RugbyU: Crusaders remain unbeaten Kiwis dominate

The Canterbury Crusaders vanquished another title rival this weekend as New Zealand teams tightened their grip on Super Rugby ahead of next month’s British and Irish Lions tour. The seven-time champion Crusaders extended their unconquered run to 12 games with a 31-24 win over the Waikato Chiefs in Suva to stretch their lead to 11 points in the powerful New Zealand conference.

Four of the five Kiwi outfits are currently in the eight-team play-off positions, underlining New Zealand’s supremacy in this season’s southern hemisphere club competition. Defending champions Wellington Hurricanes lashed the hapless South African Central Cheetahs in a club record 61-7 at home to join the Chiefs in second spot in the Kiwi conference. Meanwhile in Perth, the Otago Highlanders swamped the threatened Western Force 55-6 in their biggest win in Super Rugby and also racked up the most points they have scored outside of New Zealand.

The Golden Lions loom as the only threat to a Kiwi team capturing this season’s title with their 11th win of the season in a 51-14 drubbing of the Northern Bulls in the South African derby in Johannesburg. The Crusaders only scored three tries to four against the Chiefs but fly-half Richie Mo’unga’s two conversions and four penalties gave them the win, a week after they knocked over the Hurricanes.

“The whole year we’ve had the balance right between forwards and backs,” skipper Sam Whitelock said. “Either unit can step up when they need to, that’s awesome as a captain.”—AFP