Crusaders edge past Stormers

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A Tom Taylor penalty six minutes from time proved to be decisive as the Crusaders edged past the Stormers 14-13 in Christchurch, their 33rd straight home win over South African opposition.

A cagey first half had seen just a penalty apiece from Taylor and opposite number Demetri Catrakilis, but the game sprang into life after the break. The visiting side came out all guns blazing and were rewarded ten minutes into the second half, with centre Damian de Allende going over as the Stormers opened up a 13-3 lead.

But the Crusaders came back into the game, first through another Tayor penalty and then as replacement Kieron Fonotia narrowed the gap to just two points with a try of his own on the hour-mark as the Stormers defence finally crumbled. Taylor missed the conversion but his third penalty, and some desperate late defence on the try line from the Crusaders, was enough to earn their first win of the season.

The Western Force marked captain Matt Hodgson’s 100th Super Rugby appearance with a thumping 32-7 victory over the Melbourne Rebels.

Alby Mathewson, Luke Morahan, Hodgson and Angus Cottrell all went over in the 28 first-half minutes as the Force raced into a 32-0 lead, ensuring their first winning bonus point since March 2012. They also nearly claimed their first shutout win in nine years but Telusa Veainu earned a consolation try in the final minute for the Rebels.

Queensland Reds scored five tries on their way to defeating the Cheetahs 43-33 in a festival of attacking Super Rugby in Brisbane.

Fly-half Quade Cooper became the Reds’ highest scoring player in Super Rugby as the Australian side won in a match full of flair and excitement. The match was as scrappy as it was breath-taking, both sides scoring two tries each inside the first 11 minutes.

The try bonanza saw scores for the Reds from Rod Davies, James Hanson, and two from Chris Feauai-Sautia, with the Cheetahs also conceding a penalty try. The South African side managed three touchdowns of their own from Francois Venter, Boom Prinsloo and Elgar Watts.

The Reds sported a pink kit to celebrate International Women’s Day and left the field delighted after the bonus-point win, thanks to tries from Rod Davies, two from Chris Feauai-Sautia, They next travel to South Africa for games against the Sharks and Lions.

Brumbies came from behind to win 29-21 away to the Hurricanes in Wellington, which captain Ben Mowen said the victory was a fitting tribute to injured star flanker David Pocock.

Pocock suffered a knee injury that will keep him out of the rest of the Super Rugby season, but the Brumbies put in a gutsy performance to take a bonus-point win. They outscored the Hurricanes four tries to two, with scores from Robbie Coleman, Tevita Kuridrani, Lachlan McCaffrey and Jesse Mogg. The Hurricanes’ tries came thanks to TJ Perenara and Blade Thomson.

Wallabies centre Pat McCabe shone as a late addition to the starting line-up, making impressive line breaks and bursting through tackles.

Mowen said: “He was outstanding. To come off the back of last week where he thought he may have injured his neck, and to play like he did tonight, I think that says a lot about his character.”

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Article source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/07/ireland-jamie-heaslip-six-nations-wales

Crusaders edge past Stormers