Crusaders win to go top

Guildford: two tries for Crusaders.

Winger Zac Guildford scored two tries as the Canterbury Crusaders beat the Auckland Blues 23-16 in Timaru.

The victory for the Crusaders, which extended the Blues' losing streak to four games, moved them to top of the Super Rugby New Zealand conference on 57 points before they meet the Hurricanes in Wellington next week in the last round of matches.

Luke McAlister got the Blues on the board first with a penalty after four minutes. And they had the first try after 12 minutes when full-back Jared Payne hit the line at pace and gave Ranger some room which he used, beating Robbie Fruean's tackle and scoring in the corner. McAlister failed to convert.

Two minutes later the Crusaders were on the board, Dan Carter kicking a penalty after Ali Williams infringed. And after 17 minutes, the Crusaders had their first try after a brilliant bit of work by half-back Andy Ellis.

He robbed the Blues of scrum ball, kicked ahead, and tackled the covering Payne. The Crusaders forwards arrived en masse and flanker Matt Todd drove over, Carter converting from close range for a 10-8 lead.

Ranger suffered a hamstring injury after 25 minutes which almost led to a Crusaders try after Carter kicked through, the ball crossing the dead-ball line.

Minutes later George Whitelock crossed for the Crusaders but the try was disallowed because of a forward pass.

The Crusaders were rewarded on the half hour with Carter kicking his second penalty after the Blues were embarrassed in the scrum.

McAlister also kicked his second penalty soon after to cut the deficit on the Crusaders to 13-11, and it stayed that way to half-time with both teams having a crack but unable to break the defence.

Swooped

The second half was only 40 seconds old when the Blues left the ball behind from the restart. Number eight Kieran Read swooped and set up wing Guildford for a soft try, and Carter's sideline conversion was just wide.

The Blues were unlucky to be denied a try on a TMO call when prop Charlie Faumuina was adjudged to be held up after barging over the line in the 46th minute, but he got his just rewards when he ploughed across two minutes later with McAlister missing the wide conversion.

From the kick-off Faumuina conceded a silly penalty, but Carter dragged the kick wide. Andy Ellis dropped a pass with the try on after a big Fruean break and the Blues also butchered a try when McAlister grassed the ball with the line open.

Guildford had the final say for Crusaders, though, after 74 minutes. Carter kicked to his wing from a penalty and Guildford was supreme in catching and scoring.

Carter missed the sideline conversion but the lead was stretched to 23-16 and it remained that way to the final whistle.

"Both teams played good rugby but it was quite heavy under foot and I'm happy the boys left it out there," Blues captain Keven Mealamu said. "Disappointed we had a few mental lapses but the effort was right up there."