Saturday 19 May 2018 19:08, UK
The Waratahs beat the Highlanders to end New Zealand's dominance over their Australian counterparts, while the Sunwolves claimed back-to-back Super Rugby victories for the first time.
Waratahs 41-12 Highlanders
The Waratahs held their collective nerve to end nearly two years and 40 matches of New Zealand Super Rugby dominance over Australia with a bonus-point victory over the Highlanders on Saturday.
The Highlanders were always up against it after winger Tevita Nabura had been sent off in the 19th minute for kicking Cam Clark in the face, and the visitors had to play with 13 men for 10 minutes in the first half.
The Waratahs, who gave up a 29-0 lead to lose last week, initially made heavy work of it, but a brace of tries apiece from Taqele Naiyaravoro and Israel Folau, along with tries from Lalakai Foketi and Curtis Rona, were enough to snap the streak.
No Australian side had beaten New Zealand opposition in Super Rugby since the Waratahs thrashed the Chiefs 45-25 on May 27, 2016, a miserable run that sparked a crisis of confidence in the game on the western shore of the Tasman Sea.
Blues 24-32 Crusaders
The reigning champions marched back to the top of the Super Rugby standings by building up a big first-half lead before holding off a second-half fightback by the struggling Blues at a rain-drenched Eden Park.
Winger George Bridge, lock Quinten Strange and flanker Matt Todd crossed to help the Crusaders to a 29-12 half-time advantage, with scrum-half Bryn Hall adding the fourth try after the break and Richie Mo'unga notching two penalties and three conversions.
All Blacks winger Rieko Ioane scored two tries and made one each for full-back Matt Duffie and replacement Michael Collins, but the Blues were always chasing the game.
An eighth straight victory sent the Crusaders a point clear of the Hurricanes at the top of the competition standings ahead of their clash in Christchurch next week.
Sunwolves 26-23 Stormers
Fly-half Hayden Parker nailed a drop-goal nearly four minutes after the hooter to give the Sunwolves back-to-back victories for the first time as Super Rugby made its Hong Kong debut with a Mong Kok Stadium thriller.
The Sunwolves grabbed their first win of the season with a 63-28 thrashing of the Reds at home in Tokyo last weekend but this was a much tighter affair against the Cape Town-based Stormers.
Two tries from livewire winger Dillyn Leyds and an intercept score from JJ Engelbrecht helped the South Africans to a 17-10 half-time lead with Parker having scored all his side's points through a converted try and a penalty.
Sunwolves lock Grant Hattingh crossed at the end of a sweeping move to lock up the scores after the break and Parker added his second penalty to put his side 20-17 ahead with 17 minutes to play.
Stormers full-back SP Marais landed two huge penalties, the second from five metres inside his own half, to edge the visitors back ahead, though, before the unerring Parker nailed his third three-pointer to set up the dramatic finale.
Sharks 28-24 Chiefs
Fly-half Robert du Preez scored 18 points as the Sharks kept up their playoff charge with a narrow victory over an injury-hit Chiefs at King's Park on Saturday.
The Sharks had the majority of the possession and territory, and might have scored more tries but for some poor handling and excellent scrambling defence from the Chiefs.
They were, however, almost made to pay at the end of the game.
Du Preez grabbed their first score to go with later tries from wing Lwazi Mvovo and scrumhalf Cameron Wright, but the Chiefs hung in the game with the scores level at 10-10 at the break.
Having made seven changes from their win over the Stormers in Cape Town last week, the visitors struggled in the second period though as their tries came via lock Tyler Ardron and centre Charlie Ngatai, as well as a late effort from wing Solomona Alaimalo to secure a losing bonus-point.
Lions 42-24 Brumbies
The Lions took command of top spot in the South African Conference with a bonus-point victory over an ill-disciplined Brumbies side at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The visitors had lock Rory Arnold red-carded with 20 minutes remaining for a dangerously high tackle, and lost his fellow second-rower Sam Carter a minute later to the sin-bin.
The Brumbies led by four points at that stage, but could not contain the Lions with their inferior numbers, conceding three tries to slip to defeat in a game they may feel they should have won.
The home side scored tries through centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg, hooker Robbie Coetzee, prop Ruan Dreyer, loose-forward Marnus Schoeman, centre Shaun Reynolds and lock Lourens Erasmus.
