Crusaders the only Kiwi team to win in round three of Super Rugby

What a difference a week can make.

Not many people were giving the winless Crusaders a chance of taking down the unbeaten Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday night.

The few people that were picking an upset probably wanted to change their selection as the Crusaders found themselves 14-nil down after 9 minutes.

But behind a powerful scrum led by All Blacks front-rowers Tamaiti Williams, George Bell, and Fletcher Newell and with fullback Will Jordan in scintillating form, they surged to a 43-33 victory.

The win lifts the Crusaders from second-to-last to seventh on the ladder.

Waiting for the Saders in round four at Eden Park will be a bitterly disappointed Blues side who had victory in the bag in Canberra.

Captain Dalton Papali’i, celebrating his 100th game, scored a try in the 63rd minute to put them nine points clear of the Brumbies, who had put 50 points on the Crusaders just six days earlier.

But Blues first-five Stephen Perofeta was controversially sin-binned in the 71st minute for a deliberate knock-down as the Brumbies won 30-27 with a try after the fulltime hooter to go four points clear of the Waratahs at the top of the table.

The Sydney-based Tahs had a bye and host the Hurricanes this weekend ,who’ll still be cleaning the mud off their boots after a disastrous outing in Lautoka, going down 25-20 to the Drua.

The Fijian side weathered the atrocious conditions a lot better than the Canes, whose handling let them down in their second outing of the season after belting Moana Pasifika first-up.

The Highlanders couldn’t handle the heat in Brisbane on Friday night, going down 31-14 to the Reds, and return to the cooler climate of Dunedin on Saturday to face the Force who were impressive in a 35-19 win over Moana in Pukekohe.

Round 4 fixtures:

Chiefs v Moana Pasifika, Hamilton, Friday 7.05pm

Waratahs v Hurricanes, Sydney, Friday 9.35pm

Highlanders v Force, Dunedin, Saturday 4.35pm

Blues v Crusaders, Auckland, Saturday 7.05pm

Brumbies v Reds, Canberra, Saturday 9.35pm