The ACT Brumbies broke the Sharks’ unbeaten run in rugby union’s Super 14, diverting attention from the return of New Zealand’s ”conditioned” World Cup All Blacks.
The Brumbies beat the Sharks 21-10 on Saturday in Durban, halting the South African team’s winning streak at six games and depriving the competition of its only unbeaten team.
Tries by Julien Huxley and Adam Wallace-Harrison lifted the Brumbies to an 18-0 halftime lead and Huxley’s conversion and three penalties — 16 points — carried them to their fourth win in eight games.
The Sharks dropped to second place on the championship table behind the Auckland Blues, who beat the New South Wales Waratahs 34-6 on Friday for their sixth win in seven games. The Blues included only one returning All Black, hooker Keven Mealamu, in their run on side and avoided the disruption the internationals’ inclusion caused other New Zealand teams.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry withdrew 22 of his top players from the first seven rounds of the Super 14 to take part in a conditioning programme designed to have them in optimum physical condition for this year’s World Cup in France.
The well-performed Blues chose to reintroduce its All Blacks systematically and benefited from stability and continuity. Their crushing win over the Waratahs was based around the continued strong form of players such as Troy Flavell and Luke McAlister, who have been stalwarts of the team in the All Blacks’ absence.
”It was not our best game of the season, we got a bit anxious but our defence was strong and we never felt the Waratahs threatened us with their attack,” said Blues coach David Nucifora, who has been applauded for his loyalty to his second string.
The Canterbury Crusaders recalled all six of their World Cup All Blacks to their starting lineup on Saturday and struggled for combination before beating the Stormers 36-11. Flyhalf Daniel Carter made the most impressive return of any of the topliners, scoring 16 points from goalkicks and setting up two of Canterbury’s four tries with pinpoint kicking.
Carter’s kicks created first-half tries for Casey Laulala and Rico Gear. Fullback Leon MacDonald scored the only try by a returning All Black in round eight and Gear clinched a four-try bonus point with his second try in stoppage time.
”We had the All Blacks back and it took a wee while for us to get into our rhythm. But the All Blacks settled down and showed they were really only missing a beat,” said Crusaders captain Corey Flynn.
”You can’t go past experience. They brought a lot of composure to the side, particularly when it was helter-skelter, and really lifted the team.”
The Waikato Chiefs had All Blacks halfback Byron Kelleher and winger Sitiveni Sivivatu back in action but needed a 78th-minute penalty to beat the last-placed Queensland Reds 21-19. The lead changed hands four times in the game and twice in the last five minutes as Andrew Walker, for the Reds, and Stephen Donald, for the Chiefs, landed late penalties in a close match.
”Both teams were particularly desperate and therefore particularly dangerous. It was never very pretty but it was good to grind out a win,” said Chiefs captain Tom Willis.
The Wellington Hurricanes installed six World Cup All Blacks in their starting lineup for Saturday’s match against South Africa’s Lions but crashed to a 30-7 defeat.
The Otago Highlanders named Anton Oliver in the reserves for their match against the Bulls and tough Oliver took the field at halftime and unified a powerful scrum. The Bulls won 22-13. – Sapa-AP