Crusaders bounce back to beat hapless Cheaters

The champion Crusaders proved true the old adage that a week can be a long time in rugby when they blitzed the Cheaters to score an emphatic 49-28 win at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday. A second string Crusaders team demolished a cheaters team that had no idea about the basics of rugby. When they did go wide after making no yardage up the middle, all the cheaters did was shovel the ball from side to side. They desperately need someone to general the play as Juan Smith can’t do it all.

Crusaders 49 – Tries: Casey Laulala, Caleb Ralph 2, Scott Hamilton 2, Stephen Brett. Conversions: Stephen Brett 5. Penalties: Stephen Brett 3.
Cheetahs 28 – Tries: Darron Nel 2, Herkie Kruger; Conversions: Meyer Bosman 2; Penalties: Meyer Bosman 2; Drop-goal: Herkie Kruger.

Habana grabs dramatic win for Bulls at the death

A last minute try by Bryan Hanana after the hooter had sounded sealed a dramatic victory for the Bulls over the Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. As they so often do the Bulls left it to the last minute to win a game they should have dominated on the scoreboard. The comeback of the awesome Bakkies Botha, along with Guthro Steenkamp and Pierre Spies to come should leave them well placed to challenge for the top 4 if they can just play the attacking rugby they do for a few minutes a game. The players are there the approach just needs to be given the confidence to be executed.

Vodacom Bulls 30: Tries by Bakkies Botha (24 min), Gurthro Steenkamp (33 min) and Bryan Habana (80 min). Morne Steyn kicked three penalties and Derick Hougaard added two penalties.
Chiefs 27: Tries by Lelia Masaga (9 min), Dwayne Sweeney (45 min) and Masaga (58 min). Stephen Donald kicked three conversions and two penalties

Lions clinch thriller in Perth

They will be lighting braais all over Johannesburg on Saturday night to celebrate a 25-24 victory for the Lions over the Western Farce in Perth. In an intriguing see saw battle the Lions deserved their victory by showing greater hunger, composure and brains to emerge the victors.

Lions 25 – Try: Jaques Fourie; Conversion: Louis Strydom; Penalties: Louis Strydom 4 and Andre Pretorius; Drop-goal: Andre Pretorius.
Western Farce 24 – Tries: Cameron Shepherd and Gareth Hardy; Conversion: Cameron Shepherd; Penalties: Cameron Shepherd 4;

Blues overcome reds in Auckland

The Blues crushed the Reds by 38-13 in Auckland to bag the full 5 log points on Saturday.

Blues 38 – Tries: Rudi Wulf (2) Isa Nacewa, Jerome Kaino. Conversions: Nacewa (2), Luke McAlister. Penalties: Nacewa, McAlister (3).
Reds 13 - Try: Charlie Fetoai. Conversion: Clinton Schifcofske. Penalties: Schifcofske (2)

Stormers feel the house of pain

Don’t let a bonus point by the Stomers fool you. They were thrashed at the house of pain, Carisbrook to lose by 35-24 in Dunedin on Saturday. They remain the biggest joke of the Super 14. Kobus van Der Merwe may as well enjoy this tour because it will be his last as coach of the Stormers.

Highlanders 35 – Tries: Matt Saunders 2, Viliame Waqesiduadua, Hale-T-Pole. Conversions: Charlie Hore 3; Penalties: Charlie Hore 3.
Vodacom Stormers 24 – Tries: Andries Bekker, Francois van der Merwe, Breyton Paulse and Luke Watson. Conversions: Peter Grant 2

Try after the hooter wins it for the Horrorcanes

The Horrorcanes scored a wonder try in the final seconds to beat the Brumbies 11-10 in their Vodacom Super 14 rugby match in Wellington on Friday

Horrorcanes 11: Try by Thomas Waldrom (79 min 45 sec). Jimmy Gopperth kicked two penalties.
Brumbies 10: Try by Adam Wallace-Harrison (16 min). Julian Huxley kicked a conversion and a penalty