DAVID SHAPSHAK, Pretoria | Saturday 5.00pm.
A LAST gasp drop goal by Andrew Mehrtens snatched victory for the Canterbury Crusaders to beat the Northern Bulls 30-28 in a thrilling Super 12 match in Pretoria on Saturday.
Ruben Kruger, in his first Super 12 game of the year, captain a vastly-improved Bulls who dominated the game for long spells and looked like they could upset the competitions champions at Loftus Versveld stadium, scroing four tries to three.
The score was tied 17-17 at the break.
Another Springbok stalwart, wing Jacques Olivier, was inspirational at centre, setting the backs alight and producing much better running for a talented, but non-performing backline.
The home side stormed into the game, with Deon de Kock breaking through the Crusader defence and scoring under the posts in first 30 seconds.
After a two minute Canterbury try by Caleb Ralph, converted by Darryl Lillee, wing Frikkie Welsh and flyhalf Franco Smith scored to take their team ahead.
But five minutes from the break, the visitors bounded back with a converted Scott Macloed try to tie at half time.
Both sides held each other after the break with no scoring for the 24 minutes.
The Crusaders game picked up when key players Justin Marshall and Andrew Mertens took to the field in the 10th and 15th minute after the break.
The All Black flyhalf injected pace into his backline and slotted a 24th minute penalty. And when Marius Goosen stumbled, replacement Afato So’oalo snatched up the ball and scored. Mehrtens converted.
But the Bulls came roaring back into the game when Kruger came back on after a bleeding head wound forced him off the field.
After slotting a penalty Casper Steyn, who took over the kicking from Smith who missed two conversions, the speedy wing chipped ahead to score to bring his side to 25-27.
Minutes later he slotted another penalty to take his side 28-27 into the lead.
Until Mehrtens’ 44th minute drop put it beyond contention and sentenced the Bulls to their eighth loss from as many starts.