Johannesburg’s charge.
CRUSADERS: 15 Tom Taylor 14 Johnny McNicholl 13 Ryan Crotty 12 Dan Carter 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Colin Slade 9 Andy Ellis 8 KIERAN READ (C) 7 Richie McCaw 6 Jordan Taufua 5 Sam Whitelock 4 Luke Romano 3 Owen Franks 2 Ben Funnell 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Joe Moody 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Scott Barrett 20 Luke Whitelock 21 Mitchell Drummond 22 Kieron Fonotia 23 David Havili
SCORERS T: Ellis, PT, Fonotia, Read C: Carter (4) P: Carter (2)
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Harold Vorster 11 Sampie Mastriet 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Ross Cronje 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Martin Muller 4 Franco Mostert 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Corne Fourie BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Jacques van Rooyen 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Andries Ferreira 20 Derick Minnie 21 Faf de Klerk 22 Marnitz Boshoff 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS P: Jantjies (2) Redelinghuys
Referee: Nick Briant
HIGHLANDERS 26 - 19 WARATAHS
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Saturday - 14 March 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 14-12
THE NSW Waratahs were defeated by the Highlanders 26-19 in Dunedin, New Zealand on Saturday night.
The Waratahs rallied late to challenge the Highlanders for victory late in the match but it was not enough, with the defending champions left to rue missed opportunities. The Waratahs did claim the losing bonus point from the match to ensure they did not leave New Zealand empty handed.
The Waratahs took less than 3 minutes to score their first try following a brilliant interchange between fullback Israel Folau and flanker Michael Hooper. A short ball from Folau allowed the barnstorming Hooper to break through the Highlanders defensive line before sending a perfectly weighted pass to Nick Phipps to score.
The Waratahs scrum excelled against the New Zealanders early on with the Highlanders forwards struggling at the set piece against the men from NSW. This advantage directly lead to a try as the Highlanders defence was caught napping on the blind side in the 18th minute with the Waratahs forwards providing the platform for the second try. An offload from Michael Hooper to Nick Phipps allowed for Matt Carraro to gratefully receive the ball in space and run aware to score next to the posts. The successful conversion from Bernard Foley took the score to 12-0 in favour of the Waratahs.
Referee Joubert sent Sekope Kepu to the sin bin in the 26th minute after the Waratahs were seen to be enforcing deliberate penalties on their line to slow down the attacker’s ball. The resulting scrum allowed the Highlanders to score underneath the posts through Tom Franklin taking the score to 12-7 in favour of NSW ten minutes before half time.
The Waratahs regathered their composure and continued to attack the Highlanders in their defensive zone. With numbers to the left a brilliant individual effort from Waisake Naholo to break down the wing to score was a blow to the Waratahs just before half time. The score at the interval was 12-14 in favour of the Highlanders.
The second half did not start well for the Waratahs with a mistake at the scrum in their own 22 allowed the barnstorming Ben Smith to break the tackle of Kurtley Beale to score next to the posts to extend the home team’s advantage to 12-21.
The damage continued to be inflicted on the defending champions with the Highlanders scoring moments later through Patrick Osbourne taking the score to 26-12.
The Waratahs began to work themselves back into the match as a Peter Betham break on the wing allowed NSW to re-enter the Highlanders defensive zone. Only desperate defence from the tiring Highlanders prevented NSW from scoring on several phases.
A rolling maul from the NSW Waratahs was deemed to be held up. The Waratahs were unable to score off the resulting play as the Highlanders cleared their lines but a powerful run from Israel Folau allowed replacement Stephen Hoiles to score next to the posts.
Foley converted the try to get the side a sniff of stealing victory but the desperate Highlanders defence were able to hold off NSW allowing the home side to claim the victory.
HIGHLANDERS: 15 Ben Smith (C) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 NASI MANU (C) 7 Shane Christie 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Joe Wheeler 4 Tom Franklin 3 Ross Geldenhuys 2 Liam Coltman 1 Josh Hohneck BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Brendon Edmonds 18 Pingi Tala’apitaga 19 Mark Reddish 20 John Hardie 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Franklin, Naholo, Ben Smith, Osbourne C: Sopoaga (3)
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Peter Betham 13 Matt Carraro 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 DAVID DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: from Tolu Latu Jeremy Tilse Paddy Ryan Sam Lousi Mitchell Chapman Stephen Hoiles Brendan McKibbin Jono Lance Taqele Naiyaravoro/Ben Volavola
SCORERS T: Phipps, Carraro, Hoiles C: Foley (2) Kepu
Referee: Craig Joubert
THE Cell C Sharks scored an impressive bonus-point victory in Bloemfontein as the three other South African Vodacom Super Rugby sides in action in round five faltered.
The Emirates Lions could not emulate their win from last weekend as they came up against a Crusaders side hitting their straps in Christchurch on Saturday morning, with the Cantabrians running out comfortable winners (34-6).
On a sunny Cape Town afternoon, the DHL Stormers’ impressive four-match winning run came to a sudden end as they were beaten by 28-19 by the Chiefs, who outscored their hosts by three tries to one. The home team dropped from first to third on the standings.
But in the final match of the weekend, the Cell C Sharks ended a mini-slump with a good 27-10 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, which saw the team from Durban move into the top six on the log.
It was the Durbanites’ first try-scoring bonus-point away from home in a local derby in almost three years.
The Vodacom Bulls had a bye while there were yet again more away victories (four) than home wins (three).
STORMERS 19 - 28 CHIEFS
DHL Newlands, Cape Town Saturday - 14 March 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 16-13
A superb second half performance by the Chiefs meant the DHL Stormers’ four-match winning streak came to an end at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors from Waikato won 28-19, outscoring their hosts by three tries to one for their first victory in Cape Town since 2009.
The DHL Stormers had a much stronger start than the Chiefs, with the home team’s scrum exerting massive pressure on their visitors for a second successive week.
Kobus van Wyk crossed for a superb try in the 19th minute and soon thereafter the Capetonians were in control at 13-3, but from there on in things seemed to unravel for the home team as the Chiefs found their rhythm.
The two-time champions from Hamilton scored two tries after the break and used the width of the field well as they cruised to their seventh win out of 11 matches in South Africa since 2010.
STORMERS 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Kobus van Wyk 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Kurt Coleman 9 Louis Schreuder 8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Nizaam Carr 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Jean Kleyn 3 Vincent Koch 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Neil Rautenbach 17 Alistair Vermaak 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Ruan Botha 20 Schalk Burger 21 Nic Groom 22 Demetri Catrakilis 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: van Wyk C: Coleman P: Coleman (3), Catrakilis
15 Damian McKenzie 14 Bryce Heem 13 Tim Nanai-Williams 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Aaron Cruden 9 Brad Weber 8 Michael Leitch 7 Sam Cane 6 Liam Messam 5 Michael Fitzgerald 4 Matt Symons 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Jamie Mackintosh 19 Michael Allardice 20 Maama Vaipulu 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Andrew Horrell 23 Tom Marshall
SCORERS T: Cruden, Lowe, Cane C: Cruden (2) P: Cruden (3)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
CHEETAHS 10 - 27 SHARKS
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein Saturday - 14 March 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 3-22
SPRINGBOK flanker Marcell Coetzee scored two tries from lineout drives to help the Cell C Sharks to a good win by 27-10 over the Toyota Cheetahs at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.
Coetzee was joined on the list of try-scorers by Frans Steyn and Jack Wilson as the Cell C Sharks recorded their second bonus-point victory of the season. It was the Cell C Sharks’ first try-scoring bonus-point away from home in a derby match since beating the Toyota Cheetahs by 34-20 on 19 May 2012.
The KwaZulu-Natalians were especially impressive in the first half and carded three of their four tries during this time. They were made to work hard for their fourth try, by Wilson, who could only cross with less than 10 minutes left in the match.
Francois Venter scored a late try for the Toyota Cheetahs, whose next four games are tough encounters Down Under, following two consecutive home defeats.
CHEETAHS: 15 Willie le Roux 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Johann Sadie 12 Francois Venter 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Sarel Pretorius 8 Boom Prinsloo 7 Jean Cook 6 Tienie Burger 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Mienie BENCH: 16 BG Uys 17 Stephan Coetzee 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Heinrich Brussow 20 Steven Sykes 21 Tian Meyer 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Clayton Blommetjies
SCORERS T: Venter C: Brummer P: du Plessis
SHARKS: 15 SP Marais 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Francois Steyn 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Patrick Lambie 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Renaldo Bothma 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (C) 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Kyle Cooper 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Marco Wentzel 20 Tera Mtembu 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Andre Esterhuizen 23 Jack Wilson
SCORERS P: Steyn, Coetzee (2), Wilson Kankowski
Referee: Chris Pollock
BRUMBIES 27 - 15 WESTERN FORCE
GIO Stadium, Canberra - Friday 06 March 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 19-8
THE Western Force went down fighting against the ACT Brumbies, 27-15 at Canberra’s GIO Stadium.
The Brumbies led from start to finish as they put four tries past the struggling Force to gain an important bonus point win. Whereas the Brumbies are soaring, the Force after topping last year’s champions the Waratahs in round one, have failed to win a game since.
The first points came early to the homeside from a 5m lineout, and pick and drive for four phases with lock Rory Arnold burrowing over to score with Christian Leali'ifano adding the extras.
But only three minutes passed before Force replied with 14 phases of a lineout in the 22 before spinning the ball to the left wing where Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins crashed over in the corner, despite the attention of three covering defenders. TMO Ian Smith confirmed the try but Zack Holmes failed to equalise.
The fast pace continued, and from a ruck on the 40m line, the Brumbies play down the short blindside and found space for winger Joe Tomane to race to the line to score. Marcel Brache charged down Leali'ifano’s conversion, but Holmes failed to close the gap at the end of the first quarter, missing a penalty after Matt Toomua was pinged for not releasing the ball.
Henry Speight charged along the right wing but was brought down short, though it took only two phases for Ben Alexander to pick and drive over the line to score a converted try. A final penalty from Holmes closed out the first half 19-8 to the Brumbies.
The Brumbies continued with the same determination on return to the paddock, and further well-worked set piece from another 5m lineout took a rolling maul to the edge of the line before Nic White picked up the ball and ricocheted off the defence to score, 24-8.
Heading into the final quarter, the Force chased down a Junior Rasolea kick to force a scrum for unplayable ball in their attacking quarter, and the resultant scrum took the visitors 15 phases before Steve Mafi drove over the line adjacent to the posts.
Holmes conversion brought them back into the game, 24-15, but there were no more points to be had for the Force, whilst gifting a penalty for offside for the Leali’ifano to add a final 3, taking the full time score to 27-15.
BRUMBIES: 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Christian Leali'ifano 11 Joe Tomane 10 Matt Toomua 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 Jarred Butler 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 Stephen Moore 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 JP Smith 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Blake Enever 21 Michael Dowsett 22 James Dargaville 23 Jesse Mogg
SCORERS T: Arnold, Tomane, Alexander, White C: Leali'ifano (2) P: Leali'ifano
FORCE: 15 Luke Morahan 14 Marcel Brache 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Solomoni Jnr Rasolea 11 Nick Cummins 10 Zack Holmes 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Chris Alcock 6 Brynard Stander 5 Steve Mafi 4 SAM WYKES (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Wilhelm Steenkamp 20 Kane Koteka 21 Ian Prior 22 Sias Ebersohn 23 Luke Burton
SCORERS T: Cummins, Mafi C: Holmes P: Holmes
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
REDS 5 - 23 WARATAHS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Saturday 07 March 2015
KO: 18:40 HT: 0-13
THE NSW Waratahs defeated arch rivals the Queensland Reds 23-5 on Saturday night after a grinding, physical encounter in Brisbane. The victory means that the Bob Templeton Cup -the trophy competed for between the two states- has returned to NSW for another year.
The first points of the match came through the boot of Bernard Foley after a collapse by the Reds at the scrum allowed Foley to give NSW a 3-0 lead.
The Waratahs continued to exert pressure on the Reds who struggled for consistent possession in the Waratahs half, with only handling errors preventing the Waratahs from taking further advantage. Foley’s second penalty came just over quarter way through the match, taking the score to 6-0.
The Reds defence was tested moments later when some great vision from centre, Kurtley Beale provided the platform for a great Waratahs try. The ball moved between Israel Folau to Matt Carraro, drawing in the Reds defence, to put Foley over for the first try of the match. The successful conversion took the Waratahs lead to 13-0.
It was the defence from the Tahs that prevented a Queensland try from Reds’ James O’Connor who had been uncomfortably shuffled to full back before kick off, leaving the score 13-0 in favour of the Waratahs at halftime.
The second half continued much the same as the first as the Reds struggled against to gain momentum in the face of the Waratahs defence. The Tahs pounded the Reds line as Queensland was unable to keep hold off possession in their own half. With a penalty for a breakdown infringement, Foley easily converted the gift 3 points to take the score to 16-0 in favour of NSW.
Queensland had the best opportunity for points in the 56th minute when referee Glen Jackson sent Tatafu Polota-Nau to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle at the line out-reducing NSW to 14 men. But the Tahs’ defence placed pressure on the Reds, allowing NSW to clean their lines after a forward pass.
As the last quarter of the match passed, the Waratahs looked to step up the intensity and a fantastic 70 metre try from winger, Peter Betham created a sense of urgency for the Waratahs attack. Foley put further pressure on the Queensland Reds with his second successful conversion taking the score to 23-0 in favour of NSW.
An injury to former NSW Waratah, Lachie Turner slowed the game momentarily as concern was shared from both teams for the fallen player, but both teams recovered, a daring raid from the Tahs backs almost allowed for a third try but for excellent defence from former All Black Adam Thomson.
In the dying stages of the match, the Reds threw everything they had left at the Waratahs, and with a vocal home crowd behind them, Marco Kotze scored in the corner to take the score to 23-5. The unsuccessful conversion from Queensland left the final score at 23-5 giving the Waratahs their second win.
REDS: 15 James O’Connor 14 Chris Kuridrani 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia Ben Tapuai 12 Anthony Fainga’a 11 Lachie Turner 10 Nick Frisby 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 Marco Kotze 4 Dave McDuling 3 Sam Talakai 2 Saia Fainga’a 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 James Hanson 17 Ben Daley 18 Sef Faagase 19 Tom Murday 20 Curtis Browning 21 Scott Gale 22 Sam Johnson 23 Campbell Magnay
SCORERS T: Kotze
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Peter Betham 13 Matt Carraro 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 DAVID DENNIS (C) 4 Will Skelton 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Tolu Latu 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Sam Lousi 20 Mitchell Chapman 21 Stephen Hoiles 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Jono Lance 24 Taqele Naiyaravoro
SCORERS T: Foley, Betham C: Foley (2) P: Foley (3) Polota-Nau
Referee: Glen Jackson
CHIEFS 17 - 20 HIGHLANDERS
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton - Friday 06 March 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 3-14
MARTY BANKS' late penalty snatched victory for the Highlanders in a controversial finish to their 20-17 win over the Chiefs in Hamilton.
A combined 12 missed points of the kicking tee from Aaron Cruden and Andrew Horrell were ultimately expensive, as two late penalties drove the Highlanders upfield and gave Banks the chance to win it - the first from a call to sin-bin James Lowe for an alleged dangerous tackle on Malakai Fekitoa.
There was heroic defence from the visitors throughout the opening 40 minutes, despite the Chiefs enjoying almost 82 percent of the territory. Even though they were under the cosh in their own 22 for so long, the only try of the first half came from a Highlanders breakaway.
Shaun Treeby set off into space making it over halfway before he was dragged down, but good handling and a number of touches from the inspirational Ben Smith kept the move alive. The ball was worked wide to Patrick Osborne and the powerful winger burst off his left foot inside three defenders to drive his way over for the score.
Osborne's solo effort combined with three penalties from the boot of Liam Sopoaga had the Highlanders surprisingly but deservedly ahead 14-3 at the break, just reward for their resilience.
Overpowered in the first half, the Chiefs were a shadow of the side that overwhelmed the Crusaders a week ago, but they looked back to their old selves as the match wore on. A couple of driving lineouts from the Chiefs were stopped short, with Joe Wheeler sent to the bin after doing so illegally, before the home pack got a nudge on and drove their way towards the line to secure a penalty try, taking the score to 10-14 in the 49th minute.
The Chiefs hunted out a second try for the lead, opting for multiple scrums from penalties close to the Highlanders line against their seven-man opponents with Wheeler off. Similar dominance brought the same result - a second penalty try for the Chiefs after more scrummaging excellence to put them ahead 17-14 with Cruden's easy conversion.
Cruden sprayed another penalty well wide, his third miss of the night, but all the momentum was with the Chiefs as they controlled possession and territory heading into the final quarter.
Penalties racked up against the Highlanders - 16 to the Chiefs' 6 at one stage - as Horrell took over the kicking duties, but had no better luck with his effort clattering back off the post.
Time remained for the Highlanders to change the result and Banks did just that with a well-taken penalty four minutes from time to level things up at 17-17.
The key decision to yellow card Lowe then set the Highlanders on their way upfield for Banks to deliver victory to the Highlanders.
CHIEFS: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Hosea Gear 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Aaron Cruden 9 Augustine Pulu 8 Liam Messam 7 Sam Cane 6 Johan Bardoul 5 Mike Fitzgerald 4 Matt Symons 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Mitchell Graham 19 Michael Allardice 20 Maama Vaipulu 21 Brad Weber 22 Damian McKenzie 23 Andrew Horrell
SCORERS T: PT (2) C: Cruden (2) P: Cruden Lowe
HIGHLANDERS: 15 BEN SMITH (C) 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 NASI MANU (C) 7 Elliot Dixon 6 Gareth Evans 5 Joe Wheeler 4 Mark Reddish 3 Ma’afu Fia 2 Liam Coltman 1 Josh Hohneck BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Brendon Edmonds 18 Ross Geldenhuys 19 Tom Franklin 20 Dan Pryor 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Marty Banks 23 Jason Emery
SCORERS T: Osbourne P: Sopoaga (3) Banks (2) Wheeler
Referee: Nick Briant
BLUES 10 - 13 LIONS
QBE Stadium, North Harbour - Saturday 07 March 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 10-3
THE Emirates Lions put in a huge defensive performance, holding off Sir John Kirwan’s Blues at home at the QBE Stadium on Saturday night, securing a first win of the season and only a fourth win in history away to a New Zealand side.
All Black hooker Keven Mealamu was celebrating the monumental achievement of becoming the most capped Super Rugby player in history with his 163rd match. But all the Blues walked away with was a fourth consecutive defeat in the 2015 Super Rugby season.
All the stats favoured the homeside by the close of the match, with 61% possession and 74% territory, 17 more defenders beaten, 6 offloads to none, 100% of rucks won, a better tackling success rate; they lead on the scoreboard for three quarters of the match, and even got over the line on four occasions, but came away with nothing. The Blues were not to be beaten.
Not until the second quarter did the scoreboard budge, where Ihaia West knocked over a first penalty, rapidly matched with on from Elton Jantjies.
But it was Jerome Kaino’s close range try on the half hour mark, converted by West, which made the difference, taking the halftime score 10-3 in favour of the homeside.
On return, Jantjies played catch up with a penalty, and after the subs began rolling on in the final quarter, and the pack trundled into the Blues’ 22, he threw out a long range pass to Ruan Combrinck who switched up his pace and touched down for the visitors. Jantjies converted the try and took the lead 13-10.
It was nothing short of absolute grit and determination on the part of the visiting Lions, who held out the Blues with incredible defence, and forced 10 unanswered points on the homeside in the second half to deserve the win.
BLUES: 15 Lolagi Visinia 14 Frank Halai 13 Charles Piutau 12 Francis Saili 11 Melani Nanai 10 Ihaia West 9 Jimmy Cowan 8 Jerome Kaino 7 Luke Braid 6 Steven Luatua 5 Patrick Tuipulotu 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Charlie Faumuina 2 Keven Mealamu 1 Ofa Tu'ungafasi BENCH: 16 James Parsons 17 Sam Prattley 18 Angus Ta'avao 19 Hayden Triggs 20 Brendon O'Connor 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Simon Hickey 23 Hamish Northcott
SCORERS T: Kaino C: West P: West
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Harold Vorster 11 Sampie Mastriet 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Ross Cronje 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Martin Muller 4 Franco Mostert 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Corne Fourie BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Jacques van Rooyen 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Robert Kruger 20 Derick Minnie 21 Faf de Klerk 22 Jaco van der Walt 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: Combrinck C: Jantjies P: Jantjies (2)
Referee: Matt O'Brien
THE DHL Stormers continued their impressive winning run and the Vodacom Bulls showed they mean business, but it was the Emirates Lions who arguably caused the biggest upset of the fourth round of Vodacom Super Rugby.
The team from Johannesburg got their Australasian tour underway in emphatic fashion when they beat the Blues in Albany by 13-10 on Saturday morning for only their second-ever win in New Zealand.
The first South African derby of the weekend took place in Bloemfontein, where Handré Pollard “dropped, placed and scored” as the Vodacom Bulls recorded their second win of the season and moved into the top six on the log when they beat the Toyota Cheetahs by 39-20.
And yet another high-intensity derby followed in Cape Town, where the DHL Stormers won their fourth game on the trot, this time against the Cell C Sharks team by 29-13.
In this round, four of the six matches were won by visiting teams. Thus far in 2015, the winning rate for teams away from home is almost 60% (16 from 27 matches), while the average proportion of away wins in 2014 was a mere 27.2%.
CHEETAHS 20 - 39 BULLS
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein - Saturday 07 March 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 6-23
SPRINGBOK fly half Handré Pollard contributed 29 points as the Vodacom Bulls overpowered the Toyota Cheetahs by 39-20 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon.
Pollard’s haul included a try, three conversions, five penalty goals and a drop-goal as the three-time champions moved into the top six on the standings.
The men from Pretoria are clearly picking up steam after a slow start to the competition. They delivered a balanced performance which was built on putting in the hard work first. Bjorn Basson and Jan Serfontein also scored for the visitors.
It was the Toyota Cheetahs’ first defeat of the season and although they came back strongly in the first 20 minutes after the break – with converted tries by Raymond Rhule and Boom Prinsloo closing the gap on the scoreboard to only six points – the fact is that the match was basically lost from their perspective in the first half.
CHEETAHS: 15 Willie le Roux 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Francois Venter 12 Michael van der Spuy 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Pietersen 9 Sarel Pretorius 8 Jean Cook 7 Oupa Mohoje 6 Boom Prinsloo 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Mienie BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee. 17 BG Uys 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Tienie Burger 20 Steven Sykes 21 Tian Meyer 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Johann Sadie
SCORERS T: Rhule, Prinsloo C: Pietersen (2) P: Pietersen (2) Rhule
BULLS: 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Bjorn Basson 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Francois Hougaard 10 Handré Pollard 9 Rudy Paige 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) 7 Pieter Labuschagne 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Victor Matfield 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Trevor Nyakane 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Morné Mellett BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Dean Greyling 18 Marcel van der Merwe 19 Grant Hattingh 20 Hanro Liebenberg 21 Tian Schoeman 22 Piet van Zyl 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: Pollard, Basson, Serfontein C: Pollard (3) P: Pollard (5) DG: Pollard
Referee: Stuart Berry
STORMERS 29 - 13 SHARKS
DHL Newlands, Cape Town - Saturday 07 March 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 13-10
THE intensity was sky-high and the ferocity massive, but in the end the DHL Stormers simply had too much firepower for the Cell C Sharks as they won this local derby by 29-13 at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday evening.
The foundation for the DHL Stormers’ victory was laid upfront, where their monstrous scrum caused the visitors from Durban endless problems.
The home team also won the collisions and made fewer mistakes than the KwaZulu-Natalians, but they also had the luck of the bounce from time to time. Johnny Kotze’s try came from a good bounce from a long kick for the DHL Stormers, while they were also awarded a penalty try for a Cell C Sharks mistake in their own in-goal area.
On the contrary, the Cell C Sharks – despite a solid start – struggled to assert themselves after the break and more mistakes crept into their game. Springbok fly half Pat Lambie scored all their points on the night.
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Johnny Kotze 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 Duane Vermeulen 7 Siya Kolisi 6 Nizaam Carr 5 Manuel Carizza 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Vincent Koch 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Neil Rautenbach 17 Alistair Vermaak 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Jean Kleyn 20 Schalk Burger 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: Kotze, PT C: Catrakilis, Coleman P: Catrakilis (4), Coleman Groom
SHARKS 15 SP Marais 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 JP Pietersen 12 Francois Steyn 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Patrick Lambie 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Willem Alberts 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit 4 Lubabalo Mtyanda 3 Matt Stevens 2 BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (C) 1 Thomas du Toit BENCH: 16 Kyle Cooper 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Marco Wentzel 20 Renaldo Bothma 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Andre Esterhuizen 23 Jack Wilson
SCORERS T: Lambie C: Lambie P: Lambie (2) Steyn
Referee: Jaco Peyper
WESTERN FORCE 13 - 42 HURRICANES
nib Stadium, Perth Friday - 27 February 2015
KO: 19:00 HT: 6-15
THE Hurricanes earned a 42-13 win over the Western Force in Perth on Friday night, securing their third straight win of 2015 and their first bonus point win of the season.
The visitors, who held a 15-6 half-time lead, dominated the contact zone allowing them to run in five-tries-to-one in the 29-point victory.
The Hurricanes attacked the Force’s traditional strengths around the rucks and dominated at set-piece time, whilst continuing the pattern of their organised, structured defence of the opening two weekends in South Africa.
The Hurricanes scored first half tries to right wing Cory Jane and lock Mark Abbott, whilst conceding just two penalties.
This was extended with second half tries to No. 8 Victor Vito, left wing Julian Savea and fullback James Marshall, who scored right on fulltime after the Force had scored a late consolation try.
Force No.8 Ben McCalman continued his outstanding start to the season with another strong performance at the back of the scrum, while Zack Holmes claimed the Haigh & Hastings Man of the Match after threatening the line and finding space with his kicking game. Replacement flanker Kane Koteka was also impressive in his Asteron Life Super Rugby debut, challenging hard against his bigger and more experienced Hurricanes opponents.
The Force’s lone try came in the second half through replacement winger Mitchell Scott, who tore away from the Hurricanes chasers in his 60-metre dash to the try line.
“When it comes to it, their body height was better than ours in a lot of those contact areas. Once you lose the collisions both in attack and defence it’s very hard to get into the game,” said Michael Foley, Force Head Coach.
“There were times when we had possession and we didn’t do anything with it and that was largely around the contact area. There were times when they had possession and often that was from our turnovers – which is the type of possession that they are most likely to have – and they cut us up. Getting the attacking contact right against a team like the Hurricanes gives you an opportunity to score but if you don’t, it gives them an opportunity to score and that was the major turning point I think in the game and I don’t think we got that part right.”
FORCE 15 Luke Burton 14 Luke Morahan 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Solomoni Jnr Rasolea 11 Marcel Brache 10 Zack Holmes 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Brynard Stander 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Steve Mafi 4 SAM WYKES (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pekahou Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Rory Walton 20 Kane Koteka 21 Ian Prior 22 Sias Ebersohn 23 Mitchell Scott
SCORERS T: Scott C: Burton P: Holmes, Burton
HURRICANES 15 James Marshall 14 Cory Jane 13 Rey Lee-Lo 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 Chris Smylie 8 Victor Vito 7 Brad Shields 6 Ardie Savea 5 James Broadhurst 4 Blade Thomson 3 Ben Franks 2 DANE COLES (C) 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 Chris Eves 19 Mark Abbott 20 Callum Gibbins 21 TJ Perenara 22 Matt Proctor 23 Nehe Milner-Skudder
SCORERS T: Jane, Abbott, Vito, Julian Savea, Marshall C: Barrett (2), Marshall (2) P: Barrett (3)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
MELBOURNE REBELS 15 - 20 BRUMBIES
AAMI Park, Melbourne Saturday - 28 February 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 6-13
THE RaboDirect Rebels fell to a narrow 15-20 loss to the ACT Brumbies at a wet AAMI Park in Round Three of the Super Rugby competition.
The Rebels dominated possession and territory and looked slick in attack in the opening half, however a huge effort from the Brumbies’ famed defence managed to hold them out. A storm rushed into Melbourne at half time, making ball play tough after the break.
Scrumhalf Nic Stirzaker returned to the starting line-up in the only change from last week’s side, while Wallaby lock Luke Jones celebrated his 50th Super Rugby cap.
The Brumbies scored the first points of the night through a Christian Leali’ifano penalty, with the Rebels unable to capitalise on a dominant opening. However, the Rebels were quick to respond with a penalty goal to Mike Harris from the opposite corner.
Following a try-less opening quarter, Wallabies centre Tevita Kuridrani was the first try scorer of the night, slicing through the Rebels’ defensive line with a set piece play, and Leali’ifano converted, swiftly followed by a penalty taking the score to 3-13 on the half hour mark, whilst Tom Walsh’s try for the homeside was nulled for a forward pass.
Lightning struck over AAMI Park as the Rebels closed the gap to 6-13 through a penalty goal to Harris on 39 minutes.
The rain set in heavily during the interval, and the first points of the half did not come until 55 minutes, with the Brumbies penalised for offside, allowing Harris to score his third penalty goal of the night.
However, the Brumbies scored the second and final try of the match not long afterwards, with a driving maul pushing flanker Jarred Butler over the line, Leali’ifano converting to extend the lead to eleven on the hour mark, 9-20.
The Rebels again responded, with Harris scoring another two penalties and bringing the Rebels within 5 points with only four minutes remaining. And despite another huge effort after the final siren which saw the hosts nearly go coast to coast through close to twenty phases, the Rebels were unable to find the line, with the Brumbies taking a 15-20 victory.
Rebels coach Tony McGahan was full of praise for the opposition, but also his own players who have battled admirably during an opening three weeks which has pitted them against three of the top four teams from last season for a win and two bonus point losses.
“The Brumbies showed tonight, as they have so far this season and over the last two campaigns, that they are very good side with lots of senior players,” he said.
“We’d all love to have that injection of twenty-five to thirty games into each player, as the last two weeks has suggested we need that little bit of extra composure against the top sides, but we know that will come.”
REBELS 15 Mike Harris 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Tom English 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 SCOTT HIGGINBOTHAM (C) 7 Colby Fainga’a 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Laurie Weeks 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Ben Whittaker 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Paul Alo-Emile 19 Sam Jeffries 20 Scott Fuglistaller 21 Luke Burgess 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Sefanaia Naivalu
SCORERS P: Harris (5) Higginbotham
BRUMBIES 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Christian Lealiifano 11 Joe Tomane 10 Matt Toomua 9 Nic White 8 Ita Vaea 7 Jarrad Butler 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 STEPHEN MOORE (C) 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Josh Mann-Rea 17 Ruan Smith 18 JP Smith 19 Blake Enever 20 Jordan Smiler 21 Michael Dowsett 22 James Dargaville 23 Jesse Mogg
SCORERS T: Kuridrani, Butler C: Leali'ifano (2) P: Leali'ifano (2) Carter
Referee: Steve Walsh
HIGHLANDERS 20 - 13 REDS
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Friday - 27 February 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 9-3
The St.George Queensland Reds battled hard before being edged out 20-13 by the Highlanders in an entertaining Super Rugby clash in Dunedin.
James O’Connor made an impressive debut for the Reds, notching two penalties and a conversion, while No.8 Jake Schatz crossed for Queensland’s only try. The Highlanders also scored one try, to wing Waisake Naholo, with fly half Marty Banks’ four penalties and replacement Hayden Parker’s one, proving the difference between the teams.
Conditions were perfect under the roof for open Rugby and it was all the Highlanders early on as the Reds were called upon to defend and they found themselves down 3-0 after three minutes through a penalty goal to Banks. But just two minutes later, O’Connor, starting his first game at fly half for the Reds, split the Highlanders defence with a scintillating 60-metre run down the centre of the field.
The Reds continued to attack with lock Marco Kotze stopped just metres short after a powerful burst, before a knock on out wide stopped the promising movement. The first scrum ended with a powerful shove against the feed, winning the Reds a penalty, which O’Connor landed to make it 3-3 on 11 minutes.
Two quick penalty goals from Banks made it 9-3 on 24 minutes, before the Reds dominance at scrum time again surfaced, winning a short arm and then full arm penalty in quick succession, but a 32nd minute attempt shot to the left to miss, leaving the score at half time..
The Reds were forced into a substitution at half time with Samu Kerevi going off with a corked thigh and 18-year-old Campbell Magnay coming on to the left wing and Feauai-Sautia moving to centre.
The Highlanders started the second half at full steam and captain James Slipper, Kotze and Saia Fainga’a had to combine well to stop a dangerous driving maul inches out from their line.
The Reds then got their hands on the ball and some quick ball movement saw them work their way up field. O’Connor put the ball into touch metres out from the Highlanders line on 48 minutes and a mistake from the Highlanders saw Genia just held up over the line.
But the Reds were over a minute later. From the scrum the ball squirted out the back and while the defence were worried about Genia, No.8 Jake Schatz dove on the ball and then stood up and strolled over the line to score. O’Connor’s conversion made it 10-9 after 51 minutes.
A fourth penalty goal to Banks made it 12-10 four minutes later as Tom Murday came on for Dave McDuling, after a strong starting debut for the lock, and Saia Fainga’a made way for James Hanson at hooker.
The Highlanders then enjoyed a good spell of possession and Naholo went over in the right corner, despite the best efforts of Lachie Turner, to make it 17-10 with 11 minutes remaining, Parker missing the conversion.
The Reds did well on 75 minutes to stop another try, but the Highlanders continued to attack and Parker landed a penalty on 78 minutes, after another Anthony Fainga’a breakdown infringement, to take the score out to 20-10.
A long range penalty from O’Connor in the final minute completed the scoring and earned the Reds a crucial losing bonus point
Reds head coach Richard Graham said his side were disappointed to leave Dunedin with only a losing bonus point, but there were some positives to take from the defeat.
“I am disappointed because we didn’t get the result we came for," he said.
“We began the game well, but then got sucked into a battle of field position that we lost. We kicked aimlessly at times which allowed them to spend over 60% of the game in our half. We went away from our strategy and got dragged into theirs. They were physical and I give them credit for the disciplined approach they had.”
HIGHLANDERS 15 Ben Smith 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Jason Emery 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Marty Banks 9 Aaron Smith 8 Nasi Manu 7 John Hardie 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Mark Reddish 4 Tom Franklin 3 Ross Geldenhuys 2 Ash Dixon 1 Brendon Edmonds BENCH: 16 Liam Coltman 17 Josh Hohneck 18 Ma'afu Fia 19 Joe Wheeler 20 Dan Pryor 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Hayden Parker 23 Kurt Baker
SCORERS T: Naholo P: Banks (4), Parker
REDS 15 Lachie Turner 14 Chris Kuridrani 13 Samu Kerevi 12 Anthony Fainga’a 11 Chris Feauai-Sautia 10 James O’Connor 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 Marco Kotze 4 Dave McDuling 3 Sam Talakai 2 Saia Fainga’a 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 James Hanson 17 Ben Daley 18 Sef Faagase 19 Tom Murday 20 Curtis Browning 21 Nick Frisby 22 Sam Johnson 23 Campbell Magnay
SCORERS T: Schatz C: O'Connor P: O'Connor (2)
Referee: Glen Jackson
CHIEFS 40 - 16 CRUSADERS
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Saturday - 28 February 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 22-9
The Chiefs were outstanding as they dispatched the Crusaders 40-16 with a high-energy demolition at Hamilton's Waikato Stadium.
No love was lost between these two New Zealand giants as tempers seemingly always threatened to spill over in a physical affair. Moments of class though were not in short supply with the Chiefs looking back to their championship intensity of 2012 and 2013, additionally winning an impressive 17/17 lineouts. The Crusaders just could not handle their intensity and were physically outmatched from start to finish.
The tackle in the air reared its head three times in the first half alone with James Lowe and Matt Todd both saw yellow for their indiscretions, Todd's offence coming straight after Lowe had returned to the field from his stint in the sin-bin. Thankfully the quality of the game comfortably overshadowed those moments of indiscipline, as the Chiefs grew in confidence and ended with a try bonus point in a very impressive outing.
Even losing Brodie Retallick very early on to injury was not enough to disrupt the Chiefs as they finished with five tries - with Hika Elliott, Sam Cane and Aaron Cruden all shining.
Colin Slade opened the scoring with two straight penalties before Lowe departed for his careless charge under the legs of Scott Barrett.
Despite being down to 14 men though the Chiefs grabbed the first try. Charlie Ngatai's clever offload kept an attack alive before Sonny Bill Williams reached out to score having spun his way out from the back of a ruck near the Crusaders' line with a skillful finish. Cruden missed the conversion and then a penalty after a monster scrum from his pack, but the momentum continued to run the Chiefs' way following Todd's yellow card.
A great carry from Lowe, looking for redemption, set the Chiefs up near the posts and Augustine Pulu's dart gave the hosts a second try. Slade and Cruden traded penalties before the Chiefs produced a supreme score, all starting from Tom Marshall's low kick upfield.
The chasers swarmed the breakdown to turn over possession before Sam Cane threw out a diamond pass to Williams, creating an easy run-in for Charlie Ngatai. Cruden converted to give the Chiefs a 22-9 half-time lead.
The Crusaders desperately needed a spark and Andy Ellis was the provider after the break. The experienced number nine came off the bench for the injured Mitchell Drummond and burrowed his way over from close-range to give the visitors a lifeline.
Two Cruden penalties opened up the gap to 28-16 before the Chiefs stepped on the gas, Marshall securing the bonus point try in the far corner as the Crusaders paid the price for playing too much rugby in their 22 by being turned over. A turnover score sent Lowe off to the races for try number five, Cruden's conversion bringing up the 40-point mark.
Young replacement Damian McKenzie came on and then swiftly departed after being shown a yellow card for a tip tackle as the Chiefs hunted down try number six with time running out.
It was not to be, but the Chiefs had already put this one away by a record margin against their New Zealand rivals, sending the Crusaders into their bye week with plenty of questions and licking their wounds.
A flat performance from the Crusaders will have left Todd Blackadder feeling bitterly disappointed, with last year's finalists capable of much more than they produced in Hamilton.
CHIEFS 15 Tom Marshall 14 Bryce Heem 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Aaron Cruden 9 Augustine Pulu 8 LIAM MESSAM (C) 7 Sam Cane 6 Michael Fitzgerald 5 Brodie Retallick 4 Matt Symons 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Siate Tokolahi 18 Mitchell Graham 19 Johan Bardoul 20 Sean Polwart 21 Brad Weber 22 Damian McKenzie 23 Seta Tamanivalu
SCORERS T: Williams, Pulu, Ngatai, Marshall, Lowe C: Cruden (3) P: Cruden (3) Lowe, McKenzie
CRUSADERS 15 Tom Taylor 14 Robbie Fruean 13 Kieron Fonotia 12 Ryan Crotty 11 Johnny McNicholl 10 Colin Slade 9 Mitchell Drummond 8 Jordan Taufua 7 MATT TODD (C) 6 Richie McCaw 5 Scott Barrett 4 Luke Romano 3 Nepo Laulala 2 Ben Funnell 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Joe Moody 18 Alex Hodgman 19 Jimmy Tupou 20 Luke Whitelock 21 Andy Ellis 22 Nathaniel Apa 23 Nafi Tuitavake
SCORERS T: Ellis C: Slade P: Slade (3) Todd
Referee: Mike Fraser
THE Toyota Cheetahs, Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers were victorious in three terrific Vodacom Super Rugby matches as the competition really took off in the third round.
On Friday evening, the Toyota Cheetahs sneaked home against the Blues in Bloemfontein, winning their second match of the season by 25-24 to remain one of only four unbeaten teams in 2015.
Saturday saw two local derbies of the highest calibre with Test-like intensity. Mirroring the encounter in Bloemfontein, the results of both these matches were in the balance right until the end.
The Vodacom Bulls produced their maiden win of the season when they beat the Cell C Sharks by 43-35 in a superb match in Pretoria. Then the DHL Stormers clocked their third win from three matches when they beat the Emirates Lions by 22-19 in Johannesburg.
CHEETAHS 25 - 24 BLUES
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein Friday - 27 February 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 12-14
TOYOTA CHEETAHS fly half Joe Pietersen slotted a superb late penalty goal to hand his team a one-point win over the Blues at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein in very windy conditions on Friday evening.
Springbok wing Cornal Hendricks scored two tries for the home team, while livewire scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius also finished a fine solo-move for the Free Staters’ third try.
It was a very even match and the result was in the balance right until the end, when Blues fly half Ihaia West pushed an attempted drop-goal wide. The home team had to defend for most of the match and did well to keep the dangerous Blues at bay.
Springbok prop Coenie Oosthuizen was a real thorn in the visitors’ flesh and was named the Man of the Match.
CHEETAHS 15 Willie le Roux 14 Cornal Hendricks 13 Francois Venter 12 Michael van der Spuy 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Petersen 9 Sarel Pretorius 8 Willie Britz 7 Teboho Mohoje 6 Jean Cook 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Carl Wegner 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Mienie BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 BG Uys 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Tienie Burger 20 Boom Prinsloo 21 Tian Meyer 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Johann Sadie
SCORERS T: Hendricks (2), Pretorius C: Pietersen (2) P: Pietersen (2)
BLUES 15 Lolagi Visinia 14 Melani Nanai 13 Charles Piutau 12 Hamish Northcott 11 Tevita Li 10 Ihaia West 9 Jimmy Cowan 8 Jerome Kaino 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Luke Braid 5 Patrick Tuipulotu 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Charlie Faumuina 2 James Parsons 1 Tony Woodcock BENCH: 16 Matt Moulds 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi 18 Angus Ta'avao 19 Steven Luatua 20 Akira Ioane 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Simon Hickey 23 Francis Saili
SCORERS T: Braid, Faumuina, Kaino C: West (3) P: West
Referee: Rohan Huffman
BULLS 43 - 35 SHARKS
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Saturday - 28 February 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 23-16
THE Vodacom Bulls outscored the Cell C Sharks by four tries to two as they recorded their first victory of the season by 43-35 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.
The home team had to dig deep though as ill-discipline meant the visitors’ Springbok fly half, Pat Lambie, kept the scoreboard ticking over with some pin-point goal kicking. His counterpart and fellow Springbok pivot, Handré Pollard, was also bang on target on the night.
The Vodacom Bulls, who scored two tries in each half, probably used their opportunities better in this match, which delivered rugby of the highest calibre between South Africa’s two most successful franchises at this level - between them, they have played in seven Vodacom Super Rugby finals.
Jan Serfontein’s try, slightly fortuitous after the visitors coughed up the ball in their own 22, secured the Vodacom Bulls the bonus point, while the conversion by replacement fly half Tian Schoeman meant the Cell C Sharks had to leave Pretoria with empty hands.
BULLS 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Bjorn Basson 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Francois Hougaard 10 Handré Pollard 9 Rudy Paige 8 PIERRE SPIES (C) 7 Pieter Labuschagne 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Victor Matfield 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Trevor Nyakane 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Morné Mellett BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Dean Greyling 18 Marcel van der Merwe 19 Grant Hattingh 20 Hanro Liebenberg 21 Tian Schoeman 22 Travis Ismaiel 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: Hougaard, Stegmann, Spies, Serfontein C: Pollard (3), Schoeman P: Pollard (4), Schoeman
SHARKS 15 SP Marais 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 Waylon Murray 12 Andre Esterhuizen 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Patrick Lambie 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Ryan Kankowski 7 Renaldo Bothma 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit 4 Lubabalo Mtyanda 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (C) 1 Dale Chadwick BENCH: 16 Kyle Cooper 17 Thomas du Toit 18 Lourens Adriaanse 19 Marco Wentzel 20 Jean Deysel 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Fred Zeilinga/Lionel Cronje 23 Jack Wilson
SCORERS T: Kankowski, Reinach C: Lambie (2) P: Lambie (6), Ndungane
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
LIONS 19 - 22 STORMERS
Ellis Park, Johannesburg Saturday - 28 February 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 13-9
A late maul-try by Springbok flanker Siya Kolisi, coupled with some superb defence at the death, meant the DHL Stormers won their third match of the season in as many starts when they beat the Emirates Lions by 22-19 in Johannesburg on Saturday evening.
The home side had an opportunity to clinch the win at the end when Howard Mnisi went over, but a desperate tackle by Springbok centre Damian De Allende saw the ball knocked from his opponents’ hands.
The Emirates Lions disrupted their visitors from the Cape throughout the match and stole a huge amount of ball on the deck, while their defence was also rock solid for 76 minutes, until Kolisi was driven over.
The two fly halves, Demetri Catrakilis and Elton Jantjies, kept the scoreboard ticking over for most of the match, with the Emirates Lions getting their only try, by loose forward Warwick Tecklenburg, late in the first quarter.
Similar to the encounter in Pretoria, the intensity at Emirates Airline Park was just as high with both teams going hammer and tongs at each other for the full 80 minutes.
LIONS 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Harold Vorster 11 Sampie Mastriet 10 Elton Jantjies 9 Faf de Klerk 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Martin Muller 4 Franco Mostert 3 Julian Redelinghuys 2 Robbie Coetzee 1 Schalk van der Merwe BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Corne Fourie 18 Ruan Dreyer 19 Robert Kruger 20 Derick Minnie 21 Ross Cronje 22 Jaco van der Walt 23 Howard Mnisi
SCORERS T: Teckleburg C: Jantjies P: Jantjies (4)
STORMERS 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Johnny Kotze 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Michael Rhodes 6 Nizaam Carr 5 Ruan Botha 4 Jurie van Vuuren 3 Vincent Koch 2 Bongi Mbonambi 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Scarra Ntubeni 17 Oli Kebble 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Manuel Carizza 20 Siya Kolisi 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: Kolisi C: Coleman P: Catrakilis (5)
Referee: Andrew Lees
MELBOURNE REBELS 28 - 38 WARATAHS
AAMI Park, Melbourne Friday - 20 February 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 14-16
THE NSW Waratahs won a thrilling match against the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park by ten points in Melbourne on Friday night, with the final score 38-28, winning with a bonus point victory, scoring four tries and allowing NSW to get their 2015 campaign back on track.
The Australian derby clash started at a frenetic pace with the Waratahs met by a strong defence from the Melbourne Rebels as the men in blue powered their way up the field in the opening minutes. The first points of the match come through the boot of Bernard Foley, playing in his 50th Super Rugby match when Rebels fullback Mike Harris infringed at the breakdown to give NSW a 3-0 lead.
With a vocal home crown at AAMI Park behind them, the Rebels were proving that their victory against the Crusaders in round one was no fluke as they pounded the NSW line. With territory and ball in hand the Rebels were rewarded with the first try of the match as Scott Higginbotham snuck through the NSW defence to score underneath the posts. Mike Harris converted the try to take the score to 3-7 in favour of the Rebels.
The first quarter of the match ticked over as both teams literally smashed each to gain any momentum. With the Waratahs well within the Rebels defensive zone a chip and chase from Kurtley Beale led to a try as the surprised Rebels were unable to prevent Beale from re-gathering the ball and offloading to a supporting Stephen Holies for NSW’s first try. The successful conversion from Bernard Foley gave NSW the lead 10-7.
As the Waratahs continued to maintain possession a frustrated Rebels pack infringed at the breakdown allowing Kurtley Beale to impress with the boot with a successful 45 metre penalty kick to take NSW to 13-7.
The Rebels again infringed at the breakdown allowing Bernard Foley to extend the men in blue’s lead 16-7 as the Waratahs held strong in the face of an abrasive Rebels, determined to upset the defending champions.
With half time approaching Melbourne gained possession in NSW’s half and continued to attack with only some desperate defence from Michael Hooper and scrumhalf Nick Phipps holding out the Victorians. Eventually the pressure became too much and Lopeti Timani dived over from the base of a ruck to score. Mike Harris converted the try to take the score to 16-14 in favour of NSW at half time, with the second half set to be a thriller.
Smart, tactical Rugby from the Waratahs in the opening minutes of the second stanza saw NSW capitalise as a strong maul from the NSW forwards allowed the backs plenty of time to create space. Adam Ashley-Cooper drew in the defence to offload to a stampeding Taqele Naiyaravoro who crashed over for NSW’s second try to take the score to 23-14.
In a game they continued to see swinging momentum, the Rebels bounced back with a try underneath the posts from veteran scrumhalf Luke Burgess as he slammed the ball down over the tryline to score. Mike Harris made no mistake in front of goals taking the deficit 23-21 in favour of NSW.
A patient NSW countered quickly as Michael Hooper broke the line with the resulting phases allowing Taqele Naiyaravoro to score his second try and score in the corner. But an error judgement from the same man cost NSW as he deliberately knocked the ball over the dead ball line denying the Rebels a potential try and earning the winger a yellow card.
The all Australian derby continued to entertain as a try to Sefanaia Naivalu brought the scores level.
A tense final five minutes descended onto AAMI Park as a brilliant individual effort from Bernard Foley gave Kurtley Beale a try to finally bury the Rebels, and a successful penalty to Bernard Foley with less than three minutes in the match ended the Rebels resurgence 38-28.
REBELS 15 Mike Harris 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Tom English 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Luke Burgess 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Colby Fainga’a 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Laurie Weeks 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Ben Whittaker 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Paul Alo-Emile 19 Sam Jeffries 20 Scott Fuglistaller 21 Ben Meehan 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Sefanaia Naivalu
SCORERS T: Higginbotham, Timani, Burgess, Naivalu C: Harris (4)
WARATAHS 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Stephen Hoiles 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 Will Skelton 4 DAVID DENNIS (C) 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Tolu Latu 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Sam Lousi 20 Mitchell Chapman 21 Pat McCutcheon 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Peter Betham
SCORERS T: Hoiles, Naiyaravoro (2), Beale C: Foley (3) P: Foley (3), Beale Naiyaravoro
Referee: Angus Gardner
REDS 19 - 6 WESTERN FORCE
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Saturday - 21 February 2015
KO: 18:40 HT: 11-6
THE St.George Queensland Reds overcame late injury disruptions and torrential rain to guts out an 18-6 victory over the Western Force in their Round 2 clash at Suncorp Stadium.
The Reds recorded a two tries to nil victory over the Force in front of 14,199 faithful Queensland fans, putting on a powerful display up front to set up the result. Lachie Turner finished the Reds’ first try, following an 80-metre team effort, while the second was a penalty try following a tighthead penalty on the Force’s five-metre line. Turner added one conversion and two penalties to complete a solid performance at fullback.
With 14 players already unavailable for selection for the match, the Reds were dealt another injury blow shortly before kick-off, with new fly half James O’Connor ruled out after a fitness test on his knee. Reserve scrumhalf Nick Frisby stepped in to the pivotal Number 10 jersey and steered the team well. Meanwhile, former All Blacks and Highlanders loose forward Adam Thomson made his Reds debut making a huge difference to the Reds' forward momentum right from the kick off, in the 7th minute he diffused a dangerous situation, stealing a Force lineout close to the Reds' line.
Lock James Horwill flew high in the lineout and after strong bursts by Gill and Number 8 Jake Schatz the Reds won another penalty that new goal kicker Turner converted to make it 3-0, and bring up his first-ever penalty goal in Super Rugby.
There was an intensity to the Reds that was missing in Canberra last week and they won another breakdown penalty on 17 minutes which Turner landed from 40 metres out to make it 6-0. The Force brought it back to 6-3 on 21 minutes through a penalty to Sias Ebersohn.
But the Reds went straight back on the attack and a strong run from Samu Kerevi saw them win another penalty close to the Force line. Force reserve prop Chris Heiberg was then sin-binned for a professional foul but the Force held on. Horwill also went to the blood bin, with Dave McDuling coming on.
Captain James Slipper then went off with a head knock, replaced by Ben Daley. At first the Reds could not make the numerical advantage count however, with the only scoring in the next eight minutes a second penalty to Ebersohn to level the match at 6-all. But then the Reds opened it up on 34 minutes, Luke Morahan completing a superb team try. Turner missed the conversion but the Reds went to the break deserved leaders at 11-6.
The Reds put the pressure on early in the second half with Kuridrani re-gathering a kick and being stopped just short of the line. Feauai-Sautia then trapped the Force in-goal to set up a five-metre scrum. As the Reds continued to reset scrums close to the Force line, they won two more penalties, and when the third penalty was awarded to the home team it seemed a penalty try would be awarded by New Zealand referee Nick Briant.
Briant refused but it was only a temporary reprieve as Feauai-Sautia strolled over to score. However, TMO George Ayoub decided the ball went marginally forward out of Frisby’s hands, and the try was disallowed.
A superb scrum against the feed by the Reds pack saw them shove the Force backwards once again, and this time when the WA side infringed Briant had no option but to finally award the penalty try. Turner converted and with 25 minutes remaining the Reds were completely deserving of their hard-fought 19-6 lead.
The Force continued to put on the pressure but the Reds were determined and dug deep to hold on. Fittingly a final scrum penalty to the Reds allowed Genia to kick into touch as the siren sounded and the home fans celebrated a hard fought and richly deserved victory.
REDS 15 Lachie Turner 14 Chris Kuridrani 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia 12 Samu Kerevi 11 Lachie Turner 10 Nick Frisby 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Adam Thomson 5 James Horwill 4 Marco Kotze 3 Sam Talakai 2 Saia Fainga’a 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 James Hanson 17 Ben Daley 18 Sef Faagase 19 Tom Murday 20 Curtis Browning 21 Thomas Banks 22 Sam Johnson 23 Campbell Magnay
SCORERS T: Turner, PT P: Turner (3)
FORCE 15 Zack Holmes 14 Luke Morahan 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Junior Rasolea 11 Marcel Brache 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Chris Alcock 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Adam Coleman 4 SAM WYKES (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Francois van Wyk BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Chris Heiberg 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Steve Mafi 20 Brynard Stander 21 Ian Prior 22 Luke Burton 23 Mitchell Scott
SCORERS P: Ebersohn (2) Heiberg
Referee: Nick Briant
CHIEFS 19 - 17 BRUMBIES
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth Friday - 20 February 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 13-11
A last-minute penalty from Aaron Cruden helped the Chiefs to a 19-17 win over the Brumbies at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth on Friday.
Late withdrawals of Sonny Bill Williams and Sam Cane were blows for the Chiefs before kick-off as Seta Tamanivalu and Tevita Koloamatangi came in, with Charlie Ngatai moving to twelve as the hosts needed to adapt to the changes against the notoriously fast starting Brumbies.
Christian Leali'ifano opened the scoring on four minutes off the tee but Aaron Cruden replied for the Chiefs soon after to tie it up at 3-3.
The Brumbies were turning down kickable points in the first-half which was surprising, but eventually they pointed to the posts from distance as scrum-half Nic White landed an impressive three points on thirteen minutes. His game management would be key if they were to get the win.
However, a powerful surge from Chiefs winger Bryce Heem helped create the first try of the game moments later when Charlie Ngatai supported well before his good fend, step and speed saw him race under the posts for an impressive score. Cruden's simple extras made it a 10-6 lead.
The Brumbies' pack was beginning to impress though in the tight exchanges as they got on top at scrum time. But it was the driving maul at line-out time that created success on eighteen minutes as No.8 Ita Vaea was at the tail, going over in the corner to make it 10-11.
Cruden responded on 32 minutes for 13-11, and with White striking the post towards the end of the half, the Chiefs went ahead at half time.
The second-half was a much more cagey affair as the Brumbies looked to build a cushion and did just that in the 43rd and 57th minute thanks to penalties from Leali'ifano, giving them a 13-17 advantage as the benches emptied from both sides, leading to fractured play.
The hosts were still in touch in the game though as their champion-like qualities began to take effect, and when Cruden landed three points with 12 minutes remaining. With only a point in it, the match was all set up for a grandstand finish at Yarrow Stadium, with the Chiefs pushing hard for the victory.
And it came as with 20 seconds remaining, referee Steve Walsh blew for the Brumbies coming offside at scrum time and Cruden knocked over the killer penalty to take the tight 19-17 win.
CHIEFS 15 James Lowe 14 Bryce Heem 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 Hosea Gear 10 Aaron Cruden 9 Brad Weber 8 Maama Vaipulu 7 Sam Cane 6 LIAM MESSAM (C) 5 Michael Fitzgerald 4 Matt Symons 3 Siate Tokolahi 2 Hika Elliot 1 Jamie Mackintosh BENCH: 16 Quentin MacDonald 17 Pauliasi Manu 18 Ben Tameifuna 19 Brodie Retallick 20 Tevita Koloamatangi 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Damian McKenzie 23 Seta Tamanivalu
SCORERS T: Ngatai C: Cruden P: Cruden (4)
BRUMBIES 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Joe Tomane 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Christian Leali'ifano 11 Henry Speight 10 Matt Toomua 9 NIC WHITE (C) 8 Ita Vaea 7 Jarrad Butler 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 Josh Mann-Rea 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Stephen Moore 17 JP Smith 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Sean Doyle 21 Michael Dowsett 22 James Dargaville 23 Lausii Taliauli
SCORERS T: Vaea P: Leali'ifano (3), White
Referee: Steve Walsh
HIGHLANDERS vs CRUSADERS
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Saturday - 21 February 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 7-20
THE Crusaders returned to their winning ways after securing a hard-fought 26-20 victory over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday.
The Christchurch-based side was heavily criticised after a rusty showing in their opening round defeat to the Rebels but in this game it was the Highlanders - who were playing their first match of the season after having a bye last weekend - who battled to get going, especially in the first half.
The opening period was a frantic affair with both sides running the ball from all areas of the field but a combination of poor finishing and solid defensive work from both sides meant that the first points - a Colin Slade penalty - was only scored in the 17th minute.
The Highlanders struck back shortly afterwards when Aaron Smith sold Richie McCaw a dummy on the Crusaders' five-metre line before scoring his side's first points. Lima Sopoaga added the extras to take the lead 7-3.
The Crusaders had an opportunity to narrow the gap from the kicking tee, after Tom Franklin infringed at a ruck, but Slade's shot at goal struck an upright. This was swiftly followed by Richie McCaw’s score ruled to be short of the try-line by the TMO.
Finally from the resulting scrum, the visitors set up a couple of phases before Scott Barrett crashed over for their first try which Slade converted. Slade added another three-pointer in the 34th minute after the Highlanders infringed on defence and on the stroke of half-time Johnny McNicholl extended the Crusaders’ lead when he burst through two tackles for his side's second try.
Slade slotted the conversion to give his side a 20-7 lead at the break and had a chance to extend his side's lead with another penalty shortly after the restart but, once again, his effort struck an upright.
He made up for that miss with another penalty in the 52nd minute to open the scoring in the second half but missed another shot at goal five minutes later.
The Highlanders struck back in the 62nd minute when Malakai Fekitoa crossed over in typical fashion after shrugging off a Ryan Crotty challenge deep inside the home side's 22.
Sopoaga added the conversion and eight minutes from the end he landed a penalty from about 45 metres out which set the stage for an exciting finish with just a score in it, 17-23. The Crusaders responded better, however, and were soon on the attack midway between the hosts' 22 and the halfway line.
Their reward was another penalty from Slade in the 75th minute, after Josh Bekhuis infringed on the ground and the host secured a bonus point for losing by less than seven points when Sopoaga kicked another penalty in injury time after the Crusaders conceded a penalty deep inside their half.
HIGHLANDERS 15 Ben Smith 14 Waisake Naholo 13 Malakai Fekitoa 12 Shaun Treeby 11 Patrick Osborne 10 Lima Sopoaga 9 Aaron Smith 8 Nasi Manu 7 John Hardie 6 Elliot Dixon 5 Joe Wheeler 4 Tom Franklin 3 Ross Geldenhuys 2 Liam Coltman 1 Josh Hohneck BENCH: 16 Ash Dixon 17 Kane Hames 18 Ma’afu Fia 19 Mark Reddish 20 Dan Pryor 21 Fumiaki Tanaka 22 Jason Emery 23 Marty Banks
SCORERS T: Aaron Smith, Fekitoa C: Sopoaga (2) P: Sopoaga (2)
CRUSADERS 15 Israel Dagg 14 Robbie Fruean 13 Kieron Fonotia 12 Ryan Crotty 11 Johnny McNicholl 10 Colin Slade 9 Mitchell Drummond 8 Luke Whitelock 7 MATT TODD (C) 6 Richie McCaw 5 Scott Barrett 4 Luke Romano 3 Owen Franks 2 Ben Funnell 1 Wyatt Crockett BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Joe Moody 18 Nepo Laulala 19 Dominic Bird 20 Jordan Taufua 21 Billy Guyton 22 Tom Taylor 23 Nafi Tuitavake
SCORERS T: Barrett, McNicholl C: Slade (2) P: Slade (4)
Referee: Ben O’Keefe
THE DHL Stormers moved to the top of the Vodacom Super Rugby log as the Cell C Sharks recorded their first win of 2015 on Saturday.
And while the coastal sides impressed, for the two teams from Gauteng, the Vodacom Bulls and Emirates Lions, round two was as forgettable as the opening round.
The Capetonians had to work hard to fend off a spirited Blues side at DHL Newlands (27-16) before the KwaZulu-Natalians proved too strong for their visitors from Johannesburg on a soaking wet Growthpoint Kings Park (29-12).
On Friday evening, the Vodacom Bulls lost their second successive match of the new season when they went down by 17-13 to the Hurricanes at Loftus Versfeld.
The Toyota Cheetahs had a bye.
BULLS 13 - 17 HURRICANES
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Friday - 20 February 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 10-9
THE Vodacom Bulls lost their second successive home match when the Hurricanes caused a minor upset by winning 17-13 at Loftus Versfeld on Friday evening.
The last time the three-time champions lost consecutive matches at home was in rounds two and three in 2008. Incidentally, that was also the last year the 'Canes won in Pretoria before this weekend.
The home team could not get into gear and were heavily penalised by referee Andre Lees. These and other errors proved very costly in the end.
Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard scored all the Vodacom Bulls' points through a try, conversion and two penalty goals.
BULLS 15 Jesse Kriel 14 Bjorn Basson 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Francois Hougaard 10 Handré Pollard 9 Piet van Zyl 8 Pierre Spies 7 Lappies Labuschagne 6 Deon Stegmann 5 Victor Matfield 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Trevor Nyakane 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Morné Mellett BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Dean Greyling 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen 19 Grant Hattingh 20 Hanro Liebenberg 21 Rudy Paige 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 23 Jurgen Visser
SCORERS T: Pollard C: Pollard P: Pollard (2)
HURRICANES 15 Jason Woodward 14 Cory Jane 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Ma'a Nonu 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Blade Thomson 7 Callum Gibbins 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 Mark Abbott 3 Ben Franks 2 Dane Coles 1 Reggie Goodes BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 18 Chris Eves 19 Ardie Savea 20 Victor Vito 21 Chris Smylie 22 James Marshall 23 Matt Proctor
SCORERS T: Julian Savea P: Barrett (4)
Referee: Andrew Lees
STORMERS 27 - 16 BLUES
DHL Newlands, Cape Town Saturday - 21 February 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 18-6
IT wasn't pretty, but the DHL Stormers won't complain too much as they won their second match of the season against a 14-man Blues team by 27-16 at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors from Auckland were reduced to 14 men when lock Hayden Triggs was red-carded for punching in the 25th minute. At the same time, All Black loose forward Steven Luatua left the field injured.
Although the DHL Stormers started with intent, they made too many errors and could not assert themselves on the visitors, despite having one extra man on the field. They scored two tries, both in the first half, and had to be content with three penalty goals in the second half.
The highlight of the match was probably the superb solo-try scored by Dillyn Leyds late in the first half. The two starting scrumhalves, Nic Groom and Jimmy Cowan, scored the only other tries of the match.
STORMERS 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Johnny Kotze 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 Duane Vermeulen 7 Michael Rhodes 6 Rynhardt Elstadt 5 Ruan Botha 4 Jurie van Vuuren 3 Vincent Koch 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Bongi Mbonambi 17 Oli Kebble 18 Wilco Louw 19 Siya Kolisi 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: Groom, Leyds C: Catrakilis P: Catrakilis (4), Coleman
BLUES 15 Charles Piutau 14 Ben Lam 13 Hamish Northcott 12 Francis Saili 11 Tevita Li 10 Ihaia West 9 Jimmy Cowan 8 JEROME KAINO (C) 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Steven Luatua 5 Hayden Triggs 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Angus Ta'avao 2 James Parsons 1 Tony Woodcock BENCH: 16 Matt Moulds 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi 18 Charlie Faumuina 19 Patrick Tuipulotu 20 Luke Braid 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Dan Bowden 23 Lolagi Visinia
SCORERS T: Cowan C: West P: West (3) Triggs
Referee: Craig Joubert
SHARKS 29 - 12 LIONS
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban Saturday - 21 February 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 15-6
SPRINGBOK flank Marcell Coetzee scored twice in the second half as the Cell C Sharks got maximum points from their 29-12 win over the Emirates Lions in a very wet Durban on Saturday evening.
The home team probably played the conditions better and opted for the boot more often than not. Many of these cross-kicks and up-and-unders had the visitors under pressure and resulted in points for the Cell C Sharks.
The Durbanites also had the better of the forward exchanges, giving their halfbacks a good platform to kick from, with Springbok flyhalf Patrick Lambie using the boot very well.
Mistakes and ill-discipline by the Emirates Lions proved costly in the end as they left Durban with empty hands.
SHARKS 15 SP Marais 14 Odwa Ndungane 13 Waylon Murray 12 Heimar Williams 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Patrick Lambie 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Tera Mtembu 7 Renaldo Bothma 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit 4 Lubabalo Mtyanda 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (C) 1 Dale Chadwick BENCH: 16 Kyle Cooper 17 Thomas du Toit 18 Matt Stevens 19 Marco Wentzel 20 Jean Deysel 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Fred Zeilinga 23 Andre Esterhuizen
SCORERS T: Ndungane, Reinach, Coetzee (2) C: Lambie (3) P: Lambie
LIONS 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Howard Mnisi 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Marnitz Boshoff 9 Ross Cronje 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Warwick Tecklenburg 6 Derick Minnie 5 Franco Mostert 4 Martin Muller 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Malcolm Marx 1 Jacques van Rooyen BENCH: 16 Robbie Coetzee 17 Schalk van der Merwe 18 Julian Redelinghuys 19 JP du Preez 20 Ruaan Lerm 21 Faf de Klerk 22 Elton Jantjies 23 Harold Vorster
SCORERS P: Boshoff (4) Whiteley
Referee: Rohan Huffman
BRUMBIES 47 - 3 REDS
GIO Stadium, Canberra 13 February 2015
KO: 19:40 HT: 21-3
The St.George Queensland Reds succumbed to a big penalty count (17-8) and a disappointing result, going down 47-3 to the Brumbies in Canberra tonight in their opening match of the 2015 Asteron Life Super Rugby season.
The Reds’ only points came through a first-half penalty goal to new fly half Karmichael Hunt, who was one of six debutants on the night, and Queensland finished the game with 14-men after James Horwill received a second yellow card for repeated infringements, five minutes from time.
With a star studded list of injured players watching on, including Wallabies Quade Cooper, Rob Simmons and James O’Connor and All Black Adam Thomson, the polished and experienced Brumbies took the lead early through a try to Robbie Coleman, converted by Christian Leali’ifano.
However the Reds looked promising on 10 minutes launching multiple phases at the Brumbies defensive line but the move ended with a break down penalty to the defending team, one of many on the night.
The Brumbies increased their lead to 10-0 on 13 minutes through a penalty goal to Leali’ifano for an infringement at a defensive lineout.
Young Reds centre Samu Kerevi powered over the line soon after but the try was called back after Chris Feauai-Sautia was judged to have obstructed the Brumbies defence. Queensland fell further behind, 13-0, on 25 minutes with a second penalty goal to Leali’ifano.
The Reds were on the wrong side of the penalty ledger, particularly at the breakdown, with the penalty count ballooning out to 10-2 against them. Leali’ifano took advantage with another penalty on 28 minutes to make it 16-0.
Saia Fainga’a went off with a head knock on 30 minutes, bringing James Hanson on, but the Reds started to get some ascendancy, with Horwill prominent in the lineouts. Hunt notched a well-taken penalty goal on 34 minutes to bring up the former league and AFL stars first Super Rugby points and make the score 16-3.
But the breakdown penalties continued against the Reds and the Brumbies again finished the half on top with a try to Joe Tomane making the score 21-3 at the break.
But in the second half, the tries came in fast and hard from Toomua, White, Kuridrani and Dargaville, rocking up a 47-3 final score, whilst Hunt missed an penalty attempt at the uprights.
Wallabies captain, James Horwill fell foul of the referee not just once but twice, earning first a yellow for infringing at the breakdown in the 47th minute, following up with a red for repeated infringements, reducing the visitors to 14 minutes for the last five minutes of the match. And with a penalty count of 17 to just 8 from the homeside, the visitors had a miserable start to this season’s Super Rugby.
BRUMBIES: 15 Robbie Coleman 14 Henry Speight 13 Tevita Kuridrani 12 Christian Leali'ifano 11 Joe Tomane 10 Matt Toomua 9 Nic White 8 Jarrad Butler 7 DAVID POCOCK (C) 6 Scott Fardy 5 Sam Carter 4 Rory Arnold 3 Ben Alexander 2 Josh Mann-Rea 1 Scott Sio BENCH: 16 Stephen Moore 17 JP Smith 18 Ruan Smith 19 Jordan Smiler 20 Ita Vaea 21 Michael Dowsett 22 James Dargaville 23 Lausii Taliauli
SCORERS T: Coleman, Tomane, Toomua, White, Kuridrani, Dargaville C: Leali'ifano (4) P: Leali'ifano (3)
REDS: 15 Jamie-Jerry Taulagi 14 Chris Kuridrani 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia 12 Samu Kerevi 11 Lachie Turner 10 Karmichael Hunt 9 Will Genia 8 Jake Schatz 7 Liam Gill 6 Curtis Browning 5 Marco Kotze 4 James Horwill 3 Sam Talakai 2 Saia Fainga’a 1 JAMES SLIPPER (C) BENCH: 16 James Hanson 17 Ben Daley 18 Sef Faagase 19 Ed O’Donoghue 20 Adam Korczyk 21 Nick Frisby 22 Duncan Paia’aua 23 Campbell Magnay
SCORERS P: Hunt Horwill
Referee: Angus Gardner
WARATAHS 13 - 25 WESTERN FORCE
Allianz Stadium, Sydney 15 February 2015
KO: 16:05 HT: 3-8
The Western Force opened its 10th season of Asteron Life Super Rugby with a bonus-point 25-13 victory over reigning champions, the NSW Waratahs, in Sydney.
In a physical encounter, the win was set up by the Force’s hard-working and courageous forward pack with the Western Australian side defending admirably across the field and maintaining their composure throughout the match to take the opportunities on hand for points.
The Force held a 8-3 advantage at the break before laying on three tries in the second half, with Angus Cottrell, Luke Morahan and Francois van Wyk all crossing. The Waratahs crossed for two second half tries of their own, both through winger Rob Horne.
The four-tries-to-two victory marks the first time in the club’s history that the Force has won the opening match of its season, with the 12-point victory marking the team’s biggest away win in Australia. It is also the first time the Force has recorded back-to-back victories over the Waratahs.
WARATAHS: 15 Israel Folau 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper 12 Kurtley Beale 11 Rob Horne 10 Bernard Foley 9 Nick Phipps 8 Wycliff Palu 7 Michael Hooper 6 Jacques Potgieter 5 Will Skelton 4 DAVID DENNIS (C) 3 Sekope Kepu 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau 1 Benn Robinson BENCH: 16 Tolu Latu 17 Jeremy Tilse 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Sam Lousi 20 Mitchell Chapman 21 Stephen Hoiles 22 Brendan McKibbin 23 Matt Carraro
SCORERS T: Horne (2) P: Foley Palu
FORCE: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty 14 Luke Morahan 13 Kyle Godwin 12 Solomoni Rasolea 11 Marcel Brache 10 Sias Ebersohn 9 Alby Mathewson 8 Ben McCalman 7 Chris Alcock 6 Angus Cottrell 5 Adam Coleman 4 SAM WYKES (C) 3 Tetera Faulkner 2 Nathan Charles 1 Pek Cowan BENCH: 16 Heath Tessmann 17 Francois van Wyk 18 Oliver Hoskins 19 Steve Mafi 20 Brynard Stander 21 Ian Prior 22 Zack Holmes 23 Luke Burton
SCORERS T: Alcock, Cottrell, Morahan, van Wyk C: Ebersohn P: Ebersohn Mathewson
Referee: Steve Walsh
CRUSADERS 10 - 20 MELBOURNE REBELS
AMI Stadium, Christchurch 13 February 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 10-13
The RaboDirect Rebels began their 2015 Asteron Life Super Rugby campaign with a 20-10 victory over the Crusaders in Christchurch, their first win on foreign soil.
It was an edgy start at AMI Stadium, and the Rebels saw scrumhalf Nic Stirzaker given an early yellow card for aggressiveness in the ruck towards All Blacks Captain Richie McCaw. To their credit, the Rebels soaked up the pressure for the first twenty minutes to trail to a lone Dan Carter penalty goal despite minimal possession.
And when they did gain possession, they were patient and assured as a number of phases resulted in Lopeti Timani getting over for his first Rebels try, new Rebel Mike Harris coolly converting from out wide.
The Crusaders hit back instantly through hooker Ben Funnell, who incidentally scored their only try in Melbourne last season in a narrow win, but when Harris nailed two penalties the Rebels headed into the break leading 13-10.
The second half began with Crusaders’ scrumhalf Mitchell Drummond in the bin, but the Rebels were unable to profit from their numerical advantage. Indeed, no points were added within the first twenty minutes of the half, despite the Rebels spending a large chunk of it camped on the hosts’ tryline, before Sean McMahon was sin-binned just after the hour mark with a nervy finish on the cards.
However, quick thinking from Stirzaker saw him intercept a Carter grubber kick and run half the length of the field to touch down for his first Super Rugby try, with Harris converting. And that’s how it stayed, with the Rebels hanging on in the final minutes to record a 20-10 victory.
CRUSADERS: 15 Colin Slade 14 Robbie Fruean 13 Kieron Fonotia 12 Tom Taylor 11 Johnny McNicholl 10 Dan Carter 9 Mitchell Drummond 8 Luke Whitelock 7 MATT TODD (C) 6 Richie McCaw 5 Dominic Bird 4 Luke Romano 3 Owen Franks 2 Ben Funnell 1 Joe Moody BENCH: 16 Codie Taylor 17 Alex Hodgman 18 Wyatt Crockett 19 Scott Barrett 20 Jordan Taufua 21 Billy Guyton 22 Ryan Crotty 23 Nathaniel Apa
SCORERS T: Funnell C: Carter P: Carter Drummond
REBELS: 15 Mike Harris 14 Dom Shipperley 13 Tamati Ellison 12 Mitch Inman 11 Tom English 10 Jack Debreczeni 9 Nic Stirzaker 8 Scott Higginbotham 7 Colby Fainga’a 6 Sean McMahon 5 Lopeti Timani 4 Luke Jones 3 Laurie Weeks 2 Pat Leafa 1 Toby Smith BENCH: 16 Ben Whittaker 17 Cruze Ah-Nau 18 Paul Alo-Emile 19 Sam Jeffries 20 Scott Fuglistaller 21 Luke Burgess 22 Bryce Hegarty 23 Sefanaia Naivalu
SCORERS T: Timani Stirzaker C: Harris (2) P: Harris (2) Stirzaker McMahon
Referee: Nick Briant
BLUES 18 - 23 CHIEFS
QBE Stadium, North Harbour 14 February 2015
KO: 19:35 HT: 9-20
A strong first-half performance helped the Chiefs to an opening 23-18 victory over the Blues at QBE Stadium in Albany on Saturday.
Two moments of Chiefs brilliance in the opening 40 minutes proved vital in the end as the hosts upped their game after the break and pushed the Hamilton side all the way. But they could not get the win as the Chiefs made it now eight victories in a row against the Blues.
The Chiefs were outstanding in that first-half as their tempo and fluidity with ball in hand for a first game of the campaign was brilliant. Sonny Bill Williams of course played a role in that but mentions must also be given to fly-half Damian McKenzie and left wing James Lowe.
McKenzie was relishing his opportunity in the 10 jersey due to Aaron Cruden's absence and his kicking off the tee was high-class, landing two difficult penalty goals to go with those wide conversions. Fortunately for the Blues, Ihaia West was replying to keep them in touch at 20-9.
West maintained his 100% record and added three more penalties taking the score up to 18, but it was not quite enough to catch up with the visitors.
BLUES: 15 Lolagi Visinia 14 Charles Piutau 13 Hamish Northcott 12 Francis Saili 11 Tevita Li 10 Ihaia West 9 Jimmy Cowan 8 JEROME KAINO (C) 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Steven Luatua 5 Hayden Triggs 4 Josh Bekhuis 3 Angus Ta’avao 2 James Parsons 1 Tony Woodcock BENCH: 16 Matt Moulds 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi 18 Charlie Faumuina 19 Akira Ioane 20 Luke Braid 21 Jamison Gibson-Park 22 Simon Hickey 23 Ben Lam
SCORERS P: West (6)
CHIEFS: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Tim Nanai-Williams 13 Charlie Ngatai 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 James Lowe 10 Damian McKenzie 9 Brad Weber 8 Maama Vaipulu 7 Sam Cane 6 Johan Bardoul 5 Mike Fitzgerald 4 MATT SYMONS (C) 3 Ben Tameifuna 2 Hika Elliot 1 Pauliasi Manu BENCH: 16 Rhys Marshall 17 Jamie Mackintosh 18 Siate Tokolahi 19 Michael Allardice 20 Tevita Koloamatangi 21 Augustine Pulu 22 Marty McKenzie 23 Bryce Heem
SCORERS T: Lowe Heem C: Damian McKenzie (2) P: Damian McKenzie (3) Symons
Referee: Chris Pollock
HOME advantage meant nothing for the Emirates Lions, Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls as they all went down on the opening day of the 2015 edition of Vodacom Super Rugby – the latter pair in hard-fought South African derbies.
But it merely mirrored an extraordinary trend in the competition with only the Brumbies recording a home win on a weekend in which the six other home teams all went down, largely against the odds.
On the positive side of the equation were the Toyota Cheetahs and the DHL Stormers who upset predictions to come out on top at Growthpoint Kings Park and Loftus Versfeld respectively while the Hurricanes came away with the points from their trip to Johannesburg.
It was a particularly satisfying day for the Vodacom Cheetahs whose 35-29 victory in Durban not only yielded them a bonus point for scoring four tries but was also their first on opening day since 2007.
It put them third on the first day log – trailing the Brumbies and Force on points difference – as they were one of only two teams to score four tries in the first round. The win ended the Cell C Sharks’ happy run in this fixture having beaten the Toyota Cheetahs on opening day in 2011 and 2013.
The DHL Stormers managed to tear up the form book in Pretoria – delivering only the Bulls; second defeat in 20 matches at their Loftus fortress while ending their own dismal form on the road – they won only one away match in 2014.
The form book decreed that the Hurricanes should win at Emirates Airlines Park (Ellis Park) and they duly recorded a sixth successive victory over the Emirates Lions. It ended a run of three successive wins for the Lions – recoded at the back end of last season’s competition – and also the Hurricanes run of losing on the opening day of the past four campaigns.
LIONS 8 - 22 HURRICANES
Ellis Park, Johannesburg 13 February 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 8-11
The Emirates Lions dominated proceedings against the Hurricanes in all departments except on the scoreboard where the eventual victory margin flattered the Hurricanes who were though were rewarded for resolute defence.
The Emirates Lions made twice as many line offloads (17 to 9 ) twice as many carries (124 to 68) made twice as many passes (170 to 86) and twice as many metres (408 to 248m) but were outscored in tries two to one as they were unable to convert their possession into points on a night when they also left 13 point untaken from two missed conversions and three missed penalties.
The Emirates Lions’ opening try by Ruan Combrinck (conversions missed) was overhauled by Beauden Barrett’s second penalty in the 28th minute after which the Hurricanes were never headed.
LIONS: 15 Andries Coetzee 14 Ruan Combrinck 13 Lionel Mapoe 12 Howard Mnisi 11 Courtnall Skosan 10 Marnitz Boshoff 9 Ross Cronje 8 WARREN WHITELEY (C) 7 Derick Minnie 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Franco Mostert 4 Martin Muller 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Malcolm Marx 1 Schalk van der Merwe BENCH: 16 Armand van der Merwe 17 Corne Fourie 18 Jacques van Rooyen 19 Robert Kruger 20 Warwick Tecklenburg 21 Faf de Klerk 22 Elton Jantjies 23 Stokkies Hanekom
SCORERS T: Combrinck P: Boshoff
HURRICANES: 15 Jason Woodward 14 Cory Jane 13 CONRAD SMITH (C) 12 Rey Le-Lo 11 Julian Savea 10 Beauden Barrett 9 TJ Perenara 8 Blade Thomson 7 Ardie Savea 6 Brad Shields 5 James Broadhurst 4 Mark Abbott 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 2 Dan Coles 1 Ben Franks BENCH: 16 Brayden Mitchell 17 Reggie Goodes 18 Chris Eves 19 Callum Gibbins 20 Victor Vito 21 Chris Smylie 22 James Marshall 23 Matt Proctor
SCORERS T: Perenara, Proctor P: Barrett (4)
Referee: Rohan Huffman
SHARKS 29 - 35 CHEETAHS
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban 14 February 2015
KO: 17:05 HT: 16-20
The Toyota Cheetahs produced a performance of pragmatism and skill to upset the odds and run away with a bonus point victory at Growthpoint Kings Park.
They fell behind to a Pat Lambie penalty but sounded a warning of their own when newcomer Jean Cook had scored their first try in the 13th minute. Pat Lambie scored and converted his own try to leapfrog the Sharks back into the lead midway through the first half.
But a second try for centre Francois Venter gave the Cheetahs the half time lead and further scores by replace Carl Wegner (lock) and Boom Prinsloo (flank), left the Cell C Sharks shaking their heads at their own inability to hold onto the ball when opportunities presented.SHARKS: 15 SP Marais 14 S’bura Sithole 13 Waylon Murray 12 Heimar Williams 11 Lwazi Mvovo 10 Patrick Lambie 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Tera Mtembu 7 Renaldo Bothma 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jannie du Plessis 2 BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (C) 1 Tendai Mtawarira BENCH: 16 Kyle Cooper 17 Dale Chadwick 18 Matt Stevens 19 Marco Wentzel 20 Jean Deysel 21 Conrad Hoffmann 22 Fred Zeilinga 23 Odwa Ndungane
SCORERS T: Lambie, Mvovo C: Lambie (2) P: Lambie (5)
CHEETAHS: 15 Willie le Roux 14 Clayton Blommetjies 13 Francois Venter 12 Michael van der Spuy 11 Raymond Rhule 10 Joe Petersen 9 Sarel Pretorius 8 Willie Britz 7 Oupa Mohoje 6 Jean Cook 5 FRANCOIS UYS (C) 4 Lodewyk de Jager 3 Coenie Oosthuizen 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld 1 Danie Minnie BENCH: 16 Stephan Coetzee 17 BG Uys 18 Maks van Dyk 19 Carl Wegner 20 Boom Prinsloo 21 Tian Meyer 22 Willie du Plessis 23 Cornal Hendricks
SCORERS T: Cook, Venter, Prinsloo, Wegner C: Pietersen (2), du Plessis P: Pietersen (3)
Referee: Andrew Lees
BULLS 17 - 29 STORMERS
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 14 February 2015
KO: 19:10 HT: 5-17
The Vodacom Bulls powered to a try in the fourth minute by Deon Stegmann, courtesy of a lineout drive, to suggest that they were quite capable of overpowering a more inexperienced pack.
However a mistake by Jurgen Visser allowed Stormers’ newcomer Dillyn Leyds to collect a loose ball and run in untouched to put the visitors in the lead – thanks to Demetri Catrakilis’ conversion – after which the visitors grew in confidence.
SA Rugby Player of the Year, Duane Vermeulen, the new Stormers captain, powered in under the posts for a second try before the break to give the Stormers a 12-point advantage that they had reclaimed by the final whistle.
Three Handré Pollard penalties closed the gap in the opening 15 minutes of the second half but the Stormers’ defence could not be breached and the boots of Catrakilis and replacement Kurt Coleman – who snapped over a drop goal – ensured the Stormers profited from every visit to the Bulls half.
BULLS: 15 Jurgen Visser 14 Bjorn Basson 13 JJ Engelbrecht 12 Jan Serfontein 11 Francois Hougaard 10 Handré Pollard 9 Piet Van Zyl 8 Arno Botha 7 Lappies Labuschagne 6 Deon Stegmann 5 VICTOR MATFIELD (C) 4 Jacques Du Plessis 3 Werner Kruger 2 Adriaan Strauss 1 Trevor Nyakane BENCH: 16 Callie Visagie 17 Morné Mellet 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen 19 Grant Hattingh 20 Pierre Spies 21 Rudy Paige 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter 23 Jesse Kriel
SCORERS T: Stegmann P: Pollard (4)
STORMERS: 15 Cheslin Kolbe 14 Johnny Kotze 13 Juan de Jongh 12 Damian de Allende 11 Dillyn Leyds 10 Demetri Catrakilis 9 Nic Groom 8 DUANE VERMEULEN (C) 7 Michael Rhodes 6 Rynhardt Elstadt 5 Ruan Botha 4 Jean Kleyn 3 Vincent Koch 2 Scarra Ntubeni 1 Steven Kitshoff BENCH: 16 Bongi Mbonambi 17 Oli Kebble 18 Wilco Louw 19 Jurie van Vuuren 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Louis Schreuder 22 Kurt Coleman 23 Huw Jones
SCORERS T: Leyds, Vermeulen C: Catrakilis (2) P: Catrakilis (3), Coleman DG: Coleman
Referee: Jaco Peyper
SCHEDULE 2015
CATCH UP ON 2014
THE TEAMS
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