Defending Super 14 champion the Canterbury Crusaders handed the Sharks their second straight defeat with a 13-10 victory in Durban on Saturday. The Sharks are now second in the standings on points difference behind the Waikato Chiefs who earlier defeated the Cheetahs 28-10. In a match characterized by poor handling and solid defense, the Sharks opened up a 7-0 lead after 10 minutes when lock Steven Sykes barged through two tacklers for a try converted by scrumhalf Rory Kockott. The Crusaders cut the deficit to four points through a 25th-minute penalty from flyhalf Stephen Brett after Kockott went offside at a scrum in front of the Sharks' posts. The champions took the lead four minutes later when All Blacks captain Richie McCaw scored. The Sharks began the second half strongly but it was the visitors who extended their lead to six points in the 47th minute when scrumhalf Andy Ellis kicked a drop goal which proved to be the difference between the sides. In Wellington, Ma'a Nonu scored two tries and flyhalf Willie Ripia kept a perfect kicking record as the Wellington Hurricanes beat the leaderless Stormers 34-11 in Super 14 rugby. Ripia, starting in place of regular flyhalf Piri Weepu, kicked two penalties and the conversions of the Hurricanes' four tries to seal his team's sixth win from nine matches this season, keeping them in semifinal contention. Lock Jeremy Thrush and winger Tamati Ellison scored first-half tries for the Hurricanes, who led 17-8 at halftime, while All Blacks center Nonu scored two brilliant second-half tries. The Stormers lost their captain, Springboks center Jean de Villiers, after only six minutes with a serious knee injury and missed his leadership, stumbling to their heaviest loss of the season. De Villiers' replacement, Dylan des Fontaine, scored with his first touch of the ball but his was the Stormers' only try and flyhalf Peter Grant, in contrast to Ripia, managed only two penalties from five shots at goal.
