CHIEFS OUT-HALF GARETH ANSCOMBE tweeted a picture of his new, pink boots ahead of his teamโs Super Rugby clash with the Crusaders.
The pink boots, unfortunately for the son of Ulster coach, Mark, could not help Anscombe as he left a stoppage time penalty three metres short. The failure, from the halfway line, meant Crusaders beat the reigning champions to spark their title challenge into life.
Colin Slade, sporting delightful sideburns this season, kicked all 18 points for Crusaders โ still without the injured Richie McCaw โ in the narrow win. The 18-17 Crusaders win was played at a frantic pace and neither side backed down from the physical battle. An example of this was Brodie Retallick opting to play on for several minutes despite having his jersey ripped off in a ruck:
The Sharks opened a six-point break at the top of the league with a South African derby win. The Sharks, seeking a first southern hemisphere inter-provincial championship title under former World Cup-winning coach Jake White, downed the Central Cheetahs 19-8 in Durban to move to 31 points. Jean Deyselโs first Super XV try proved crucial for the table toppers.
The Waratahs leapfrogged Western Force to fourth on the standings following a hard-fought 19-12 win over the Northern Bulls in Sydney. An Israel Folau try in the opening 28 seconds proved the difference as the Waratahs ended a nine-year losing sequence against the Bulls.
Folau scored his ninth try of the season on his return from a throat injury to propel the Waratahs to a hard-fought victory in Sydney. The Waratahs, watched by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, ended a losing eight-match run against the Bulls in what was their first win over the triple Super Rugby champions since 2005. That is certainly something to raise a toast to:
The victory took the Waratahs to within one point of the ACT Brumbies at the top of the Australian conference, while the Bulls remained second behind the Coastal Sharks in the South African conference.
Western Forceโs five-match winning run came to an end following a 22-16 defeat to the a Jason Woodward-inspired Rebels in Melbourne. The Hurricanes improved to seventh just outside the play-off places with a 39-20 win over the Auckland Blues in Wellington. It was the โCanes third win in a row after a sluggish start to the season.
In the weekendโs other game, the Western Stormers scored two tries with 14 men to defeat the Golden Lions 18-3 in Cape Town and end a five-match losing streak.
Super Rugby results
- Hurricanes 39-20 Blues
- Rebels 22-16 Western Force
- Chiefs 17-18 Crusaders
- Waratahs 19-12 Bulls
- Sharks 19-8 Cheetahs
- Stormers 18-3 Lions
- Additional reporting ยฉ AFP, 2014
McCormack is a super player, covers acres of ground and always contributes a score or two.
How did Mccormack and John McGrath not start last week ffs. Hope itโs not too late.
@Michael Gleeson: Tipp impressive last week, albeit in a loss. Better than I thought they would be. Not sure about Flynn in midfield, McCormack a better option alright. Fully expect a win v Clare
Hard to call the outcome of this game . Clare will be the underdogs but will give them everything. Another great game to look forward to
@Finnster: should be a cracker , maybe a slight advantage to Tipp having a game under our belts .But then you add in Tony Kelly to the mix .
Clare by 4 .as long as James Owens doesnโt act the B+ร=$x
Tipping by 7 or 8 points