DUNEDIN, New Zealand — Flyhalf Colin Slade scored a second-half try among 15 points as the Highlanders of New Zealand broke an eight-match losing run with a 25-22 win over South Africa's Sharks in Super Rugby Saturday. Slade's try in the 51st minute and his two conversions and two penalties helped clinch the Dunedin-based Highlanders' first win of the season. The contest also marked the 100th Super Rugby appearance of lock Brad Thorn, who ended the match in the sin-bin. A match which contained an abundance of scrappy play, errors and tactical misjudgments from both teams also included a handful of brilliant tries and a thrilling finish as the Highlanders, down to 14 men, defended desperately on their line. Force, Reds draw In Australia, replacement wing Chris Feauai-Sautia's try with seven minutes remaining gave the Queensland Reds a dour 11-11 draw with the Western Force in Super Rugby Saturday. Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper's attempt for the winning points off a wide-angled conversion was pulled wide of the posts. The draw kept the Reds in second place in the Australian conference — a point behind the ACT Brumbies, ahead of the Canberra-based side's Sunday match against the Crusaders. The Force are in last place in the Australian conference with just two wins and a draw in 11 matches. New South Wales destroys Kings 72-10 In South Africa, New South Wales Waratahs wing Cam Crawford scored a first-half hat trick in a 72-10 destruction of Southern Kings as the Super 15 newcomers were hugely outclassed to concede 11 tries Saturday. Crawford scored the Waratahs' first after just 38 seconds and the Australian visitors had a four-try bonus point inside 19 minutes at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Left-wing Peter Betham crossed for two tries and fullback Israel Folau one as the Tahs' backs ran at the Kings with devastating effect, breaking tackles and finding holes with nearly every attack. New South Wales racked up seven tries in the first 40. Sergeal Petersen ended the first half with an intercept score for the Kings' only five-pointer, but the rampant Waratahs still added another four tries in the second. Japan takes Asian Five Nations Defending champion Japan trounced South Korea 65-5 Saturday to win the Asian Five Nations tournament for the sixth year running. Japan, which defeated the Philippines 121-0 and Hong Kong 38-0, picked up an unbeatable 18 points from its three wins, ahead of Hong Kong and South Korea on six points apiece and the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines on zero. Teams receive five points for a win, three for a draw, and one bonus point each for a loss within seven points, or by scoring four or more tries. Japan takes on the UAE on May 10, while South Korea plays the Philippines the following day. — Agencies
