Will Genia scored the last of two Reds’ tries in the 69th minute and that seemed to be enough. The other try was scored by Digby Ioane.

For the Crusaders Daniel Carter scored a try, a conversion and two penalties.

Pic: supersport.com

The Crusaders will face the Cape Town side at Newlands on the 2nd July 2011.

Scorers:

Crusaders 36 – Try: Sonny Bill Williams, Kieran Read, Ben Franks; Conversions: Dan Carter (2), Mathew Berquist; Penalties: Carter (5)
Sharks 8 – Try: Willem Alberts; Penalty: Pat Lambie

Pic: supersport.co.za

The former French international’s contribution to the crushing of every blue-blooded, horn head’s ticker was epic to witness, as was the faces of utter relief seen on the mugs of the hundreds of Durbanites who made the trip up north. Michelac commanded and received the respect of the every, single Bulls player on the park. Not through brute force (as is often the case in titanic Loftus battles) but through sheer brilliance and self-belief. Not once did the pivot, selected ahead of golden boy Patrick “Lamborghini” Lambie, look out of place or set a foot wrong. He distributed well, organized defence without much trouble and led the attack of the three-quarters effortlessly.

This weekend though, Freddy will have to be equally, if not more prolific as he measures up to in-form fly-half and all-round legend Daniel Carter. The Canterbury general holds himself to Everest-like standards and as a result his direct opponent has to reciprocate or fail. The Sharks go into this match with the under-dog tag (excuse the pun) around their necks, but that differs none from the popular opinion held when they boarded the flight from King Shaka Airport Friday last. Nobody (and their cousin) gave them a sniff at a draw, much less a victory against Matfield and company, but all that merely served as motivation. The forecast for Campaign Crusader Crush looks equally bleak, but pundits must believe an upset is possible, as betting odds have improved since the unexpected Bulls upset.

John Smits’ limited involvement at Fortress Loftus did very little to squash fears of his suitability to lead the Boks at RWC 2011, but his unseen contribution to every Sharks effort remain one of substance. Bismarck du Plessis has to be the number one contender for the middle of the SA scrum, but the elements of experience and calm that Smit brings to every party is crucial. John Plumtree understands this fact and has had the good fortune of rotating the two Springboks as each game unfolds. He might not have that luxury this weekend and Smit should play a bigger role, due to player-fatigue through crossing ten time zones in three days.

When all is said and done, the forwards effort will be an integral part of any Sharks success story. However, cleverly breaking the momentum of Sonny Bill, Fruen and Guilford, by keeping them guessing on defence and turning them on attack remains a feat reserved for Freddy. Can he rise to the occasion and steer the KZN ship to victory? For that to transpire, he definitely needs to believe he can and I certainly don’t know many modest Frenchies, do you?

A. Waldeck

Two tries from the flying Zac Guildford in the second half, one at the beginning and one near the end, sealed the win for the Men from Canterbury in what was the Blues’ fourth consecutive defeat.

The Blues were desperate to win and it showed, they did enjoy long spells of possession and were right in the game until the last ten minutes after a spirited effort in the second half.

The game was in the balance for much of the match as both heavyweights traded blows. The Crusaders scrum was at its impressive best while the Blues competed well at line-out time despite missing a few on their own throw.

However, a moment of brilliance from Dan Carter who found Guildford with a perfectly weighted cross kick which he collected before crashing over for the try that sealed the Blues’ fate.

The scorers:

For the Crusaders:
Tries: Todd, Guildford 2
Cons: Carter
Pens: Carter 2

For the Blues:
Tries: Ranger, Faumuina
Pens: McAlister 2

Teams:

Crusaders: 15 Tom Marshall, 14 Brent Ward, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Ben Franks.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Jonathan Poff, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 Ryan Crotty.

Blues: 15 Jared Payne, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Benson Stanley, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Rene Ranger, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Anthony Boric, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu (captain), 1 John Afoa.
Replacements: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Chris Lowery, 19 Sean Polwart, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Lachie Munro, 22 Sherwin Stowers.

Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Vinny Munro, Kane McBride
TMO: Keith Brown

Source: rugby364.com

Pic: brisbanetimes.com.au

The match was the second “home game” for the Crusaders at Trafalgar Park following a devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake on February 22 that ripped the heart out of Christchurch, killing at least 166 people and levelling much of the centre of the country’s second-largest city.

It was the second successive loss for the Brumbies after their coach Andy Friend was sacked early last week. They had also lost the match prior to his dismissal.

Winger Maitland, who had scored one try in the first half, added two more in a devastating 10-minute period to start the second half when the Crusaders extended their 19-10 lead at the break to 40-10.

All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams also added his second Super rugby try, in virtually the same place where he scored his first last week, before Maitland added his fourth.

Flyhalf Daniel Carter slotted four penalties and a conversion in the first half then three conversions in the second before being replaced with about 20 minutes remaining.

Fullback Israel Dagg added his side’s sixth try with about three minutes remaining to bring up the half century, and replacement flyhalf Matt Berquist slotting home the conversion.

“That 20 minutes after halftime really showed that we can put teams away,” Crusaders captain Kieran Read said in a televised interview.

“You have to work teams over before you can put the ball wide and in that second half it just came off and the boys played really well.”

Wallabies flyhalf Matt Giteau had scored all of the Brumbies’ points in the first 20 minutes following a lucky try after the referee failed to notice a knock on from one his teammates and added a conversion and penalty.

The Brumbies’ captain, however, was sinbinned from the resulting restart from his penalty for a blatant professional foul and the Crusaders, who had been 10-6 down, took advantage to establish a 19-10 lead by the break and never let the Australian side back into the game.

“We have to look at ourselves pretty hard, it’s not the start we wanted for the season,” Giteau said.

“I think we will bounce back but we just have to show a lot more character than that because it was disappointing.”

Scorers: Crusaders – Tries: Sean Maitland (4), Sonny-Bill Williams, Israel Dagg. Conversions: Dan Carter (4), Matthew Berquist. Penalties: Carter (4).
Brumbies – Try: Matt Giteau. Conversion: Giteau. Penalty: Giteau.

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

That is one of the reasons why Deans, who won five Super rugby titles as coach of the Crusaders, believes the New Zealand side will beat the champions in this coming weekend’s Super 14 semifinal at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

Deans believes that the Crusaders, who are now coached by Todd Blackadder, will also benefit from the Bulls’ move from Loftus Versfeld to the unknown Orlando Stadium.

He also has a sound reason for arguing that the Bulls erred with their decision.

Eight years ago Deans’ Crusaders beat a weakened Waratahs side 96-19 in their last league game, after which the Waratahs lost their semifinal against the Brumbies a week later.

“I think it was a mistake to get off the horse,” Deans told rugby365.com about the Bulls.

“But the decision will be judged by how they progress.”

Even so, the Crusaders have a mountain to climb to beat the champions on Saturday.

No team has been able to win a semi-final or final outside its home country since 2000. Therefore, the Crusaders and Waratahs have to try and manage something extraordinary at Soweto and Cape Town respectively this weekend.

On top of that the Crusaders are still hoping that star fly-half Dan Carter will be able to train fully at Fourways in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Carter and prop Ben Franks are both nursing ankle injuries that they sustained in the win over the Brumbies, but should be given until Friday’s captain’s run in Soweto to recover.

Carter again proved how dangerous he can be in the Bulls’ nailbiting win over the Crusaders at Loftus Versfeld.

Blackadder told the Crusaders’ website that the team had taken encouragement from coming close at Loftus.

“The Bulls should be fresh after their players got a rest. Was it a good move? Who knows, it all depends on who plays better on the day.

“Our players have a lot of confidence after they came close to beating the Bulls in Pretoria two weeks ago. Our game has gone up a gear and you could see it against the Brumbies,” said Blackadder.

Source: supersport.co.za

Pic: theroar.com

The Waratahs scored four tries through fullback Kurtley Beale (2) and wing Drew Mitchell (2). Flyhalf Berrick Barnes landed three conversions and two penalties.

The Hurricanes replied with a try by replacement wing David Smith. Scrumhalf Piri Weepu kicked a conversion and three penalties.

The Waratahs picked up a full-house of five points for their efforts and moved into second position in the standings, confirming their playoff spot no matter the results of the remaining Round 14 fixtures. The Hurricanes left empty-handed and remain in sixth spot – and out of the semi-final race.

In the Crusaders game the scoreline would underline their dominance, but the game was played in driving rain, and the most impressive aspect was not just their clinical finishing but their impressive handling in the wet weather.

Scorers:

Crusaders:

Tries – Sean Maitland, Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Richie McCaw, Zac Guildford. Conversions – Dan Carter (3). Penalties – Carter (3).
Brumbies:
Tries – Tyrone Smith, Ben Alexander, Huia Edmonds. Conversions – Matt Giteau (2). Penalty – Giteau

Source:   sport24.co.za;    supersport.co.za

Source: youtube.com

Vodacom Bulls 27 The Sharks 19
Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Gerhard van den Heever; Conversion: Morne Steyn; Penalties: Steyn (5).
The Sharks – Try: Rory Kockott; Conversion: Kockott; Penalties: Andy Goode (4).

Vodacom Cheetahs 36 Blues 32
Vodacom Cheetahs – Tries: Juan Smith, Jongi Nokwe, Bjorn Basson, Phillip van der Merwe, Waltie Vermeulen; Conversions: Naas Olivier (2), Meyer Bosman (2); Penalty: Olivier.
Blues – Tries: Isaia Toeava, Rene Ranger, Alby Mathewson, Anthony Tuitavake; Conversions: Stephen Brett (3); Penalties: Brett (2).

Auto & General Lions 12 Western Force 33
Auto & General Lions – Penalties: Herkie Kruger (4).
Western Force – Tries: Scott Staniforth, David Hill, Mark Bartholomeusz; Conversions: Hill (3); Penalties: Hill (4).

Brumbies 32 Reds 12

The Brumbies kept their chances of qualification for the 2010 Vodacom Super 14 semi-finals alive after they defeated the Reds 32-12 in Canberra on Saturday.

The Reds have never recorded an away win against the Brumbies in Super Rugby and were guilty of making numerous handling errors during this match. The hosts scored four tries and gained maximum points from this fixture.

Brumbies – Tries: Ben Alexander (2), Mark Chisholm, Josh Valentine; Conversions. Matt Giteau (3); Penalty: Giteau (2).
Reds – Penalties: Quade Cooper (4).

Hurricanes 33 Chiefs 27

The Hurricanes are back in the race of a place in the 2010 Vodacom Super 14 semi-finals following their 33-27 victory over the Chiefs in this New Zealand derby played in Wellington on Saturday.

Both teams played exciting attacking rugby in this match which saw the Waikato side and the hosts scoring four tries before the half time break.

Hurricanes – Tries: Ma`a Nonu (2), Cory Jane, Neemia Tialata; Conversions: Aaron Cruden, Piri Weepu; Penalties: Cruden (2), Weepu.
Chiefs – Tries: Jackson Willison, Sona Taumalolo, Tim Nanai-Williams, Liam Messam; Conversions: Callum Bruce (2); Penalty: Bruce.

Highlanders 26 Waratahs 10

The Highlanders recorded their third victory in the 2010 Vodacom Super 14 when they defeated the Waratahs 26-10 in Invercargill on Friday.

The defeat kept the Sydney franchise in fifth position on the log. However the Waratahs are now 10 points behind the Vodacom Bulls who are in first position and nine points away from the second placed Vodacom Stormers.

Highlanders – Tries: Adam Thomson (2), Steven Setephano; Conversion: Israel Dagg; Penalties: Matthew Berquist (3).
Waratahs – Try: Kurtley Beale; Conversion: Daniel Halangahu; Penalty: Halangahu.

Source + Pic: sarugby.co.za

The All Black and Crusaders captain will be playing his landmark Super 14 match against the Stormers in a game that both teams have to win after last week’s hiccups in Brisbane (Stormers) and Perth (Crusaders). The Crusaders seldom lose two games in a row, so the Stormers should be wary, and even more so now that the visitors will be trying to make it a special one for their leader.

“The Stormers will have a similar feeling to us as they were knocked over last week as well,” said McCaw.

“If we are going to be in with a shot at the end of the competition, we need to perform this week. That is the bottom line. We realise that if we are going to be in the top four, we have to win all three of the remaining games.

“We were disappointed with last week against the Force. We didn’t play very well, but we had an opportunity to still win the game and we didn’t take it. We have to move on from that, and we are going to have to be a lot better than we were in Perth if we hope to challenge the Stormers.”

McCaw admitted that in many senses this week’s game would be the first final in the sequence of five if the Crusaders hope to win their eighth Super rugby title.

“It starts this week. We are not kidding in that regard, and it gives this game an extra edge. We were not happy with last week, and hopefully the guys are on edge this week.”

Times have changed down in Stormers country. Once seen as the soft under-belly of the side, the Stormers forwards are now being regarded as the biggest obstacle by some opponents.

“The game starts and ends up front, and the Stormers have probably one of the best, if not the best, packs in the competition. They have improved a lot this year. The games they have won are because they have outmuscled the other team at forward, and that is going to be something we will have to be ready for.”

Source: supersport.co.za