Canterbury take the high road
Canterbury Crusaders got their Super 14 campaign off to a winning start with a 32-17 success over Otago Highlanders in Christchurch.
Last Updated: 13/02/10 10:09am
Canterbury Crusaders got their Super 14 campaign off to a winning start with a 32-17 success over Otago Highlanders in Christchurch.
All Blacks winger Zac Guildford, who moved to Canterbury from Wellington Hurricanes in the off-season, finished a superb counter-attack with seven minutes remaining to seal the victory.
Highlanders' replacement stand-off Michael Hobbs came on for the injured Matt Berquist at half-time and scored two tries, converted both and added a penalty to lead his side's fight back from a 10-0 deficit to trail 18-17 with 13 minutes remaining.
Andy Ellis, Jared Payne and Sean Maitland scored the Crusaders' other tries while fly-half Daniel Carter, playing his first Super 14 match after missing last year's competition through injury, added two penalties and three conversions.
The Crusaders dominated the first half but only managed a Carter penalty and Ellis's converted try as Otago stood firm in defence.
Payne scored the home side's second try early just after the break, the video referee confirming the score after ruling the ball had cannoned off the winger's knee rather than been knocked on.
Hobbs scored and converted the first of his two tries before Carter added his second penalty.
Hobbs then repeated the dose when he bullocked over from in close after a run from lock Josh Bekhuis and, when he subsequently slotted a penalty, the deficit was reduced to one point.
Guildford, however, ended the Highlanders' resistance before replacement winger Maitland secured the bonus point in the final minute as the visitors attempted to launch an attack from inside their own 22.
