June 30 (Reuters) – Conrad Smith scored two tries as the
Wellington Hurricanes kept their Super Rugby playoff hopes alive
with a 23-22 victory over the Canterbury Crusaders in a
Christchurch thriller on Saturday.
Crusaders replacement back Tyler Bleyendaal came up short
with a penalty from halfway in the 80th minute to allow the
visitors to take the spoils and some revenge for the 42-14
defeat they suffered earlier this season.
“That is pretty pleasing to beat this bunch after they put
40 on us at home,” Hurricanes skipper Smith said in a pitchside
interview.
“They are too good a side to let them play, you’ve got to
get up and shut them down.”
Quite how the Hurricanes won a match where they nearly
conceded a try in the second minute and were distinctly second
best at the set piece as well as in the disciplinary stakes will
have baffled more than a few fans at Rugby League Park.
Missing All Blacks Dan Carter, Kieran Read and Israel Dagg
to injuries sustained in the international window, the
seven-times champion Crusaders now face a crunch meeting with
the competition-leading Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday.
“Just one of those days where we did some good things and we
also did some pretty dumb things, so disappointing,” Crusaders
captain Richie McCaw said.
The Crusaders started with the good things and Tom Taylor,
deputising for Carter at flyhalf, kicked the first two of his
five penalties to give the Crusaders a 6-0 lead in the 11th
minute.
The Hurricanes were brought to life by the first of Beauden
Barrett’s three penalties in the 15th minute and a minute later
they had taken the lead with Smith’s try after brilliant work
from Hurricanes fullback Andre Taylor.
Continued…
