Crusaders Tame Lions

A Ryan Crotty hat-trick has helped the Crusaders hold off the Lions in a 10-try thriller in Johannesburg this morning.

The Crusaders narrowly missed a bonus point, but they will be satisfied with the four competition points given the inconsistent rulings of referee Stuart Berry and the fact they will leave with a perfect record in South Africa this season after beating the Sharks in Durban last weekend.

The key to the Crusaders' victory was their ability to offload in the tackle and punish the Lions' errors despite a 12-6 penalty count against them. Their scrum also came under pressure from the Lions, although, again, South African ref Berry did the visitors few favours here.

Read the full report at NZ Herald