The ACT Brumbies started their Super 12 title defence with a costly 32-21 win over Canterbury, overcoming injuries to captain Stirling Mortlock and winger Clyde Rathbone in Saturday’s rematch of the 2004 final.
Wellington conceded a try in the opening minute at Ballymore before rallying to beat the Queensland Reds 24-10, and the Cats, last year’s wooden-spooners, upset the Bulls 23-17 in Johannesburg.
At Canberra, Scott Fava crossed twice in the second half, while Radike Samo and Gene Fairbanks scored a try apiece as the Brumbies gained a bonus point for scoring four tries to grab a share of the competition lead with the neighbouring New South Wales Waratahs.
The Waratahs beat last season’s semifinalist Waikato 25-7 in Sydney on Friday, while Auckland and the Stormers also notched victories on the 2005 tournament’s opening night.
The Brumbies went into Saturday’s match without playmaker Matt Giteau, who broke his hand in a trial match.
The backline stocks were further eroded with the loss of two Australia internationals — Mortlock limping off in the 19th minute with suspected knee-ligament damage, and Rathbone helped from the field just before half-time after a head knock.
The Crusaders led 10-6 on tries from Casey Laulala and Andrew Mehrtens before the Brumbies rallied just before half-time. Three minutes before the interval and with Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn in the sin bin, Samo scored off a pass from Wallaby captain George Gregan.
Fava and Fairbanks — Giteau’s replacement in the Brumbies’ backline — secured the bonus point with three tries in the second half.
Mortlock will undergo tests on Sunday to determine the extent of his injured knee.
”It was a great effort,” he said. ”We overcame the injuries and the guys who came off the bench played well. But it’s only the start. It’s going to be a long and hard season.”
Hurricanes withstand Reds
Tana Umaga’s Hurricanes withstood the Queensland Reds, outscoring the home team at Ballymore in the last quarter and thriving on a glut of turnovers.
Scrumhalf Piri Weepu took the kicking duties from Jimmy Gopperth in the second half and landed two late penalties before setting up a last-minute try for winger Lome Fa’atau against the wilting Reds.
The hosts scored in the opening minute via Australia vice-captain Elton Flatley, but conceded 22 turnovers in the first tackle and were outmuscled at the breakdowns by the bustling Hurricanes.
”We’ll be happy with that start,” said Umaga, who looked dangerous every time he ran the ball in midfield. ”But obviously there’s things for both sides to work on — if we’re going to challenge late in the competition, we’ll have to pick up our game.”
Cats in stunning upset
At Ellis Park, discarded Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius scored 18 points in the Cats’ stunning upset of the Bulls.
Pretorius’s boot kept the Cats in the game, while number eight Juan Smith was sin-binned, and after resuming the second half trailing 10-9, he started a five-minute blitz that sank the Bulls.
After his 42nd-minute try — a 30m dart inside two despairing tackles — he released his backs on attack just three minutes later and centre Jorrie Muller slithered over.
Pretorius also kicked 13 points, and the Cats’ defence prevented the unimaginative Bulls from getting the ball wide again until late, through wing Bryan Habana.
”The Cats defended awesomely,” said Bulls captain Victor Matfield. ”If we want to do well in this competition, we have to get quicker ball than we did today.”
On Friday, All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu scored the first try of the Super 12 as Auckland beat Otago 30-14, the Blues’ first win at Dunedin since 1997. Highlanders captain Anton Oliver became the first New Zealander to play 100 Super 12 matches.
Mat Rogers shrugged off a minor hip problem to score a try and have a hand in three others in the Waratahs’ win over Waikato, while the Stormers topped the Sharks 26-12 at Cape Town. — Sapa-AP
Scorers:
Auckland 30 (Keven Mealamu, David Gibson, Xavier Rush tries; Luke McAlister 3 conversions, 3 penalties); Otago 14 (Danny Lee try; Ben Blair 3 penalties).
New South Wales 25 (Morgan Turinui 2, Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri tries; Rogers conversion, Peter Hewat penalty); Waikato 7 (Sosene Anesi try; Davis Hill conversion).
Stormers 26 (Breyton Paulse 2, Jean de Villiers tries; Gaffie du Toit 3 penalties, conversion; Sharks 12 (Butch James, Nico Breedt tries; James conversion).
ACT 32 (Scott Fava 2, Radike Samo, Gene Fairbanks tries; Mark Gerrard 3 conversions, penalty, Stirling Mortlock penalty); Canterbury 21 (Andrew Mehrtens, Casey Laulala, Justin Marshall tries; Daniel Carter 2 penalties).
Wellington 24 (Ma’a Nonu, Lome Fa’atau tries; Jimmy Gopperth conversion, 2 penalties, Piri Weepu 2 penalties); Queensland 10 (Elton Flatley, Nathan Sharpe tries).
Cats 23 (Andre Pretorius, Jorrie Muller tries, Pretorius 2 conversions, 3 penalties); Bulls 17 (Jacques Cronje, Bryan Habana tries, Derrick Hougaard 2 conversions, penalty).