Here are the highlights from Super Rugby week 14 matches


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 19-05-2019 00:10 IST | Created: 18-05-2019 22:55 IST
Here are the highlights from Super Rugby week 14 matches
A last-gasp kick from Jean-Luc du Plessis ensured a thrilling draw for the struggling Stormers as they held the Crusaders at Newlands on Saturday. Image Credit: Pixabay
  • Country:
  • New Zealand

Highlights from Super Rugby week 14 matches:

STORMERS 19 CANTERBURY CRUSADERS 19

A last-gasp kick from Jean-Luc du Plessis ensured a thrilling draw for the struggling Stormers as they held the Crusaders at Newlands on Saturday. The log leaders outscored their hosts by three tries to one but the Stormers kept in touch with successful penalties and were able to come back from 19-10 down just after the break.

The Crusaders' tries came from Matt Todd, David Havili and substitute Braydon Ennor after Siya Kolisi had scored first to give the Stormers early hope. Key was successful penalties from Joshua Stander (2) and then his replacement Du Plessis (2).

READ MORE

Foley fires to see Waratahs past Reds in Brisbane

Rugby Australia probe Latu drink-driving report Cane's return creates good World Cup headache for Hansen

Courts beckon as Folau ponders appeal against sacking Pollard orchestrates Bulls to top of South African conference

Error-prone Hurricanes finally punished Folau sacked by RA over social media post

High-flying Folau grounded by faith

FACTBOX-Australia rugby union player Israel Folau

Folau case as divisive as Kaepernick affair, says Hunt All Blacks flanker Cane back from a broken neck

Bulls lose Springboks duo, Kriel, De Jager Folau opts for God over rugby on social media

Cooper recovers from a head knock, Toomua on bench Pollard leaves Bulls for France, but Steyn returns to Pretoria

Folau says it would be 'Satan's work' to back down in RA row Brumbies shed 'boring' tag to take top spot in Australia

LIONS 38 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS 29

Electric loose-forward Kwagga Smith scored two tries as the Lions defeated the Otago Highlanders in a thrilling clash at Ellis Park that was in the balance until late on. The killer blow for the home side came when wing Courtnall Skosan crossed with a minute remaining and the win moved the Lions to 30 points and into the play-off positions. Fullback Andries Coetzee and replacement flyhalf Shaun Reynolds also crossed for the Lions, who led 14-12 at halftime and managed to keep up the tempo to the end, exhausting their opponents.

Wings Sio Tomkinson and Jordan Hyland, lock Thomas Franklin, fullback Matt Faddes and flyhalf Josh Ioane scored tries for the Highlanders, who slipped to a sixth defeat of the campaign.

QUEENSLAND REDS 32 NEW SOUTH WALES WARATAHS 40

Flyhalf Bernard Foley contributed 25 points as the New South Wales Waratahs snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Queensland Reds in a hard-fought Super Rugby contest in Brisbane. Brushing aside the distraction of Israel Folau's sacking by the team on Friday, the 2014 champions secured an 11th straight win in a rivalry that dates back to 1882 to remain in the hunt for the Australian conference title.

Wallabies pivot Foley scored his side's first try, nailed all four conversions and slotted four penalties in the final 20 minutes to secure the win after a topsy-turvy contest at Lang Park. The Reds will think they deserved better after scoring six tries but will rue the place-kicking of their flyhalf Bryce Hegarty, who crossed for two five-pointers himself but left 10 points on the park through five missed conversions.

AUCKLAND BLUES 23 WAIKATO CHIEFS 8

Blues prop Ofa Tuungafasi scored a controversial second-half try that gave his side enough breathing room at Eden Park to beat fellow New Zealand side the Chiefs for the first time since 2011.

Tuungafasi appeared to lose control of the ball as he dived for the line but referee Glen Jackson and television match official Glenn Newman agreed there was no reason to overturn the original decision to award the try. Harry Plummer and Melani Nanai grabbed first-half tries and Gerard Cowley-Tuioti scored after the hooter for the home side, who had lost 14 and drawn one of their clashes with the Chiefs since a 16-13 victory in Hamilton in 2011.

Mitch Karpik scored the Chiefs' only try after an error by Reiko Ioane in defence when the All Blacks winger tried to pop the ball back to a teammate while on his tryline and the flanker was able to snatch it and flop over.

MELBOURNE REBELS 17 BULLS 32

Handre Pollard put the announcement of his move to Montpellier at the end of the Super Rugby season behind him to orchestrate the Bulls' victory over the Rebels on Friday. Pollard scored a try and kicked 12 points while Cornal Hendricks, Burger Odendaal and Rosko Speckman also crossed for the visitors, who moved to joint top of the South African conference with 32 points.

The Jaguares are also on 32 points after they beat the Wellington Hurricanes 28-20 earlier. Marika Koroibete (two) and Will Genia scored tries for the home side, who had been hoping to overtake the ACT Brumbies (29) at the top of the Australian conference. They remained on 28 points.

WELLINGTON HURRICANES 20 JAGUARES 28

The Jaguares recorded their first-ever win over the Hurricanes to move to the top of the South African conference, handing their hosts a first home defeat by foreign opposition since 2015.

Agustin Creevy and Jeronomio De La Fuente crossed and the Argentines were awarded a penalty try when Jordie Barrett was sin-binned for a professional foul to give the visitors a 21-8 halftime lead. Julian Montoya grabbed a fourth try after the break to ensure a victory that gave the Jaguares 32 points and moved them above the resting Sharks (29). The Bulls (28) play the Rebels in Melbourne later on Friday.

Vaea Fifita, Ngani Laumape and Kane Leaupepe scored tries for the home side, who remained second in the New Zealand conference on 40 points but were outplayed by a Jaguares team that constantly harried them and forced errors. 

(With inputs from agencies.)

Give Feedback