Hurricanes run in four tries as they beat the Blues 29-5

The Hurricanes continued their incredible Super Rugby season with a 12th win in 13 games as the beat the Blues 29-5.

Their win in Auckland, which included four tries, took the Hurricanes 13 points clear of the Waikato Chiefs at the top of the New Zealand conference.

Heavily depleted by injuries, the Hurricanes held a slender 3-0 lead until the 35th minute before tries by prop Chris Eves  his first in Super Rugby  and scrumhalf T.J. Perenara made it 17-0 at halftime.

Second half tries for hooker Dane Coles and winger Nehe Milner-Skudder swelled the Hurricanes' lead while the Blues' sole score came from replacement Matt Vaega.

The game marked Ma'a Nonu's 122nd for the Hurricanes as he equalled the record number of games played for the team, held by mentor Tana Umaga.

Taqele Naiyaravoro scored two tries as the Waratahs edged to a 32-22 win over the Crusaders in Sydney to move to the top of the Australian conference.

The Waratahs ran in four scores, while Bernard Foley kicked three conversions and a pair of penalties to go with a try as he piled up 17 of their points. Rob Horne was their other try-scorer.

All Blacks great Richie McCaw scored one of three Crusaders tries but their disappointing season now appears to be over, with hopes of qualifying slim at best.

The Crusaders have only missed reaching the play-offs three times in Super Rugby and they have not missed since 2001 but they are in real danger of missing out, sitting in ninth place but seven points adrift of a post-season berth.

And the Highlanders consolidated their place in the play-offs with an easy 23-3 win over the Western Force in Perth.

The Highlanders dominated territory and possession to score two second-half tries after shading the Force 6-3 at half-time.

In skipper Ben Smith's 100th Super Rugby match for the Highlanders, John Hardie scored off a rolling maul while scrum-half Aaron Smith backed up to score with six minutes left.

Fly-half Lima Sopoaga provided a solid goal-kicking performance with a conversion, two penalties and a drop goal while replacement Marty Banks kicked the other conversion.

The Highlanders are locked in a battle with the Chiefs for second position in the New Zealand conference behind the Hurricanes and, following their win over the Force, they joined the Hamilton-based side on a 9-4 record.

Lions keep play-off hopes alive

The Lions roared to a comfortable 40-17 away triumph over fellow South African Super Rugby franchise the Cheetahs at the Free State Stadium on Saturday.

The win pushed the Lions to 36 points and kept their hopes of an end-of-season play-off berth intact. The Lions were 23-3 up at the break after two first half tries from Jaco Kriel and Lionel Mapoe.

A third try, dotted down by speedster Courtnall Skosan, made it 30-3 just minutes into the second half but momentum was then lost when Lions hooker Robbie Coetzee was sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes as a result of a dangerous tackle. In his absence the Cheetahs scored through Boom Prinsloo after a driving maul.

Scrum-half Faf de Klerk then stretched over for a bonus-point fourth try for the Lions in the 65th minute. Meanwhile his half back partner Elton Jantjies kept slotting over with the boot, finishing with 20 points having kicked four penalties and four conversions.

Cheetahs flanker Prinsloo scored another consolation try, again from a driving maul 10 minutes from the end, but the Bloemfontein-based team have now lost five of seven home matches this season.   

Dillyn Leyds scored two tries as the Stormers stayed on track to win the South African conference by defeating Melbourne Rebels 31-15.

The 22-year-old winger scored late in the first half and early in the second while the home side collected four precious points in Cape Town after building an 18-7 half-time advantage.

Stormers lead the Lions by two points and the Northern Bulls by three with three league rounds left.

Leyds' irst try in opening-half stoppage time came gift wrapped from Rebels hooker Pat Leafa, whose careless pass inside the 22 was intercepted for a soft try. 

The second try six minutes after half-time was created by one of many powerful scrum shoves from the formidable Stormers pack.

Skipper and No 8 Duane Vermeulen took the ball forward and scrum-half Louis Schreuder continued the move before Leyds cut inside a host of Rebels for a memorable score.

Centre Damian de Allende was the Stormers' other try scorer and Demetri Catrakilis claimed 16 points from two conversions and four penalties.

Centre Dominic Shipperley and winger Tom English crossed the try-line for the Rebels and full-back Mike Harris kicked a conversion and fly-half Jack Debreczeni a penalty.