Vodacom Super Rugby
Hurricanes pip Crusaders
2012-06-30 11:10
Christchurch - Conrad Smith scored two tries as
the Hurricanes kept their Super Rugby playoff hopes alive
with a 23-22 victory over the Crusaders in a Christchurch
thriller on Saturday.
Crusaders replacement back Tyler Bleyendaal
came up short with a penalty from halfway in the 80th minute to allow
the visitors to take the spoils and some revenge for the 42-14 defeat
they suffered earlier this season.
"That is pretty pleasing to
beat this bunch after they put 40 on us at home," Hurricanes skipper
Smith said in a pitchside interview.
"They are too good a side to let them play, you've got to get up and shut them down."
Quite how the Hurricanes won a match where they nearly conceded a try
in the second minute and were distinctly second best at the set piece as
well as in the disciplinary stakes will have baffled more than a few
fans at Rugby League Park.
Missing All Blacks Dan Carter, Kieran
Read and Israel Dagg to injuries sustained in the international window,
the seven-times champion Crusaders now face a crunch meeting with the
competition-leading Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday.
"Just
one of those days where we did some good things and we also did some
pretty dumb things, so disappointing," Crusaders captain Richie McCaw
said.
The Crusaders started with the good things and Tom Taylor,
deputising for Carter at flyhalf, kicked the first two of his five
penalties to give the Crusaders a 6-0 lead in the 11th minute.
The Hurricanes were brought to life by the first of Beauden Barrett's
three penalties in the 15th minute and a minute later they had taken the
lead with Smith's try after brilliant work from Hurricanes fullback
Andre Taylor.
Tom Taylor had added another penalty when Crusaders
wing Zac Guildford ran 70 metres through two tackles with a
blistering turn of pace to score his team's only try in the 37th minute
and put the home side 16-10 ahead.
The Hurricanes snatched the
advantage back immediately, however, when Smith somehow snaked his way
through the defence to score his second try and Barrett converted to
send the visitors into the break 17-16 up.
Tom Taylor added
another penalty immediately after the restart and his fifth in the 54th
minute but Barrett responded with two of his own in the 65th and 72nd
minutes to set up the dramatic finale.
Teams:Crusaders:
15 Sean Maitland, 14 Adam Whitelock, 13 Robbie
Fruean, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Tom Taylor, 9 Andy Ellis, 8
Richie McCaw (captain), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Samuel
Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett
Substitutes:
16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Tom Donnelly/Ross Kennedy, 19
Luke Whitelock, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Tyler Bleyendaal, 22 Patrick Osborne.
Hurricanes:
15
Andre Taylor, 14 Alapati Leiua, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Tim
Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Chris Eaton, 8 Brad
Shields, 7 Jack Lam/Karl Lowe, 6 Faifili Levave, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy
Thrush, 3 Ben May, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Reg Goodes
Substitutes: 16
Motu Matu'u, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 James Broadhurst, 19 Karl
Lowe/Mark Reddish, 20 Frae Wilson, 21 Tusi Pisi, 22 Jayden Hayward