Blues tighten grip as Crusaders down Brumbies

THE Blues crushed the Reds to tighten their grip at the top of the Super Rugby Pacific table, while the Crusaders inflicted a rare defeat on the Brumbies at the weekend.

Coach Leon McDonald's red-hot Blues have now won 11 on the trot, unbeaten since narrowly losing their season opener 32-33 to the Hurricanes.

They blitzed the Reds at Eden Park with five second-half tries to win 53-26 and reinforce their championship credentials. The win moved them seven points clear of the Brumbies and Crusaders after round 13.

In Canberra, the sublime Crusaders prevailed 37-26 to hand the Brumbies only their second defeat of the campaign.

The visitors went to the break with a 25-5 lead and withstood a powerful second-half fightback to secure the win and move level with the Brumbies, behind only the Blues.

Both teams scored four tries with the kicking prowess of All Black Richie Mo'unga making the difference as he nailed four conversions and three penalties. Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa said it was now all about how they bounce back against the Blues next week.

Yesterday, the Rebels fell at home to the Chiefs 33-30, a result that pushed the New Zealand side into fourth place.