CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) The Crusaders overcame the sternest test so far of their unbeaten start to the Super Rugby season when they beat defending champions the Hurricanes 20-12 Saturday to extend their winning streak to 11 games.
The clash between the Christchurch-based Crusaders, who sit atop the championship table, and the Hurricanes, who entered the match with eight wins from nine games, was expected to be the best of the season so far. But the match was diminished as a spectacle by the heavy hand of South African referee Jaco Peyper who blew a symphony of penalties at breakdowns and refused to allow attacking play to develop.