Crusaders fight back to ensure opening day win over Blues
BLUES debutant flyhalf Harry Plummer missed twice from the tee in a cliffhanging last seven minutes to undo a second-half comeback at Eden Park and allow 14-man Crusaders to start their quest for a 10th title with a 24-22 win.
Ma’a Nonu made his Super Rugby return for Blues but defending champions Crusaders dominated the first half, going in 12-3 at the break with wing Manasa Mataele scoring the first of two tries after 18 minutes before referee Nick Briant awarded a penalty try ten minutes later.
Blues No.8 Akira Ioane and prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi touched down but Mataele then went over for his second try.
But a second penalty try from a 5m scrum with a quarter of an hour to play looked to have quelled the resurgent Blues until Crusaders hooker Ben Funnell was sin-binned minutes later and Blues No.9 Augustine Pulu powered over from a ruck.
But the much improved Blues buckled at crucial moments with replacement Plummer carrying the can.
A relieved Crusaders coach Scott Robinson said: “It was a great contest, it seemed like one team dominated, then the other dominated. You have got to give it to the Blues, there’s a lot more detail in their game – they’re pretty clear in what they’re doing."
Debutant Hurricanes flanker Du’Plessis Kirifi was hailed “a hero” by coach John Plumtree after the Kiwi-side edged out the
Waratahs 20-19 in Sydney. Openside Ardie Savea scored under the posts after 11 phases near the end of the first-half but the Waratahs, last year’s Australian Conference winners, dominated in the loose and Wallaby 10 Bernard Foley kicked four penalties before the break.
Wing Curtis Rona dotted down in the corner after half-time but the Waratahs unravelled; Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett kicked a long-range penalty in the 65th minute before Kirifi proved too much for Michael Hooper.
Despite his earlier form, Foley missed a 30 metre effort with two on the clock which would have sealed it.
Highlanders top the New Zealand conference after All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith dived over late on in a rowdy curtainraiser against the Chiefs in Waikato on Friday night while down to 14 men.
The Highlanders celebrated the thrilling comeback win with coach Aaron Mauger leading a guitar sing-along in the changing rooms, after coming back from 19-10 down at half-time and replacement Sio Tomkin- son being controversially sent-off for a shoulder charge on Brodie Retallick with 12 minutes to play.
Lock Pari Parkinson scored for the Highlanders after 15 minutes but then it was all the Chiefs, No.8 Tyler Ardron, prop Angus Ta’avao and wing Etene Nanai-Seturo all scoring before half-time.
But after Nanai-Seturo’s second in the 49th minute, the game turned on its head as Shannon Frizell cantered over and Josh Ioane added a penalty before Smith’s match-winner.
Melbourne Rebels blew Brumbies away 34-27 on Friday after being 19-22 down at half-time, with Quade Cooper the star for Rebels on his Super Rugby return.
Five tries from centre Tom English, wing Marika Koroibete, lock Matt Philip, hooker Anaru Rangi and finally the other wing Jack Maddocks in the corner on the 73rd minute meant a Brumbies score by lock Sam Carter was mere consolation.
In an end-to-end game, the Brumbies scored firsthalf tries through forwards Folau Fainga’a, lock Rory Arnold and Allan Alaalatoa but tailed off after the break.
Bulls’ wing Rosco Speckman scored twice in the first 20 minutes as the home side beat the Stormers 40-3 in Pretoria.
Tokyo-based Sunwolves went 10-3 ahead at home after 15 minutes but lost 45-10 against the Durbanbased Sharks who scored six tries including two by hooker Akker van der Merwe.
Last year’s runners-up the Johannesburg-based
Lions started their season in Buenos Aires away to the
Jaguares late last night.