Sydney--New Zealand's Wellington Hurricanes moved well clear at the top of the Super Rugby championship with another bonus-point win as the Western Stormers regained the lead in the South African conference this weekend.
The Hurricanes won their 10th game of the season with a come-from-behind 32-24 victory over South Africa's Coastal Sharks to open a 14-point gap at the top of the overall standings in the southern hemisphere provincial series.
The Stormers held off Australia's ACT Brumbies 25-24 at home to knock the inactive Northern Bulls off the top of the South African conference and move into second spot overall behind the Hurricanes.
The Brumbies still lead the Australian conference despite their second successive loss after national league rivals the NSW Waratahs went down to the Western Force 18-11 in Perth.
Two-time winners Waikato Chiefs hold down fourth overall but slipped 10 points behind the Hurricanes in the New Zealand conference after this weekend's bye.
The Otago Highlanders are fifth after they were pipped 28-23 in a thrilling second-half comeback by South Africa's Golden Lions in Johannesburg.
The Bulls are sixth after their bye while seven-time champions Canterbury Crusaders swamped the Queensland Reds 58-17 in Christchurch to give legends Richie McCaw and Dan Carter a triumphant home farewell.
The Melbourne Rebels claimed a season-high sixth victory with a 42-22 win over the Auckland Blues in Melbourne to keep in the hunt for the top-six play-offs.
A late rally by the Hurricanes kept them well out in front of the chasing pack after trailing the Sharks three times during the match in Wellington.
The competition leaders scored 11 points in the closing minutes to turn a 21-24 deficit into a four-try bonus point victory.
Julian Savea and TJ Perenara were rested while Beauden Barrett and Dane Coles are injured, but despite being down on firepower, the 'Canes ultimately proved more adept than the Sharks at playing for the full 80 minutes.
AFP
