Crusaders beat Highlanders 40-12 in Super Rugby
The Crusaders benefited from a number of contentious refereeing decisions by New Zealander Walsh.
DUNEDIN (AP) - Dan Carter made an emphatic statement of intent to remain New Zealand's first-choice flyhalf this season when he scored a try and an overall 25 points for the Crusaders who beat the Highlanders 40-12 in Super Rugby on Saturday.
Carter's position as the All Blacks' preferred No. 10 had been under threat when he was significantly outplayed by Aaron Cruden during New Zealand's three-test series against France this month. Cruden played both of the first two tests, taking a starring role in the second, while Carter played without his usual authority or confidence when he started the third.
His earlier form in Super Rugby was affected by injuries and he seemed likely, after 95 tests, to concede his starting role for the All Blacks to Cruden for August's Rugby Championship.
But Carter made a dramatic return to form on Saturday, helping the Crusaders clinch a win which keeps their playoff hopes robustly alive. He made the break which led to their first try, had a hand in their second, scored their third and provided a pass as they carried the ball 98 meters in the last play of the game to secure a vital bonus point.
Carter also kicked eight goals from eight attempts four conversions and four penalties to surpass 100 points for the season.
The last-minute try which secured a bonus point was hugely significant for the Crusaders, sustaining their faint hopes of ejecting the Hamilton-based Chiefs from first place in the New Zealand conference.
The Chiefs moved 15 points ahead of the Crusaders when they beat the Hurricanes 34-22 on Friday but the Crusaders have an outside chance of topping the New Zealand conference if they take maximum points from each of their last two regular-season games.
Their win on Saturday lifted them to fifth place on the overall championships table, strengthening claims to a top-six finish and a place in the playoffs which are now only three weeks away.
Carter started slowly on Saturday but became more confident and influential as the game progressed.
After All Blacks fullback Ben Smith had scored a try to give the Highlanders a 7-3 lead in the sixth minute, fetching a brilliant behind-the-back pass from center Tamati Ellison, Carter helped engineer a convincing Crusaders win.
He made a break to create a try for flanker George Whitelock in the 29th minute, putting the Crusaders ahead 10-7 and giving them a lead they didn't relinquish for the remainder of the match.
Carter provided a pass which led to Tom Marshall's break and Andy Ellis' try in the 43rd, then scored a try of his own in the 70th to put the Crusaders ahead 33-12. His sharp pass in the final minute created space from which replacement Telusa Veianua sprinted more than 90 meters on a weaving run to give the Crusaders their bonus point try.
The Crusaders benefited from a number of contentious refereeing decisions by New Zealander Steve Walsh. Walsh sin-binned Highlanders flanker Jarrad Hoeata in the first half for raking the face of an opponent and sent off All Blacks center Ma'a Nonu for a dangerous tackle in the second half: the first red card of the season.
Winger Hosea Gear had earlier scored a try for the Highlanders to mark his 100th Super Rugby match. Hooker Corey Flynn became the Crusaders' most-capped player when he took the field as a replacement in his 130th match. But he had been on the field only moments when he was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.
