The Auto & General Lions must surely end the season with the unwanted status as the Vodacom Super 14’s most charitable team following their narrow 38-33 loss to the Waratahs in Johannesburg on Friday night.
The Crusaders overcame two controversial TMO calls to beat the Blues 15-13 in a pulsating match in Auckland on Saturday. Four penalty goals and a 76th-minute dropped goal by Leon MacDonald enabled the seven-times Super Rugby champions to stay in the hunt for another title.
All Black center Ma’a Nonu scored two tries and the Hurricanes secured a four-try bonus point with seven minutes left in first half to beat the Reds 37-28 in Brisbane on Saturday and qualify for the Vodacom Super 14 semifinals. The win moved the Hurricanes to 44 points and into the top four on the final weekend of the regular season.
The Highlanders lost 28-33 but the last-minute try they scored against the Western Force in Perth on Saturday ensured that three South Africans teams finished among the last four on the Vodacom Super 14 log this year. After trailing 0-23 at halftime, the New Zealanders scored four second-half tries to lift themselves above the Lions, the Stormers, the Reds and the Cheetahs at the bottom of the log.
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There are still 7 teams in the running for the semi finals in this year’s Super 14 competition. After this past weekend’s action, the Vodacom Bulls have reclaimed top spot in the log, defending champions the Crusaders and the Brumbies have strengthened their playoff ambitions, the Sharks and Waratahs’ chances are “touch-and-go”, while the Western Force and the Blues have both fallen out of contention.
The Bulls earned a valuable bonus point four scoring four tries in their hard-fought 29-20 win over a brave Vodacom Cheetahs team at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday to move past the Chiefs and the Hurricanes. The decisive try was scored by Springbok wing Bryan Habana, who intercepted a long pass by Meyer Bosman as the Cheetahs tried to play attacking rugby inside their own 22 metre area in the dying minutes of the match. As a result, the Bulls now have a one point lead on the Vodacom Super 14 log and in an interesting twist in the tale, must defeat the Sharks in Durban next week if they are to host one of the semi-finals. The Bulls’ last visit to the Absa Stadium was for the 2007 final which they ultimately won 20-19 after a dramatic last-minute try by Habana.
The Sharks chances of making the last four took a serious knock when they went down 12-16 to the Waratahs at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday. The defeat, in which they were able to gain a bonus point, leaves them in sixth place and needing five points against the Bulls to stand a chance of making the playoffs. Despite the win, the Waratahs remain in seventh place and will have to get five points from their final match against the Auto & General Lions in Johannesburg next week to retain a slender hope in the playoff race.
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In a highly entertaining game of attacking rugby at its best, the Hurricanes scored a record 45-27 (half-time 35-13) win over the Blues at the Westpac Stadium on Friday. The Canes scored six tries to four and carried on from where they left off last week when they scored eight tries against the Brumbies. They retain their top of the table status with the bonus point win.
The Crusaders kept their play-off hopes alive with a 32-20 bonus point win over the Lions at Coca Cola Park on Friday. The Lions got off to a flyer with ball in hand but could just not add the finishing touches and subsequently failed to put some points on the board.
Australian side New South Wales Waratahs climbed four places to fourth on the Super 14 table after a 18-10 win over the Cheetahs Friday. The bottom-of-the-table Cheetahs started and finished well while squandering try-scoring chances, but the rest of a match in this chilly central city was dominated by the visitors.
Waratahs dominance was particularly noticeable in the scrums where loose head Benn Robinson gave opponent Kobus Caldo a torrid time until the Cheetah was replaced late in the second half.
Wallaby Phil Waugh stood out in the loose exchanges on his record 108th appearance for the Sydney-based team, winning numerous turnovers before a sparse Absa Stadium crowd.
The Brumbies recorded a record 52-13 bonus point win against a sorry Reds outfit at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. The men from Canberra, who made the trip to Brisbane, outclassed their countrymen by seven tries to two. Whats more, the full house of five log points moved them from ninth to fifth, keeping them in the semi-final hunt.
The Sharks managed to beat the Highlanders 23-15 but failed to secure the all-important bonus point at the Absa Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Sharks started the match like men on a mission and after 10 minutes of utter domination, Rory Kockott opened the scoring with a penalty.
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The Vodacom Bulls moved into second place in the Vodacom Super 14 standings after a hard-fought 33-27 win over the Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday. It was the Chiefs first defeat in seven matches. The Bulls were unable to secure a bonus point which leaves them a point behind new log leaders the Hurricanes. The Chiefs did earn a bonus point but it was not enough to keep them at the top of the standings and they have dropped into third place.
The Hurricanes jumped from fourth place to first place after a one-sided 56-7 win over an out-of-sorts Brumbies in Wellington. The Brumbies scored first in the match but had no answer as the rampant Hurricanes responded with eight well crafted tries to score their biggest ever victory over an Australian team.
With the movement in log positions at the top of the table, the Sharks, who had a bye at the weekend, have dropped into fourth place.
The Blues held onto fifth place despite their surprise 31-24 defeat by the lowly Reds in North Harbour on Saturday. The Blues earned two bonus points after scoring four tries in a closely fought encounter and remain in contention for the playoffs.
The other upset of the weekend was the Vodacom Cheetahs 20-13 win over defending champions the Crusaders in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The Crusaders took an early lead but the Cheetahs fought back well to lead 10-7 at halftime. The Crusaders drew level shortly after the restart but a penalty and a second try as well as some resolute Cheetahs defence kept the champions at bay. The defeat keeps the Crusaders in contention in eighth place whilst the Cheetahs remain in 14th.
The Vodacom Stormers ended their run of four consecutive losses with an 18-11 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday. The win comes at the end of a dismal tour for the Cape side who now return for home matches against the Chiefs and the Force before ending their campaign against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
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Any thoughts that the champion Crusaders outfit can be discounted as possible winners of the 2009 edition of the Vodacom Super 14 were emphatically erased by their hard fought 16-13 win over the Sharks at Absa Stadium on Saturday. Like has so often happened this season when two good defensive teams play against one another, the sides cancelled each other out, with the result coming down to the bounce of the ball. Both sides had attacking opportunities, both lamented missed opportunities, and the Sharks were rightly frustrated afterwards at a refereeing decision made when they had an attacking scrum.
The Hurricanes moved right back into play-off contention with an impressive 34-11 win over a sloppy Stormers team in Wellington on Saturday.
The four tries to one win put the Hurricanes back into the top four, but more importantly left the South African side in disarray. The Stormers lost captain Jean de Villiers early in the game with an injury and there was a late change when prop Brian Mujati was ruled out.
The Lions, despite being reduced to 13 men at one stage, ended their losing streak with an impressive 31-20 win over the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.
The win, which saw the Lions move up to 11th on the standings, was sealed by a hat-trick from flying wing Henno Mentz.
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The two South African title Super 14 title contenders The bulls and Sharks are still on course for the play-offs despite having mixed fortunes over the weekend.
Log leaders the Sharks suffered an unexpected 31-6 defeat by the last-placed Vodacom Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, whilst the Vodacom Bulls ended a two-match losing run with a 20-6 win over the Waratahs in Sydney, also on Saturday.
Despite the loss, the Sharks remain three points clear at the top but having played a game more than their closest two challengers. The Bulls, meanwhile, move into third place with the same number of points as the second-placed Chiefs but with an inferior points difference.
The Chiefs, who arrive in South Africa today for a three-match tour, had a bye at the weekend.
The Waratahs loss to the Bulls, their first in eleven matches at the Sydney Football Stadium, leaves them in the top four but they are vulnerable to the three sides beneath them, who have all played a game less and trail by five points or less. In addition, the Tahs still need to travel to South Africa.
The Hurricanes, Blues and Highlanders, who occupy places 5 to 7, kept themselves firmly in the hunt with important wins at the weekend.
The Hurricanes beat the Force 28-27 at the death on Friday with the winning try scored by fullback Corey Jane after the final hooter. The Force looked to have done enough to secure a home win but the Hurricanes rallied to snatch the victory.
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The Sharks were the only South African team to register a win in the Vodacom Super 14 at the weekend, ensuring that they remain at the top of the log but with the impressive Chiefs breathing down their necks.
The Sharks put in another strong performance in beating the Hurricanes 33-17 in Durban, keeping themselves three points clear at the top of the table and still very much in the running for a home semi-final. Four of their final five matches are at the Absa Stadium.
The Chiefs moved into second place after a 36-29 win over the Auto & General Lions in Hamilton. A much improved performance from the Lions in their first tour match saw them take a 22-10 lead at halftime. The Lions increased the lead to 29-10 soon after the break but the Chiefs staged a remarkable comeback, scoring 26 unanswered points in the final 20 minutes to secure a fifth successive win.
The Chiefs are looking like true contenders but face a three-week tour to South Africa after Easter in which they face the Cheetahs, Bulls and Stormers. The Lions got two points out of the match which sees them move up one place to 12th in the table. Springbok centre Jaque Fourie got a brace of tries and is now the second highest try scorer in the 2009 tournament.
The Vodacom Bulls suffered their second consecutive loss on tour to remain in fourth place. The 2007 champions went down 13-16 against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday. Whilst the defeat is a setback, the Bulls have a game in hand over the three teams above them and they will need to make it count when they face the Waratahs and the Brumbies in the coming weeks. The win sees the Crusaders move into fifth position.
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The Highlanders snapped the Vodacom Bulls‘ five-match winning streak in the Vodacom Super 14 on Saturday, beating the lethargic Pretoria outfit 36-12 in Palmerston North. The Highlanders raced to a 21-5 lead in the first half, then consolidated its lead with two second-half tries to inflict the first defeat on the Bulls in the 2009 season.
Highlanders – Tries: Israel Dagg, Matthew Berquist, Jimmy Cowan, Daniel Bowden, Jason Shoemarck. Conversions: Matthew Berquist (4). Penalties: M.Berquist.
Bulls – Tries: Gerhard van den Heever, Morne Steyn. Conversion: Morne Steyn.
The Vodacom Stormers started their match against Crusaders with hopes of becoming only the third South African team to win in Christchurch in Super rugby history, but they blew it with an error-ridden display that led to an 11-7 defeat. Going into the last 10 minutes the Stormers were still well in the game, but the Crusaders beat them hands down with their kicking game from around the 20 minute mark in the match, and ensured that they played the deciding period of the match in the Stormers half. With the Stormers looking incapable of striking from long range, the match was effectively over when Stephen Brett made the territorial advantage count by slotting a penalty from right in front to make it a four point lead and force the Stormers to look for a try.
Crusaders 11 Try: Adam Whitelock; Penalties: Stephen Brett 2.
Stormers 7 Try: Luke Watson; Conversion: Willem de Waal.
Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu scored two tries apiece on Saturday as the resurgent Chiefs beat the Reds 50-26 to return to the top four of the Vodacom Super 14 log. After withstanding a series of attacking raids early, the Chiefs dominated the six-tries-to-four victory with flyhalf Stephen Donald directing traffic and scoring 23 points. The Reds picked up a bonus point when flanker Daniel Braid dived over after pinching a Chiefs’ lineout close to the line in the last five minutes. The Chiefs opened the season with three straight losses but have gained momentum since the return of All Blacks fullback Muliaina and have won four in a row.
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The Vodacom Bulls remained the only unbeaten side in the 2009 Super 14 with a hard-fought 19-14 (halt-time 9-7) crucial away victory over the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday. The victory, which sees the Pretoria-based side stay atop the log, was one earned from feeding off their opponents errors and notching up the points when they infiltrated enemy territory. It may not have been a great advert for Super 14 rugby at its best, but it was an effective percentage style rugby that saw the Bulls home to a key away win.
Adam Thompson and Israel Dagg scored two tries each as the Otago Highlanders overcame a slow start and poor goalkicking to beat South Africa’s Cheetahs 32-8 in Dunedin Saturday. A swirling wind plagued goalkickers from both sides and Otago managed only three goals from 10 attempts, but outscored the winless Cheetahs five tries to one for a bonus point and a critical home win. The Highlanders were down 8-5 at halftime after playing into the wind and missing all five first-half shots at goal. But they scored four second-half tries to beat the tournament’s last-placed team.
All Blacks winger Sitiveni Sivivatu scored four tries Saturday, setting a franchise record, as the Waikato Chiefs beat the Auckland Blues 63-34. Sivivatu’s first try after three minutes was his 33rd for the Chiefs in the Super 14, equaling the try-scoring record for Waikato previously held by winger Roger Randle. Sivivatu’s second, in the 14th minute, set a new mark at 34 tries before he added two more. Sivivatu was also the first Waikato player to score four tries in a Super 14 match. Those tries left Auckland breathless, 28-8 down after 25 minutes in a normally closely contested local derby.
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The Shark‘s thwarting of the opposition’s close driving near the line and a better field kicking game were the factors that helped them to a nailbiting 22-15 win over the Chiefs in the first match of their Vodacom Super 14 tour on Saturday. Even for an ardent South African supporter it would have been hard not to feel sorry for the Chiefs. As the commentators said, it was incredibly bad luck they did not escape with at least a draw in a game where for much of it they were in the ascendancy everywhere but on the scoreboard.
Scorers:
Chiefs – Tries: Brendan Leonard, Aled De Malmanche. Conversion: Stephen Donald. Penalty Conversion: Stephen Donald.
Sharks – Tries: Francois Steyn, JP Pieterson (2). Conversion: Rory Kockott (2). Penalty Conversion: Rory Kockott.
Cameron Shepherd registered the seasons first hat-trick of tries to help the Force to a crucial 25-16 away victory over the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday. The big left-wing was on the end of three superb passing movements with No8 Richard Brown also going over to also give the Force the bonus point. The Brumbies had escaped with narrow victories in their first two games, including beating the Crusaders, but an uncharacteristic sluggishness crept into their game in this match and they were unable to take full advantage of their superiority in the set-pieces especially at scrum time.
The Bulls clung to the top of the Vodacom Super 14 log with a hard-fought 16-9 win over a gritty Lions side at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday evening. Billed as the Jukskei Derby the players must have felt they were playing in the river after a cloudburst shortly before kick-off left the field soggy and cloying underfoot. The match kicked off in a steady shower and although the rain abated later on conditions were extremely difficult and it resulted in an error-ridden encounter that, pardon the obvious pun, the Bulls made heavy weather of winning.
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