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RugbyU: Two-try Van Zyl stars as Cheetahs triumph

A brace of opportunist tries from scrum-half Piet van Zyl set up Central Cheetahs for a brave 27-13 Super 15 win over Queensland Reds Saturday. He struck twice during the first half to leave his team 18-6 ahead at the break and superb defending and some luck kept the rampant Reds at bay during the second half. The first try came on four minutes with Van Zyl charging down a clearance from fellow No 9 Will Genia and evading fly-half Quade Cooper to score in the corner.

RugbyU: Super 15 results - collated

Collated Super 15 southern hemisphere championship results Saturday: At Christchurch Crusaders (NZL) 23 Blues (NZL) 3 At Sydney Waratahs (AUS) 28 Brumbies (AUS) 22 At Pretoria Bulls (RSA) 35 Highlanders (NZL) 18 At Bloemfontein Cheetahs (RSA) 27 Reds (AUS) 13 Played Friday At Wellington Hurricanes (NZL) 12 Chiefs (NZL, holders) 17 At Melbourne Rebels (AUS) 30 Stormers (RSA) 21 At Perth Force (AUS) 13 Sharks (RSA) 23 Bye: Kings (RSA)

RugbyU: Waratahs give the Brumbies more cause for concern

The NSW Waratahs opened up the Super 15 title race with a fighting 28-22 win over leaders ACT Brumbies in a fierce Australian derby on Saturday that may have ramifications for the Wallabies. The Waratahs fought back from 13-6 down at halftime to overhaul Jake White's frontrunners with three second-half tries to keep alive their playoff hopes with their third straight win. But both sides lost key Wallaby players with injuries with Waratahs hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau suffering a fractured right forearm and veteran Brumbies flanker George Smith nursing an injured left knee.

RugbyU: Chiefs back on top after downing Hurricanes

Defending champions the Waikato Chiefs moved back into top spot on the Super 15 ladder Friday after holding on to beat New Zealand rivals the Wellington Hurricanes 17-12. The Chiefs scored the only try in wet conditions and produced a mighty defensive effort to smother a Hurricanes fightback as both teams notched four penalties in a match where scoring opportunities were scarce. "Any game against the Hurricanes is a tough local derby and the conditions added to that," captain Craig Clark said.

RugbyU: Super 15 results - collated

Collated Super 15 championship results Saturday: At Auckland Blues (NZL) 36 Rebels (AUS) 32 At Sydney Waratahs (AUS) 21 Stormers (RSA) 15 At Port Elizabeth Kings (RSA) 34 Highlanders (NZL) 27 Played Friday At Pukehoke Chiefs (NZL) 22 Force (AUS 21 At Brisbane Reds (AUS) 32 Sharks (RSA) 17 At Bloemfontein Cheetahs (RSA) 34 Hurricanes (NZL) 39 Byes: Brumbies (AUS), Bulls (RSA), Crusaders (NZL)

RugbyU: Reds down Sharks with first-half try blitz

A dazzling four-try opening half set up the Queensland Reds for a 32-17 Super 15 victory to end a run of outs against the Coastal Sharks in Brisbane on Friday. The 2011 Super Rugby champions shredded the Sharks' defence to earn a four-try bonus point in just 34 minutes before the South Africans recovered to win the second half 14-3. The Durban-based Sharks had won six of their previous seven encounters against the Reds, including dumping Queensland out of last season's playoffs 30-17 in Brisbane, but the Reds were clearly superior on this occasion.

RugbyU: Blues hold off Rebels second-half uprising

The Auckland Blues survived a second-half fightback by the Melbourne Rebels to force their way back into the Super 15 top six with a 36-32 win in an 11-try thriller at Eden Park on Saturday. Former sevens star Frank Halai laid the platform for the victory with his hattrick of tries in the first half, while Francis Saili added another two and Rene Ranger scored the Blues' lone second half try.

RugbyU: Watson, Catrakilis star as Kings bounce back

Flank Luke Watson and fly-half Demetri Catrakilis starred as Southern Kings put a three-week Super 15 nightmare behind them by defeating Otago Highlanders 34-27 Saturday. Injury-prone Watson was given back the captaincy of the southern hemisphere rookies and scored two pushover tries during the first half at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Indian Ocean city Port Elizabeth. Catrakilis became the first South African in seven years to top 100 points in his debut Super Rugby season as he reached 107 thanks to four conversions and two penalty goals from seven shots at goal.

RugbyU: Super 15 results - collated

Collated Super 15 championship result Sunday: At Canberra Brumbies (AUS) 23 Crusaders (NZL) 30 Played Saturday At Dunedin Highlanders (NZL) 25 Sharks (RSA) 22 At Perth Force (AUS) 11 Reds (AUS) 11 At Port Elizabeth Kings (RSA) 10 Waratahs (AUS) 72 At Pretoria Bulls (RSA) 48 Hurricanes (NZL) 14 Played Friday At Albany Blues (NZL) 18 Stormers (RSA) 17 At Melbourne Rebels (AUS) 33 Chiefs (NZL) 39 Bye: Cheetahs (RSA)

RugbyU: Chiefs, Bulls build pressure on Brumbies

Champions Waikato Chiefs and the Northern Bulls kept the heat on Super 15 frontrunners ACT Brumbies with victories this weekend as the NSW Waratahs went on a 11-try rampage in South Africa. The Chiefs beat the Rebels 39-33 to draw level with the Brumbies on 40 points at the top of the overall standings ahead of Sunday's home match between the Australian conference leaders and the Canterbury Crusaders. The Bulls edged two points clear at the top of the South African conference with a bonus-point 48-14 win over New Zealand's Wellington Hurricanes in Pretoria.
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