Tuesday 19 May 2015 13:52, UK
Two tries from Ma'a Nonu helped guide the Hurricanes to a 22-18 victory over the Chiefs and extend their lead at the top of the New Zealand Conference to 13 points.
Nonu's second try was his 50th in Super Rugby and Ardie Savea also went over with James Marshall booting seven points.
Charlie Ngatai and Sam Cane both scored for the Chiefs with Damian McKenzie kicking eight points as the visitors kept it tight but could not prevail.
The Hurricanes had the opening try after nine minutes through Nonu following a decision to kick to touch with a penalty, possibly influenced by the windy conditions.
From the resulting lineout, the ball found its way to Nonu and he beat McKenzie to crash over leaving Marshall with a simple conversion in front of the posts.
A McKenzie penalty reduced the deficit to four just three minutes later but the fly-half should have had a try when he fumbled Brad Weber's pass just five metres short of the line.
McKenzie and Marshall then exchanged penalties before the Chiefs took the lead on the stroke of half-time courtesy of Ngatai.
Bryce Heem and McKenzie combined to release the centre and he touched down with McKenzie adding the extras.
The lead would last just five minutes after the break, though, with Savea crashing over after a strong maul, although Marshall missed the conversion and the lead was only two.
Liam Squire was then sin-binned for a tip-tackle but the Chiefs managed to keep their hosts at bay while they were a man down.
They could not keep out the Hurricanes 15 against 15, though, and Nonu went over for his second with 13 minutes to play, picking up an interception and showing smart hands to hold possession and score.
Marshall kicked the conversion but it was not over and Cane went over following a maul to set up a tense finish.
Augustine Pulu thought he had snatched it at the death for the visitors but his score was chalked off for a knock on and the Hurricanes held on despite some huge late pressure on their line.
Waratahs 33-18 Sharks
The Waratahs were pushed to the limit before fending off the Sharks 33-18 in their match in Sydney on Saturday.
The Waratahs only sealed the match with a runaway solo try by Bernard Foley in the final minute after a Sharks handling error.
The win didn't come without some controversy with the Durban-based Sharks missing out on a try in the corner while trailing 26-18 only for the video referee to rule that winger Sibusiso Sithole's knee had come in contact with the sideline in the process of diving over to score.
The Sharks were still chasing the win when fly-half Lionel Cronje fumbled a pass from a lineout win presenting Foley with an unimpeded 40-metre run to the try-line.
The Waratahs scored three tries to two with Foley not missing a kick and finishing with 23 points from a try, three conversions and four penalty goals. It was a far from convincing win for the Waratahs, who made 12 handling errors and conceded 18 turnovers.
"The Sharks played well, they stuck to their strengths, there were a lot of kicks and didn't give us much opportunity in their 22," Waratahs skipper Dave Dennis said.
"And when we got down there we were probably a little bit too impatient and turned the ball over, but pleased to get the result in the end."
Sharks skipper Marco Wentzel said his team couldn't keep the pressure on the Waratahs.
"We lost a lot of ball through turnovers and they scored. They are a quality side and if you make mistakes they punish you," he said.
The Waratahs face a rematch of last season's final against the Crusaders in Sydney next week, while the Sharks play the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.
Lions 20-30 Brumbies
The Brumbies boosted their chances of making the Super Rugby play-offs and dealt a blow to the Lions' chances after a bonus-point win at the Emirates Airline Park took them top of the Australia conference.
Penalties from Elton Jantjies and Ruan Combrinck put the home side 6-0 up before Christian Leali’ifano hit back with the boot to halve the deficit.
Sustained pressure after 16 minutes led to Tevita Kuridrani crashing over to give the visitors the lead, although Leali’ifano missed the extras.
Ita Vaea was next over for the Brumbies before Leali’ifano intercepted a pass and ran the length of the pitch to touch down, with his conversion giving his side a handsome 22-6 lead at the break.
Lions flanker Jaco Kriel broke the line in the 64th minute to reduce the arrears before an unmarked Joseph Tomane dived into the corner to secure the bonus point for Brumbies.
Jesse Mogg kicked a penalty to really assert the visitors' authority before a late converted try from Andries Coetzee for the home side finished the scoring.
The Brumbies are two points clear of the Waratahs, who have a game in hand, while the Lions are three off the Stormers, who hold the final wildcard spot.
Cheetahs 24-45 Highlanders
The Highlanders moved back into the Super Rugby play-off positions with an emphatic win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
Debutant Ryan Tongia and Aaron Smith both crossed twice as the Highlanders racked up seven tries, while Lima Sopoaga chipped in with eight points from the tee.
The Cheetahs only woke up on the hour mark when they scored three tries, but it was not enough to stop their visitors from New Zealand recording the win that moves them up to fifth position in the table.
It took just four minutes for Tongia, a recent convert from rugby league, to mark his entrance into Super Rugby with a try.
The winger touched down in the corner after finding space on the overlap and Sopoaga converted to put the Highlanders 7-0 up.
Other than a penalty from Francois Brummer, the hosts did not get on the scoreboard in the first half as the visitors opened up a commanding lead.
Tongia crossed in the corner for his second try and Aaron Smith touched down before Patrick Osbourne made it 26-3 at the break with the Highlanders' fourth try of the evening.
It was much the same story immediately after the break as the Cheetahs continued to wilt in the face of attack after attack from the away side.
Their cause was not helped when Raymond Rhule was sent to the sin bin for taking out Osborne while the towering winger was in mid-air.
Aaron Smith scored his second try of the evening when he bundled over from a yard out. Barely two minutes after Sopoaga had converted, the Highlanders scored again with a fantastic move that started from their own 22. Malakai Fekitoa and Ben Smith covered most of the ground before Gareth Evans touched down.
The Cheetahs suddenly found some energy and hit back with three tries in six minutes.
Willie Britz drew two defenders and offloaded to Rayno Benjamin, who crossed in the corner. Two minutes later, the Cheetahs stormed up the pitch from their own 22 and Carl Wegner finished the move off.
Francois Venter's try put the Cheetahs within 14 points of the visitors, but Ben Smith's converted try at the death put to bed any hopes of an unlikely comeback.
