Highlanders whip Waratahs to continue late charge

Last-gasp drop takes Toulou into top 14 final

WELLINGTON, May 27, (AFP): The Otago Highlanders continued their late charge up the Super Rugby ladder with a convincing 44-28 victory over the NSW Waratahs in Dunedin on Saturday.

It was the Highlanders ninth consecutive win, with the six tries to four downing of the Sydneysiders propelling them up to second in the New Zealand conference.

They were trailing 13-14 at halftime, giving the Waratahs hope they could become the first Australian side to win a trans-Tasman clash after 18 attempts this year.

But when Waratahs lock Dean Mumm was sin-binned early in the second half the Highlanders pounced with two tries while they had a oneman advantage and they never looked back.

It moved the Highlanders to 10 wins from 13 matches and left the Waratahs, with only four wins from 12 games.

Highlanders captain Ben Smith said the dismissal of Mumm for a tip tackle was the turning point for his side.

Cheetahs fullback Clayton Bloometjies (left), avoids a tackle during the Super Rugby match between the Sunwolves of Japan and the Cheetahs of South Africa at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo on May 27. (AFP)

half-time.

The latest victory equalled the record held by the 2002 Crusaders -- who featured current coach Scott Robertson. The Crusaders’ free-wheeling win stretched New Zealand’s dominance to 20-0 over Australian opposition this season and it has been a full year since the last Australian win over a Kiwi team.

It was the Christchurch-based Crusaders’ 11th consecutive win over Australian teams and kept them firmly entrenched at the top of the New Zealand conference.

In Marseille, a drop goal from Anthony Belleau with the last kick of the game gave Toulon a come from behind 18-15 win over 14-man La Rochelle to reach the French Top 14 final on Friday.

Toulon will face either defending champions Racing 92 or Clermont, who meet Saturday, in the final in Paris on June 4.

In a tense semi-final played in front of 65,000 people at the Stade Velodrome, the match turned in the 50th minute when La Rochelle, who were leading 15-6 and comfortably placed, were reduced to 14 men.

Centre Pierre Aguillon was red carded for a dangerous tackle on Toulon’s James O’Connor which left the Australian star arrowed head first into the turf.

Welsh full-back Leigh Halfpenny, who scored 15 of his team’s points in a big-hitting game where neither side managed a try, slotted over three quick penalties to level the semi-final at 1515.

But a weary La Rochelle, who had finished the regular season on top of the table and were bidding for a first place in the final, had their chances to seal victory in a dramatic final phase.

Zack Holmes, having replaced fellow

Australian Brock James, had two shots from the halfway line but his first penalty fell just inches short while the second drifted wide.

Toulon seized their chance and after a series of gruelling forward charges which inched towards the La Rochelle line, 21-year-old Belleau kept his nerve to pop over the winning drop kick after the hooter had sounded.

In London, Northampton Saints produced a memorable performance in overcoming captain Tom Wood being sent off to beat French giants Stade Francais 23-22 in their European Champions Cup play-off on Friday.

The Saints -- European champions back in 2000 -- looked down and out when Wood was sent off with less than 20 minutes remaining reducing them

to 13 men as Rory Hutchinson was in the sin bin.

Wood’s red card for stamping on Djibril Camara’s head came at what looked like a most inopportune time as the hosts had fought back from 22-6 to trail 22-16 and seemingly with the momentum.

However, it was the French side -- winners of this season’s European

Challenge Cup -- who wilted in the face of the intimidating atmosphere as chants of cheat cheat cheat directed at Camara rang round the ground.

In Leeds, United Kingdom, Leigh made Super League history against Hull FC on Friday as they claimed their first ever away win in the competition thanks to a virtuoso display from Matty Dawson and Atelea Vea.