CAPE TOWN, May 7 (Reuters) - Prop Wyatt Crockett touched down twice as the injury-ravaged Crusaders beat South Africa's Stormers 20-14 in a high-octane clash between two of the Super rugby title favourites on Saturday.
The home side slumped to their second defeat in 10 matches but held on to top spot in the South African conference, nine ahead of the second-placed Sharks.
"It was great to come here and get a win and you don't do that very often at Newlands," Crusaders skipper Kieran Read said after his side moved to within three points of leaders Auckland Blues in the New Zealand Super rugby conference.
"I'm very proud of the way the guys dug deep, especially with all the injuries."
The Crusaders, who lost Richie McCaw and Dan Carter through injury in the build-up to the match, suffered further setbacks when fullback Israel Dagg, wing Sean Maitland, scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali'i and replacement back Adam Whitelock all had to leave the field in a tense first half.
There was plenty of pre-match hype surrounding Crusaders centre Sonny Bill Williams and his tussle with Springbok midfielders Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie.
Williams lived up to his star billing in front of a sellout 49,000-strong crowd by offloading beautifully to Maitland in the leadup to Crockett's ninth-minute try.
Flyhalf Matt Berquist made it 7-0 but Stormers flyhalf Lionel Cronje, deputising for injured first-choice Peter Grant, cut the deficit to four points in the 14th minute with the first of three penalties.
Fourie, the 62-test veteran, then showed his class when debutant winger Johann Sadie cut through in midfield from a lineout before passing to the long-legged centre to run in unopposed.
Berquist and Cronje continued to trade penalties until Crockett burst through again in the 63rd minute for a converted try that gave the Crusaders a six-point lead that they would not relinquish.
"It was disappointing but they're a world class side," said Stormers captain Schalk Burger. "We'll look and see where we went wrong and will hopefully put it right on the overseas leg."
The home side slumped to their second defeat in 10 matches but held on to top spot in the South African conference, nine ahead of the second-placed Sharks.
"It was great to come here and get a win and you don't do that very often at Newlands," Crusaders skipper Kieran Read said after his side moved to within three points of leaders Auckland Blues in the New Zealand Super rugby conference.
"I'm very proud of the way the guys dug deep, especially with all the injuries."
The Crusaders, who lost Richie McCaw and Dan Carter through injury in the build-up to the match, suffered further setbacks when fullback Israel Dagg, wing Sean Maitland, scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali'i and replacement back Adam Whitelock all had to leave the field in a tense first half.
There was plenty of pre-match hype surrounding Crusaders centre Sonny Bill Williams and his tussle with Springbok midfielders Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie.
Williams lived up to his star billing in front of a sellout 49,000-strong crowd by offloading beautifully to Maitland in the leadup to Crockett's ninth-minute try.
Flyhalf Matt Berquist made it 7-0 but Stormers flyhalf Lionel Cronje, deputising for injured first-choice Peter Grant, cut the deficit to four points in the 14th minute with the first of three penalties.
Fourie, the 62-test veteran, then showed his class when debutant winger Johann Sadie cut through in midfield from a lineout before passing to the long-legged centre to run in unopposed.
Berquist and Cronje continued to trade penalties until Crockett burst through again in the 63rd minute for a converted try that gave the Crusaders a six-point lead that they would not relinquish.
"It was disappointing but they're a world class side," said Stormers captain Schalk Burger. "We'll look and see where we went wrong and will hopefully put it right on the overseas leg."
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