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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Defending champions the Bulls beat South African conference leaders the Stormers 19-16 to continue a late-season surge which leaves the playoffs race open with one round remaining in Super 15 regular season.
The Bulls' sixth straight win, narrow victories for the league-leading Queensland Reds over the Western Force (24-21) and the Canterbury Crusaders over the Auckland Blues (23-16), and a draw between South Africa's Sharks and Lions shuffled to top six, leaving five points between second and sixth places.
The New South Wales Waratahs's 33-7 win over the Otago Highlanders kept them in seventh place, stemming their two-match losing streak, and left seven teams to contest six playoffs places when the group stage ends next weekend.
The Crusaders took over first place in the New Zealand conference, depriving Auckland of that position for the first time this season. The Crusaders' 10th win in 15 matches lifted them to third place in the overall Super 15 standings, offering them the hope of automatic playoffs qualification, while the Blues dropped to fourth overall, among the three wild card teams.
The two teams with the most points at the end of the regular get a direct path to the semifinals. The other four qualifiers go into a playoff round to determine the other two semifinalists.
Bulls winger Bjorn Basson chopped down Stormers opposite Bryan Habana near the tryline in the second minute of injury time to preserve his team's narrow lead which lifted the Pretoria-based side into fifth place. The Cape Town-based Stormers remained second overall, four points behind the Queensland Reds and one point ahead of the Crusaders.
Auckland's fourth consecutive loss dropped the Blues to fourth place overall but they took a consolation bonus point from Saturday's match at Timaru to remain only a point behind the Crusaders. The Bulls, meanwhile, have improved their win-loss record from 4-5 after nine rounds to 10-5 after 17.
The Durban-based Sharks rallied from 21 points behind to snatch a 30-30 draw with Johannesburg's Lions and to preserve their place in the top six, a point ahead of New South Wales.
The results set up a last round now brimming with possibilities.
Queensland will have to overcome a poor record in New Zealand to beat the Waikato Chiefs and hold its place atop the championship table. The Stormers will also be away from home in the final round, facing the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs.
The Crusaders play the Wellington Hurricanes and the Blues play the Otago Highlanders in derbies which will decide which clinches first place in the New Zealand conference.
The Waratahs also face a last-round derby against the improving ACT Brumbies as they make their last bid for the playoffs.
Most importantly, the Bulls face the Sharks in Pretoria in an all-South African match which will decide whether either or both reach the playoffs.
The form of the Bulls in the last six weeks has warned rivals their two-year reign as Super rugby champions is far from over. Their win over the Stormers on Saturday in a clash between last season's finalists re-emphasized their qualities of experience and composure.
Flyhalf Morne Steyn kicked 14 points to pass 200 for the season and a 65th-minute try to scrumhalf Francois Hougaard from a Stormers' lineout error put the Bulls in control.
Lock Andries Bekker powered over in the 78th minute to put the Stormers within two, but they couldn't repeat the dose despite retaining the ball to the end.
"We knew it wasn't going to be very pretty," Bulls captain Victor Matfield said. "We knew we had to grind it out. Luckily we won the game ... it was very tough but everything is now in our own hands."
Former All Blacks winger Zac Guildford scored tries at the beginning and end of the second half to lift the Crusaders to a three-tries -to-two win over the Blues. Guildford scored his first in the opening seconds of the second spell, giving the Crusaders an 18-11 lead, and clinched the match with his second five minutes from fulltime.
The match was played on a boggy field which slowed most other players but Guildford was still able to show his exceptional pace.
"It was like he was sprinting and everyone else was jogging," Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said. "I thought he was the difference tonight."
Queensland needed a try to replacement Dom Shipperley two minutes from fulltime to pull off a come-from-behind win over the Force. The match repeated the first-round clash between the teams when the Reds also rallied late to win.
Wallabies flanker David Pocock scored a 68th minute try which put the Force ahead 21-17 but Shipperley's try from a Force lineout throw clinched the match.
The Force "got that try, so it was going to be hard work, but we knew that if we just hung on to the ball and treasured it ... in the end it's an 80-minute game and you've just got to keep persisting and we got our reward," Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said.
Flanker Cobus Grobbelaar scored two tries and flyhalf Butch James kicked 15 points as the Lions opened a 30-9 lead over the Sharks after 47 minutes. But Lambie started the Sharks' revival and JP Pietersen scored a crucial try when James was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.
Lwazi Mvovo also touched down for the Sharks who scored the last 21 points of the match.
"I'm glad the boys put the fight in," Sharks captain John Smit said. "They showed huge character to come back but ... we have left ourselves with a hell of a job at the end of the competition."
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The Bulls' sixth straight win, narrow victories for the league-leading Queensland Reds over the Western Force (24-21) and the Canterbury Crusaders over the Auckland Blues (23-16), and a draw between South Africa's Sharks and Lions shuffled to top six, leaving five points between second and sixth places.
The New South Wales Waratahs's 33-7 win over the Otago Highlanders kept them in seventh place, stemming their two-match losing streak, and left seven teams to contest six playoffs places when the group stage ends next weekend.
The Crusaders took over first place in the New Zealand conference, depriving Auckland of that position for the first time this season. The Crusaders' 10th win in 15 matches lifted them to third place in the overall Super 15 standings, offering them the hope of automatic playoffs qualification, while the Blues dropped to fourth overall, among the three wild card teams.
The two teams with the most points at the end of the regular get a direct path to the semifinals. The other four qualifiers go into a playoff round to determine the other two semifinalists.
Bulls winger Bjorn Basson chopped down Stormers opposite Bryan Habana near the tryline in the second minute of injury time to preserve his team's narrow lead which lifted the Pretoria-based side into fifth place. The Cape Town-based Stormers remained second overall, four points behind the Queensland Reds and one point ahead of the Crusaders.
Auckland's fourth consecutive loss dropped the Blues to fourth place overall but they took a consolation bonus point from Saturday's match at Timaru to remain only a point behind the Crusaders. The Bulls, meanwhile, have improved their win-loss record from 4-5 after nine rounds to 10-5 after 17.
The Durban-based Sharks rallied from 21 points behind to snatch a 30-30 draw with Johannesburg's Lions and to preserve their place in the top six, a point ahead of New South Wales.
The results set up a last round now brimming with possibilities.
Queensland will have to overcome a poor record in New Zealand to beat the Waikato Chiefs and hold its place atop the championship table. The Stormers will also be away from home in the final round, facing the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs.
The Crusaders play the Wellington Hurricanes and the Blues play the Otago Highlanders in derbies which will decide which clinches first place in the New Zealand conference.
The Waratahs also face a last-round derby against the improving ACT Brumbies as they make their last bid for the playoffs.
Most importantly, the Bulls face the Sharks in Pretoria in an all-South African match which will decide whether either or both reach the playoffs.
The form of the Bulls in the last six weeks has warned rivals their two-year reign as Super rugby champions is far from over. Their win over the Stormers on Saturday in a clash between last season's finalists re-emphasized their qualities of experience and composure.
Flyhalf Morne Steyn kicked 14 points to pass 200 for the season and a 65th-minute try to scrumhalf Francois Hougaard from a Stormers' lineout error put the Bulls in control.
Lock Andries Bekker powered over in the 78th minute to put the Stormers within two, but they couldn't repeat the dose despite retaining the ball to the end.
"We knew it wasn't going to be very pretty," Bulls captain Victor Matfield said. "We knew we had to grind it out. Luckily we won the game ... it was very tough but everything is now in our own hands."
Former All Blacks winger Zac Guildford scored tries at the beginning and end of the second half to lift the Crusaders to a three-tries -to-two win over the Blues. Guildford scored his first in the opening seconds of the second spell, giving the Crusaders an 18-11 lead, and clinched the match with his second five minutes from fulltime.
The match was played on a boggy field which slowed most other players but Guildford was still able to show his exceptional pace.
"It was like he was sprinting and everyone else was jogging," Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said. "I thought he was the difference tonight."
Queensland needed a try to replacement Dom Shipperley two minutes from fulltime to pull off a come-from-behind win over the Force. The match repeated the first-round clash between the teams when the Reds also rallied late to win.
Wallabies flanker David Pocock scored a 68th minute try which put the Force ahead 21-17 but Shipperley's try from a Force lineout throw clinched the match.
The Force "got that try, so it was going to be hard work, but we knew that if we just hung on to the ball and treasured it ... in the end it's an 80-minute game and you've just got to keep persisting and we got our reward," Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said.
Flanker Cobus Grobbelaar scored two tries and flyhalf Butch James kicked 15 points as the Lions opened a 30-9 lead over the Sharks after 47 minutes. But Lambie started the Sharks' revival and JP Pietersen scored a crucial try when James was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.
Lwazi Mvovo also touched down for the Sharks who scored the last 21 points of the match.
"I'm glad the boys put the fight in," Sharks captain John Smit said. "They showed huge character to come back but ... we have left ourselves with a hell of a job at the end of the competition."
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