Crusaders overpower Highlanders in style
THE second season of New Zealand's Super Rugby Aotearoa got off to a cracking start when the Canterbury Crusaders held off the Otago Highlanders 26-13 in Dunedin yesterday.
Tries from Codie Taylor, Bryn Hall, Sevu Reece and Brodie McAlister earned the reigning champions their first four points of the season in front of a noisy crowd at the Otago Stadium.
The Crusaders started at a blistering pace and were soon two tries to the good after hooker Taylor raced 40m to score and scrum-half Hall grounded a Reece crosskick following a sweeping move from a line-out.
The Highlanders were trying to get the catch-and-drive going with little success but finally hit back with two tries after flanker Ethan Blackadder was shown a yellow card for persistent offending in defence by the Crusaders.
Flanker Shannon Frizell crossed from close range from a smart Aaron Smith pass and winger Connor Garden-Bachop finished off a slick set move four minutes before the break.
Mitch Hunt missed both conversions to send the Highlanders into half-time 14-10 down but he made no mistake with a penalty three minutes after the restart to reduce the deficit to one point.
The Crusaders looked irresistible when they managed to keep the ball in hand, however, and All Blacks winger Reece extended the lead with a brilliant finish in the corner five minutes later.
The Highlanders kept hammering away at the visitors' line as they sought a first victory in the last seven South Island derbies and were unfortunate to have a try called back for a knock-on just after the hour mark.
Seven minutes from time, however, the Crusaders showed the Highlanders how to execute the rolling maul and replacement hooker McAlister grounded the ball to put the match beyond the home side.
The five-team domestic tournament was introduced last year when travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic put paid to the intercontinental Super Rugby competition. |
TODAY
Cricket: Pakistan Super League: Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans, 10.45am, ACT; Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United, 3.45pm, ACT; Paytm Test Series: CSA T20 Challenge, Playoff: 2 v 3, 2.15pm, CRI; ANZ Bank Women’s ODI Series: New Zealand v England, Third ODI, 11.50pm, CRI:
Golf: WGC: World Golf Championships, The Concession, Day 2, 12 mid-night, GSD, World Golf Championships, The Concession, Day 3, 7pm, GOL; PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open, Day 3, 10pm, VR1
Motorsport: Supercars Championship, Repco Mt Panorama 500, Race 1, 5.50am, MSP; FIA Formula E Championship: Qualifying Round 2: Diriyah, 2.45pm, MSP; FIA Formula E Championship: Round 2: Diriyah, 6.30pm, MSP; FIA Formula E Championship Wrap, 8pm, MSP
Rugby: Guinness Pro14: Edinburgh Rugby v Scarlets, 1.55pm, RUG; Zebre Rugby Club v Dragons, 7.10pm, VR2; Six Nations: Italy v Ireland, 4.05pm, RUG, GSD; Wales v England, 6.35pm, RUG, GSD; Gallagher Premiership: Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers, 2.55 on VR2 LIVE Gallagher Premiership Rugby , Round 11: Newcastle FAlcons v Harlequins — 16:55 on VR2 LIVE
Soccer: Premier League: Manchester City v West Ham United, 1.30pm, EPL, SSM; West Bromwich Albion v Brighton & Hove Albion, 4.30pm, EPL, SSM (5pm); Leeds United v Aston Villa, 7pm, EPL, SSM (7.30pm); Newcastle United v Wolves, 9.30pm, EPL, SSM (10pm); Nedbank Cup: Round of 16: Mamelodi Sundowns v Polokwane City, 2.30pm, PSL; Black Leopards v AmaZulu, 2.30pm, VR4; Maritzburg v Orlando Pirates, 5.30pm, PSL; La Liga Santander: Eibar v Huesca, 2pm, LIG; Sevilla v Barcelona, 5pm LIG; Alaves v Osasuna, 7.15pm, LIG; Getafe v Valencia, 9.30pm, LIG; SkyBet English Football League Championship: AFC Bournemouth v Watford, 2.25pm, VR3; Serie A: Spezia v Parma, 3.50pm, FTB; Bologna v Lazio, 6.50pm, FTB; Verona v Juventus, 9.35pm, FTB
Tennis: WTA 500: Adelaide International, Final, 9.30am, TEN
TOMORROW
Boxing: WBC/WBA/Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Titles: Saul Alvarez v Avni Yildirim (12 Rounds), 4am, SSM, VR1, GSD (6am), ACT (6am)
Cricket: CSA T20 Challenge, Final, 2.45pm, CRI; Pakistan Super League: Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars, 3.45pm, ACT
Golf: PGA Tour Champions: Cologuard Classic, Day 2, 12 midnight, VR1; WGC: World Golf Championships, The Concession, Day 4, 7pm, GOL; PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open, Day 4, 10pm, VR1; PGA Tour Champions; Cologuard Classic, Day 3, 11.30pm, VR1
Motorsport: Supercars Championship: Repco Mt Panorama 500, Race 2, 5.50pm, MSP; NASCAR Cup Series: Dixie Vodka 400, 10.30-pm, MSP
Rugby: Six Nations: France v Scotland, 4.50pm, GSD, RUG; The Final Whistle, 7pm, RUG; Guinness Pro14: Leinster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, 7.25pm, RUG; Gallagher Premiership: Northampton Saints v Bath Rugby, 2.55pm, RUG
Soccer: La Liga Santander: Celta Vigo v Valladolid, 2pm, LIG; Cadiz v Real Betis, 5pm, LIG; Granada v Elche, 7.15pm, LIG; Villarreal v Atletico Madrid, 9.30pm, LIG; Getafe v Valencia, 12 midnight, LIG; Nedbank Cup, Round of 16: TS Sporting v Richards Bay, 2.30pm, PSL; Chippa United v Cape Town City, 5.30pm, PSL; Nedbank Cup Wrap, 8pm, PSL; Premier League: Leicester City v Arsenal, 1pm, EPL, SSM (2pm); Crystal Palace v Fulham, 1.55pm, VR3; Tottenham v Burnley, 3.55pm, EPL, SSM (4pm); Chelsea v Manchester United, 6pm, EPL, SSM (6.30pm); Sheffield United v Liverpool, 8.30pm, EPL, SSM (9.15pm); Premier League Wrap, 11.15pm, EPL; Serie A: Sampdoria v Atalanta, 1.20pm, FTB; Inter Milan v Genoa, 3.50pm, FTB; Crotone v Cagliari, 3.50pm, VR2; Udinese v Fiorentina, 3.55pm, VR3; Napoli v Benevento, 6.50pm, FTB; Roma v AC Milan, 9.35pm, FTB
SEVEN-TIME European champions AC Milan have been drawn to play Manchester United in what is the standout tie in next month's Europa League round of 16.
Ajax Amsterdam, the four-time European champions, will take on Swiss club Young Boys, while Arsenal face Greek side Olympiakos and Tottenham Hotspur, the third English club to reach the last 16, will tackle Dinamo Zagreb.
Slavia Prague's reward for knocking out Leicester City is a two-legged tie against Scottish champions-elect Rangers.
European debutants Granada of Spain will face Norwegian club Molde while AS Roma face a tough tie against seasoned European contenders Shakhtar Donetsk.
Three-time semi-finalists Villarreal take on Dynamo Kiev.
No German or French clubs made it to the last 16.
The ties will take place on March 11 and 18 with this season's final taking place in Gdansk where the eventual winners will take a place in next season's Champions League.
A clash between Milan and threetime European champions United will loom large over the last 16 for several reasons.
The clubs have met in three European Cup semi-finals, Milan winning all of them, but have not faced each other since 2010 when United won 7-2 on aggregate in the last 16 of the Champions League. It will also mean Milan's veteran Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be up against his old club.
United, second in the Premier League, reached the last 16 with a 4-0 aggregate win over Real Sociedad while Milan, second in Serie A, struggled past Red Star Belgrade, winning on away goals.
For Tottenham and Arsenal, the Europa League offers their most likely routes into the Champions League as they are ninth and 11th respectively in the Premier League.
Arsenal needed a late goal by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Thursday to see them past Benfica 4-3 on aggregate while Tottenham convincingly beat Austrian side Wolfsburg.
Arsenal will return to Athens for the second round in succession after the "home" leg of their tie against Benfica on Thursday was played at Olympiakos's stadium because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. | Reuters