Opening-round shocks as Waratahs, Crusaders fail at home
SYDNEY: Last season’s finalists New South Wales Waratahs and Canterbury Crusaders both suffered shock losses at home on the opening weekend of the new Super Rugby season.
The Waratahs, who beat the Crusaders for their maiden Super Rugby championship last season, were lethargic and error-prone as Western Force pulled off a bonuspoint 25-15 victory in Sydney on Sunday.
The Melbourne Rebels stunned the Crusaders 20-10 in Christchurch on Friday, notching the club’s first-ever win outside Australia.
The ACT Brumbies scored six tries in a thumping 47-3 win over Australian rivals Queensland Reds to post a record winning margin in Canberra on Friday.
South Africa’s Central Cheetahs joined the Force and Brumbies on maximum points with a 35-29 win over the Coastal Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
New Zealand’s Wellington Hurricanes put a string of Super 15 opening-match losses behind them with a 22-8 victory over Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Friday.
Code-hopper Sonny Bill Williams inspired the Waikato Chiefs to a 23-18 win on Saturday over the Auckland Blues, the club’s eighth straight victory over their New Zealand rivals.
Western Stormers continued a trend of away wins in the opening round by shocking fellow South Africans Northern Bulls 29-17 in Pretoria the same day, while New Zealand’s Otago Highlanders had a bye.
The Force, who narrowly missed out on last season’s playoffs, scored four tries to two, with their South African goalkicking f ly-half Sias Ebersohn landing only one conversion and a penalty from seven shots.
It was a lacklustre effort from the Waratahs, who trailed 8-3 at half-time and conceded some soft tries in the second half to get their season off to a shaky start.
The Rebels scored two tries to one and outmuscled a Crusaders side that struggled to shake off the off-season rust, even with All Blacks legends Richie McCaw and Dan Carter in its ranks.
The Crusaders are notoriously poor starters, usually clicking into gear at the sharp end of the season.
The Rebels, who have been wooden spooners in two of their four seasons, had been given little chance against Super Rugby’s most successful club with seven titles.
The Brumbies, champions in 2001 and 2004, were too well drilled and organised for the ragged Reds who lost their former Wallaby skipper James Horwill to a red card in the final minutes.
The Canberra-based side gave promise of things to come with an i mpressive performance, with former Wallabies skipper David Pocock coming through the 80 minutes unscathed after two seasons blighted by knee reconstructions.
The 44-point winning margin eclipsed the Brumbies’ 518 victory over the Reds i n Canberra in 2004. It was their ninth straight win at home. - AFP