Wallabies force Lions to decider

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Decider ... the Wallabies steal victory from the British and Irish Lions. Source: Colleen Petch / News Limited

The Wallabies have pulled off a miraculous second Test escape act to break British and Irish hearts at Etihad Stadium and keep coach Robbie Deans in his job following a 16-15 victory.

1 Tries 0
Adam Ashley-Cooper 75'
1 Conversions 0
Christian Lealiifano 77'
3 Penalties 5
Christian Lealiifano 17'	Leigh Halfpenny 10'
Christian Lealiifano 24'	Leigh Halfpenny 28'
Christian Lealiifano 37'	Leigh Halfpenny 33'
	Leigh Halfpenny 40'
	Leigh Halfpenny 64'

Lions fans were poised to celebrate the end of a 16-year drought leading with radar boot Leigh Halfpenny lining up a match-winning 50m penalty attempt on fulltime but the Welsh fullback dramatically left it short.

It handed Australia an epic win and sends the nerve-wracking series into a decider at Sydney's ANZ Stadium next Saturday night.

Highlighting the closeness between the two sides, it's the second straight week a missed penalty at the death has cost the result.

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Halfpenny had kicked five from six before then and had put the Lions into a 15-9 lead with 18 minutes left of the brutal encounter in front of a ground record crowd of 56,775.

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Australia had appeared to pull the game out of the fire when James O'Connor, who again endured a mixed display at No.10, put Adam Ashley-Cooper over for the only try of the match with five minutes left.

Christian Lealiifano, who finished with four from four with the boot, coolly stepped up and slotted the angled conversion for the one-point lead.

Deans heaped praise on Lealiifano for his nerves of steel in potting the conversion of Ashley-Cooper's late try.

"He's class, it was remarkable on debut because it was his debut. To deal with that sort of pressure as calmly as he did - he's clearly got a big future,'' Deans said.

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The Wallabies had probed hard throughout but largely failed to get the ball to superstar winger Israel Folau, before he lit up the match in the final 15 minutes.

It was one of Folau's bursts into the Lions 22 which laid the platform for Ashley-Cooper's pivotal try.

While Folau was again the most dangerous player on the ground, halfback Will Genia overcame knee soreness to be a justified man of the match.

A relieved Deans backed Horwill's late calls to pack scrums near the Lions line instead of going for penalty goals, and said he was screaming for the same decision in the coaches' box.

"I'm very proud; it doesn't get any bigger than that," said Deans.

"They knew the context, they knew that if they weren't successful in scoring, not just a penalty but a try and converting, that the series would be done."

Lions coach Warren Gatland shielded Halfpenny, who also hit the crossbar with a 45m attempt in the opening minutes, from any blame.

"He just didn't strike that one well enough," he said. "He's disappointed with himself but he still kicked very well."

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Cats too strong for Dockers

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Race ... Steven Motlop outpaces Clancee Pearce at Simonds Stadium. Source: Hamish Blair / News Limited

Geelong have roared back to form with a vengeance after last round's fade-out against Brisbane to squeeze the life out of AFL top-four rivals Fremantle in a Simonds Stadium thrashing.

3.4 (22)	Q1	0.2 (2)
5.7 (37)	Q2	4.2 (26)
7.16 (58)	Q3	4.2 (26)
11.19 (85)	Q4	7.2 (44)

Joel Corey 2	Michael Walters 3
Tom Hawkins 2	Chris Mayne 1
Steven Motlop 2	Tendai Mzungu 1
Jimmy Bartel 1	Tom Sheridan 1
Taylor Hunt 1	Matthew Taberner 1
Jordan Murdoch 1
James Podsiadly 1
Dawson Simpson 1

The Cats, who had promised to regain their defensive edge, delivered in ferocious style, keeping the Dockers goal-less in the first term and scoreless in the third on the way to their 11.19 (85) to 7.2 (44) win.

Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott said it was the response Geelong had been looking for after their flop against the Lions.

"It was one thing to put in the work during the week and be really clear what we wanted from each other, but another thing to get out there and actually execute it against a really good team," he said.

"There are some good signs there, but we were embarrassed after the week before and we've been questioned on the defensive side of our game and that stings."

The victory over the side that knocked Geelong out of last year's finals lifted the Cats to an 11-2 record and second spot ahead of next Saturday night's blockbuster MCG clash with top-placed Hawthorn.

Tom Hawkins, Steven Motlop and Joel Corey each kicked two majors, but it was the Cats' efforts in winning the contested ball and stifling Fremantle's ball movement that stood out.

It was comfortably the lowest score the Dockers have managed this season and the smallest total to which Geelong have restricted an opponent.

The tone was set early, when the Cats scored the only three goals of the first term, including two to Hawkins.

Fremantle managed to scrounge four straight goals to Geelong's 2.3 in the second quarter to be within 11 points at the main break.

But the Cats then took utter control.

They outscored Fremantle 2.9 to no score in the third quarter and put another two shots out on the full, with the Dockers entering their attacking 50m arc just once for the term and rarely even entering their attacking half.

The Cats dominated clearances and contested ball and when the Dockers did get possession, harassed them and blocked their space to win it back and surge again.

The only blot was a series of missed shots.

But that changed in the last term, with early goals to Motlop and sub Jordan Murdoch, while the Dockers didn't enter their attacking 50m zone until the 10-minute mark.

Midfielder Allen Christensen was outstanding for the Cats with 36 hard-won touches, including 12 in the third quarter, as well as eight tackles, while James Kelly, Mitch Duncan and Jimmy Bartel also shone.

Key defender Harry Taylor provided superb rebound.

For the Dockers, Danyle Pearce battled hard in midfield and tagger Ryan Crowley did well on Joel Selwood.

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Fremantle clearly felt the absence of injured midfield stars David Mundy and Michael Barlow and lost Paul Duffield to an apparent calf injury, while Michael Johnson received treatment to his left knee, although played out the game.

Geelong's Josh Hunt was subbed off with illness.

Dockers coach Ross Lyon said the Cats monstered his side after halftime and were lucky not to lose by more.

"The scoreboard flatters us, 40 points, it felt like 80 points," he said.

He said Fremantle missed Mundy and Barlow, but that pair, Aaron Sandilands, Matthew Pavlich and late withdrawal Lee Spurr should all return against St Kilda next round.

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Watts inspires Demons' thrilling win

Sweet win ... Jack Watts celebrates with teammates after kicking a goal. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

Melbourne have triumphed for just the second time this season with a three-point win over the Western Bulldogs who kicked the last seven goals of the match to almost snatch victory.

3.5 (23)	Q1	2.2 (14)
8.8 (56)	Q2	4.6 (30)
12.12 (84)	Q3	6.9 (45)
15.13 (103)	Q4	15.10 (100)

Jack Watts 4	Adam Cooney 3
Chris Dawes 3	Daniel Giansiracusa 3
Jack Fitzpatrick 2	Ryan Griffen 3
Jeremy Howe 2	Ayce Cordy 2
Sam Blease 1	Luke Dahlhaus 1
Max Gawn 1	Tory Dickson 1
Nathan Jones 1	Jackson Macrae 1
David Rodan 1	Will Minson 1

The Demons won the round-14 encounter 15.13 (103) to 15.10 (100) to improve their record to 2-11 as interim coach Neil Craig broke through for his first win in his second game in charge following the sacking of Mark Neeld.

Former No.1 draft pick Jack Watts booted a career-best four goals for the Demons and also played a key role in defence in the tense final stages before a crowd of 21,217 at the MCG.

Melbourne's only other victory this season was against bottom side Greater Western Sydney in round four.

Key forwards Watts and Chris Dawes kicked seven goals between them for the Demons while Daniel Giansiracusa, Adam Cooney and Ryan Griffen booted three each for the fast-finishing Bulldogs (3-10).

Melbourne led by nine points at quarter-time and a five-goal burst to the Bulldogs' two in the second term extended the margin to 26 points at the main break.

Jeremy Howe took two spectacular high marks, one over teammate Dawes in the opening term and another over two Bulldogs' defenders early in the second quarter.

Melbourne's pace was a big factor as David Rodan and Sam Blease surged clear to kick goals on the run in the home side's four-goal third term as the Bulldogs found themselves trailing by 39 points at three-quarter time.

The Bulldogs scored the first two goals of the final term but steadying goals from Dawes and Watts, followed by a second major to Howe on his 23rd birthday, gave the Demons a comfortable 44-point margin at the 15-minute mark.

However the Bulldogs wouldn't give up and slammed on seven consecutive goals, inspired by hard-working midfielder Tom Liberatore.\

Neil Craig praised his side although he admitted the Demons had lost control of the game during the final term as Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson and onballer Ryan Griffen took charge.

"I wouldn't say there was panic in the coaches' box. When you're a player out there, that (seven-goal burst) would have felt like an avalanche coming at them," Craig said.

"(But) just to hold their nerve in the last 90 seconds was really good."

Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said his men failed to apply adequate defensive pressure in the first three quarters.

"The disappointing thing is we took so long to actually play like that," he said of his side's last-quarter fightback.

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Re-live the Demons drought-breaking win over the Bulldogs in our AFL Match Centre, featuring all the stats and SuperCoach scores.

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The Bulldogs face a trip to Canberra to play Greater Western Sydney on July while Melbourne host Sydney at the MCG the following day.

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Gatland bemoans Lions' turnovers

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Mistakes aplenty ... Gatland wasn't happy with his side's turnover rate. Source: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

Warren Gatland criticised the Lions' game management after the nail-biting 16-15 second Test defeat to Australia in Melbourne.

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The tourists appeared to be edging towards a series victory having built a 15-9 heading into the latter stages - but Adam Ashley-Cooper's 75th-minute try allowed Christian Leali'ifano to kick the winning points with a conversion.

Lions fullback Leigh Halfpenny had a chance to snatch an unlikely victory with the last kick of the game - a penalty from the halfway line - but his effort fell well short, leaving the Wallabies to celebrate.

Gatland said afterwards: "It was tight for both teams. We gave away too many turnovers in that second half and didn't control territory well enough. We put ourselves under pressure when we had a chance to keep momentum going and get a bit of ball. The turnovers really hurt us.

"It shows you how close these two teams are. It's 1-1 now and we've got to get up for it.

"It's just about game management. It's what Test match rugby is about. There were a couple of crucial lineouts and turnovers. When the referee said 'advantage over,' we didn't look after the ball well enough.

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"We felt pretty comfortable at half time but it just shows that they never give up and they took the opportunities that came their way.

"We're disappointed to concede the try at the end at the end. We've got to keep working hard. We missed a few collisions and we didn't control the territory very well in either half."

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Prop Mako Vunipola, deputising for injured England team-mate Alex Corbisiero, endured a torrid first half in the scrum with referee Craig Joubert continually awarding Australia penalties, and Gatland admitted he was left frustrated by several decisions.

The New Zealander said: "We were disappointed with a few things but until we get some clarity from them, you've got to take the good with the bad. It's just the way the scrum is refereed in the modern game.

"I haven't spoken to them (the players) yet. It's a big game next week. There'll be a couple of days off to recuperate and then it'll be heads on for next week."

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Hamilton on pole for British GP

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Mercedes' driver ... Lewis Hamilton during the third practice session at the Silverstone circuit. Source: ALEXANDER KLEIN / News Limited

Lewis Hamilton resisted pressure from his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg and the speed of both Red Bulls to claim pole position for Sunday's British Grand Prix.

The 28-year-old Englishman gave his home fans good reason to cheer with a fastest lap of one minute and 29.607 seconds, four-tenths of a second quicker than his German partner who wound up second on the grid.

It was Hamilton's second pole this year, after three successive second place starts, and the 28th of his career.

It was also the first pole by a British driver at Silverstone since Hamilton last succeeded in 2007.

Defending triple world champion German Sebastian Vettel was third quickest for Red Bull ahead of his retirement-bound team-mate Australian Mark Webber.

Scotland's Paul Di Resta was fifth fastest in his Force India car, to give the British fans two drivers in the top five, ahead of Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Toro Rosso, pressing home his credentials for consideration as Webber's successor at Red Bull.

German Adrian Sutil was seventh in the second Force India ahead of Frenchman Romain Grosjean and his Lotus team-mate Finn Kimi Raikkonen and two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

"It's an incredible feeling," said Hamilton.

"It feels like 2007. The crowd have been great - such a great turnout - that was a lap for them.

"I hope we can do something special in the race. It's phenomenal because I haven't been feeling 100 per cent comfortable in the car."

Vettel could not resist referring to Mercedes' recent 'secret' tyre test, suggesting it has given them some advantages.

But, he added: "We will see what happens tomorrow. It is a long race. I'm honestly very happy today. I don't know if Lewis (Hamilton) found a short cut or he just found something special here - it was a phenomenal lap."

On a warm, dry and overcast afternoon, the Mercedes men set the pace from the start with Hamilton fastest, in Q1, and Massa delivering the drama with a late saving lap in his Ferrari to avoid early elimination.

The drivers removed from the fray were the usual suspects Finn Valtteri Bottas of Williams, Mexican Esteban Gutierrez of Sauber, Frenchman Charles Pic and his Caterham team-mate Dutchman Giedo Van Der Garde, who sandwiched Frenchman Jules Bianchi of Marussia. Briton Max Chilton in the second Marussia was down in 22nd.

By mid-session, with Q2 underway, the air temperature was 19 degrees and the track temperature had climbed to 30, a big change from Friday morning's cold and rainswept conditions.

This may have spelt difficulties ahead for some teams given the unknown factor of tyre wear, but nothing seemed to have changed as Rosberg and Hamilton soared to the top of the time-screens before Vettel, on new tyres, topped the lot with a best lap for Red Bull.

Within seconds of the flag falling, Webber threw his Red Bull up to second with others following suit to push Hamilton down to sixth, separated from Rosberg by Sutil and Ricciardo.

Out after Q2 went the 2009 champion Briton Jenson Button of McLaren in 11th ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari, Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne of Toro Rosso, Mexican Sergio Perez in the second McLaren, German Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber and Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in the leading Williams on the weekend of their celebrations for starting 600 Grands Prix, a landmark they reach in Germany next Sunday.

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Skippers in doubt for Lions decider

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Worrying ... The Lions lost their breakdown dominance when Warburton left the field. Source:AAP

Both Australia and the heart-broken British and Irish Lions have their inspirational captains in serious doubt for next Saturday's series decider at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.

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The Wallabies kept an epic three-Test battle alive with a remarkable escape act for a thrilling 16-15 victory at a packed-out Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

While Wallabies lock James Horwill fronts his IRB appeals hearing on Monday night, Lions skipper Sam Warburton is also in grave danger of missing the third Test with a strained hamstring.

Warburton was forced off with 13 minutes left in Melbourne and will be racing time to be fit for the decider.

It was a massive late blow for the tourists who sorely missed the Welsh flanker's influence at the breakdown in the tense closing stages as Australia came back from 15-9 down.

Lions coach Warren Gatland lauded Warburton as "brilliant", especially in the first half as he forced a number of turnovers at the ruck and also won two penalties which led to three-pointers by Leigh Halfpenny.

The captain said he'd "do everything I can to play" in Sydney.

"Normal protocol is to ice every two hours and the physio won't make a proper assessment for 24-48 hours so we won't probably know until Monday," Warburton said.

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"I'm not sure, I've never really done it before.

"If we win next week it will be in even more dramatic fashion than this week so it's still everything to play for and still the dream situation to win the Test series."

Irishman Sean O'Brien replaced Warburton and looms as a potential starter at No.7 while veteran centre Brian O'Driscoll could play his last Lions game as captain.

A cloud hung over Horwill before the second Test as the IRB launched their appeal of his exoneration of a first-Test rucking incident on Thursday night.

The lock was as inspirational as Warburton and is a near irreplaceable figure for the Wallabies.

Man of the match Will Genia would take over as captain but Horwill was allowing himself the chance to lap up a tense triumph before considering the gravity of Monday night's hearing.

"I'm hoping not to think about (missing the third Test)," he said. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, hopefully I don't come to it.

"I'm expecting it to be the toughest game of the tour.

"These are intense, big battles and comes down to tiny moments, as we saw tonight."

The only injury concern for Australia is the knee of centre Adam Ashley-Cooper.

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Wallabies v Lions: Melbourne mop-up

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Decider ... the Wallabies level the series against the British and Irish Lions. Source: Colleen Petch / News Limited

It was a game the Wallabies never should have won and was far from the spectacle we witnessed in Brisbane, but the hosts held firm to set up a mouth-watering decider against the British and Irish Lions in Sydney.

Foxsports.com.au reviews the Wallabies and Lions match in Melbourne.

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THE MATCH

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It was do-or-die for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions in the second Test and after 80 heart-wrenching minutes the hosts forced the series to a decider. The Wallabies had no right to escape with victory after committing 14 handling error and an incredible 19 turnovers. From the opening whistle, the Lions pressured the Wallabies at the breakdown and with rushing defence and completely out played the Wallabies in the opening stanza, and for the whole match for that matter. The first half saw sharpshooters Christian Lealiifano and Leigh Halfpenny trade penalty goals with Halfpenny missing his first shot of the match. Surprisingly, the Wallabies were dominated across the park but their set-piece, especially their scrum, kept them in the game. At the break the Lions led 12-9 as both teams struggled to hold onto the ball. The second half continued in the same vein, dropping ball and kicking penalty goals. At 15-9 and with ten minutes remaining, Wallabies captain James Horwill resisted the temptation to take three points, backing his team's scrum and packing down. Although the Wallabies bungled their set move from the scrum, they were gifted good field position after a poor clearance by Jonathan Sexton and in the next phase scored after James O'Connor went to the short side and put Adam Ashley-Cooper through a hole. Lealiifano converted the pressure kick to give the Wallabies a one-point lead with three minutes to go. Another turnover from the Wallabies gave possession to the Lions and they earned a penalty on halfway. Halfpenny had the chance to seal the series put the distance was too much for the Welsh fullback.

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TURNING POINT

In a game dominated by penalty goals it took a gutsy captaincy move from James Horwill to shun a guaranteed three points in pursuit of a greater reward. It proved to be a masterful call as the Wallabies converted their field position into seven points via Adam Ashley-Cooper and Christian Lealiifano. It didn't happen instantly however, with Israel Folau spilling an inside ball from James O'Connor in the first play after Horwill opted for a scrum. The Lions were only able to clear their line by 15 metres however and after the Wallabies sucked in a few defenders in tight, Ashley-Cooper ran an excellent line to burst through for the try. Liam Gill's amazing lineout steal with three minutes on the clock was also crucial.

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LIONS' BEST

The much maligned Sam Warburton proved to all the doubters that he is the man to lead the British and Irish Lions after a sublime performance in Melbourne. The 24-year-old flanker was the best on ground, scoring three breakdown penalties for his side and pilfering on two other occasions. However, late in the second half Warburton was the victim of a fierce cleanout, trapping his leg and hyper-extending it which forced him from the field. The injury looked remarkably like the injury Horwill suffered in the 2012. "I felt something in my hamstring in a ruck area, so I guess I'll get it assessed by the medics. "I'll be icing it tonight and I'll see how it is in the morning," said Warburton. Let's hope he is available for the deciding Test in Sydney because he is a talented and exciting player.

WALLABIES' BEST

He may have been overshadowed by Israel Folau's sensational debut in Brisbane, but no one was going to deny Will Genia the limelight at Etihad. The Wallabies No.9 was at his sniping best in and around the ruck, and kept backing his ball-runners despite some poor handling from both backs and forwards. His service was, as usual, exemplary and he played a key role in the lead-up to the game's only try as the Wallabies forwards finally got a roll on. Special mention must go to Adam Ashley-Cooper however, with the outside-centre probably the second-best player on the field.

NEXT WEEK

After making several key changes for the second Test despite winning at Suncorp, Lions coach Warren Gatland could wield the axe again for the deciding game in Sydney. If Sam Warburton's injury forces him out of the game, Sean O'Brien will grab the starting spot (not a bad replacement). Lions centres Jonathan Davis and Brian O'Driscoll have been surprisingly quiet in the opening two Tests, opening the door for Jamie Roberts if he can overcome a fitness test. Wallabies coach Robbie Deans who won't tinker with a winning formula but improved lock Rob Simmons will return to the starting side if James Horwill is found guilty of stamping. The Wallabies will need to improve their handling in the greasy Sydney conditions after dropping a mountain of ball despite the roof on Etihad being closed. After two Southern Hemisphere referees for the opening Tests, French whistle blower Romain Poite will control the match. This has the potential change the dynamic of the game completely.

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Highlanders finally end drought

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Relief ... The Highlanders end their Super Rugby losing streak after downing the Sharks. Source:AAP

Nearly a year of Super Rugby heartache is over for the Highlanders, who notched their first win of the season with a courageous 25-22 defeat of the Sharks in Dunedin.

3 Tries 3
Shaun Treeby 10'	Meyer Bosman 14'
Aaron Smith 43'	Lwazi Mvovo 35'
Colin Slade 55'	Meyer Bosman 62'
2 Conversions 2
Colin Slade 11'	Patrick Lambie 15'
Colin Slade 44'	Patrick Lambie 63'
2 Penalties 1
Colin Slade 48'	Patrick Lambie 29'
Colin Slade 52'

The Highlanders ended an eight-game losing streak to start the season on Saturday and tasted their first win in 12 games dating back to May 26 last year - the longest losing streak by any New Zealand franchise.

Australia Conference		W	L	D	PD	BP	Pts
1	Brumbies	7	1	2	118	4	40
2	Reds	7	2	2	14	3	39
3	Waratahs	4	5	0	-44	1	25
4	Melbourne Rebels	2	8	0	-106	6	22
5	Western Force	2	8	1	-80	4	18
New Zealand Conference		W	L	D	PD	BP	Pts
1	Chiefs	7	3	0	85	8	40
2	Blues	5	4	0	49	8	36
3	Crusaders	5	4	0	56	6	30
4	Hurricanes	5	4	0	-5	4	28
5	Highlanders	1	8	0	-83	2	14
South Africa Conference		W	L	D	PD	BP	Pts
1	Cheetahs	7	3	0	12	3	35
2	Bulls	6	3	0	46	4	32
3	Sharks	5	5	0	40	5	29
4	Stormers	4	5	0	2	5	29
5	Southern Kings	2	6	1	-104	1	15

The 100th Super Rugby game for Brad Thorn ended on a dramatic note when the talismanic Highlanders lock was sent to the sin bin in the 80th minute. He could only watch on as the South Africans hammered away on the hosts' line for three minutes after the final hooter.

The defence held firm and exhausted teammates embraced at the end of a fast-moving game which featured few stoppages under the covered roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium.

The remarkable Thorn, 37, said he was "proud to play in front of my people'' at an award ceremony in his honour after fulltime.

"I've got to say, I haven't been that excited for just a round-robin game in my whole career. It was a massive moment,'' he said.

Both teams scored three tries but Highlanders five-eighth Colin Slade - who had a mixed night with boot - landed two penalties to the one of Sharks counterpart Patrick Lambie.

The Sharks' fourth straight loss could have been a draw if they elected to kick an easy penalty shot in the final minute.

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Video: re-live all the action in our Super Rugby Match Centre, featuring video highlights.

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They opted to push for a try but couldn't add to the double scored by inside centre Meyer Bosman and a brilliant try to winger Lwazi Mvovo which put the visitors 15-7 up at halftime.

Last year's beaten finalists have seen their record reduced to 5-5 after opening their campaign with five wins from six matches.

The Highlanders are still last with a trip to South Africa now looming but they can reflect on their best performance of a forgettable season for an All Blacks-laden team who haven't met expectations.

They scored tries to No.12 Shaun Treeby, halfback Aaron Smith and Slade, the latter a contender for team try of the season after brilliant fullback Ben Smith sparked a counter attack from 70m out.

The Sharks' response from the kick-off was to hold the ball for nearly five intense minutes before Bosman scored his second try.

A scoreless 18 minutes followed, which the Highlanders spent mostly on defence.

Aaron Smith showed signs of a return to his best form with a commanding display while No.8 TJ Ioane made huge gains with ball in hand for the Highlanders.

There was also an encouraging return for centre Tamati Ellison in his first game of any sort since injuring his shoulder in the All Blacks-Scotland Test at Edinburgh seven months ago.

Lock Pieter-Steph du Toit, flanker Marcell Coetzee and Bosman were exceptional for the Sharks, whose injury list looks set to grow after centre Francois Steyn limped off after halftime.

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Ferguson stars in Storm upset

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Canberra Raiders ... Blake Ferguson celebrates scoring his try. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

Melbourne Storm's unbeaten run has come to a crashing halt with Canberra upsetting the NRL champions 24-20 at AAMI Park.

4 Tries 4
Jesse Bromwich 16'	Blake Ferguson 10'
Billy Slater 34'	Blake Ferguson 40'
Justin O'Neill 58'	Jack Wighton 46'
Mahe Fonua 62'	Reece Robinson 53'
2 Conversions 4
Cameron Smith 17'	Blake Ferguson 12'
Cameron Smith 35'	Blake Ferguson 40'
	Blake Ferguson 48'
	Blake Ferguson 55'

With live-wire centre Blake Ferguson leading the charge through two first half tries, the Raiders survived a late Storm revival for a well-deserved victory.

Ferguson hit the headlines early this season when he was banned for a match for drinking alcohol on the roof of his house with axed fullback Josh Dugan and missing a recovery session.

He then suffered a fractured cheekbone in the Raiders' round four clash against Newcastle with this match his second back.

Campese said his teammate had the skills to press his claims for an Origin berth up against Blues incumbent Michael Jennings.

"I think so," Campese said when asked whether Ferguson was putting his name forward for selection.

"The way he defended he was very strong and with the ball he was palming them off and scored a couple of tries as well.

"I knew he was up for a big game, you could tell he wanted to go out there and play his best.

"Throughout the week he prepared the best I've seen he prepared and it showed on the football field."

Canberra coach David Furner said that Ferguson had come a long way.

"He's done a lot of hard work, although he's still got some to do.

"If he keeps creating opportunities where he can use his footwork and his fend and be nice and aggressive in defence then he's going to put his name forward."

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The loss ended the Storm's winning streak at 15 straight and continued the Raiders' superb recent record at AAMI Park.

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Canberra joined the Bulldogs as the only sides to have ever won three times in succession at the Storm's fortress.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy said their "luck" had run out.

"They were a lot more committed and determined than us," Bellamy said of Canberra, who have now won their past three in succession at the Storm's fortress.

"This has been coming; our past three home games have been like this and we've only really started playing when we've got into trouble.

"We were probably a little bit lucky against the Tigers and the Warriors and perhaps our luck ran out."

Ferguson scored all of the his side's 12 first half points before centre Jack Wighton and electric fullback Reece Robinson chimed in to open up a 24-12 lead.

The Storm hit back when halfback Cooper Cronk put a flat kick across field that Mahe Fonua fed back to Justin O'Neill, with the centre managing to get the ball across the line in the 58th minute.

It was one of only a few bright notes for O'Neill and Fonua, with the Storm's right flank repeatedly exposed.

Ferguson and fellow speedster Edrick Lee were a constant danger, with the winger unlucky not to score in the first half when video referees over-ruled an on-field call.

Fonua also got in on the action four minutes later when Ryan Hoffman batted another Cronk kick back in-field for the winger to touch down.

That closed the gap to four-points but despite the best efforts of Cronk, the Storm weren't able to find the try they desperately needed.

While Ferguson starred in the first half for the visitors, Jesse Bromwich and Billy Slater were the tryscorers for the Storm with the teams locked at 12-12 at halftime.

Wighton pushed aside some flimsy defence from his opposite Will Chambers, and then Robinson made a 70 metre dash to touch down and extend the lead to 12 points.

The Storm were never out of it but their attack lacked its usual precision and their defence was uncharacteristically poor as the Raiders celebrated their fourth win of the season.

The effort was all the more special with Canberra missing a swag of injured regulars and then losing forwards Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (foot) and Joe Picker (concussion) early in the match while hooker Glen Buttriss played with a fractured finger.

Learoyd-Lahrs will undergo further testing on nerve damage in his foot, which coach David Furner described as "drop foot".

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Cowboys pip Eels in seesaw clash

Cowboys skipper... Jonathan Thurston with ball against the Eels. Source: Sam Ruttyn / News Limited

North Queensland snatched an ugly 14-10 NRL victory in the face of a stoic Parramatta outfit to honour their fallen teammate Alex Elisala.

2 Tries 3
Ryan Morgan 2'	Ashley Graham 10'
Fuifui Moimoi 51'	Antonio Winterstein 35'
	Brent Tate 67'
1 Conversions 1
Chris Sandow 52'	Johnathan Thurston 69'

The Cowboys took to the field with heavy hearts, following the death of the under 20s hooker who had his life support switched off on Monday.

The club's forward pack taped their heads in the style Elisala played with as a tribute to their friend, while both teams took part in a minute's silence before the match.

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The Cowboys only reclaimed the lead with 13 minutes remaining when star centre Brent Tate crossed virtually untouched from a scrum 10 metres out of the Eels line.

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Parramatta were denied a try with the last play of the match which would have given them a shot at victory when winger Vai Toutai was ruled to have lost control of the ball following a brave tackle by Antonio Winterstein.

Toutai's effort was indicated to be a try by on-field referee Chris James, only to have the decision overturned when it was sent to the video referees - much to the disappointment of most of the 9,157 fans at the ground. 

Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston admitted his "heart was in his mouth" late in the match, but praised his teammates' courage in taking the field following a difficult week.

"It's been a very tough week for everyone involved," Thurston said.

"It's very hard to focus on footy when you have those tragic circumstances.

"But credit to our boys. They did a great effort tonight.

"They hung in there. They did everything that was asked of them during the week at training, preparation.

"Under the circumstances I'm just totally proud of them."

Eels coach Ricky Stuart was impressed with how his troops had bounced back from last week's loss to lowly Penrith.

"The whole squad learned a lot this week,'' Stuart said.

"We were really good ... I thought we were the better team to be quite honest."

The Eels produced a magnificent defensive display to deny the visitors for much of the 80-minute contest, with Jarryd Hayne at the centre of much of the action.

The likely NSW winger produced two incredible tackles in the first half to deny Tariq Sims and Gavin Cooper certain tries.

Hayne himself was denied seven minutes into the second half when he was chopped down by Thurston metres out from the tryline.

But pin-point cut-out passes from Matt Bowen and Thurston sent wingers Ash Graham and Winterstein over for tries to give the Cowboys an 8-4 halftime lead.

Parramatta had opened the scoring in just the second minute when Matt Bowen failed to shadow an innocuous kick over the dead ball line, allowing Ryan Morgan to sneak under his guard and plant down.

They were first to score in the second half too, when powerhouse prop Fuifui Moimoi crashed through the tackles of Matt Scott, Tariq Sims and Matt Bowen to dot down next to the posts.

The Eels held the lead for 17 minutes before Tate intervened.

Origin stars Thurston and Hayne both spent time being treated for injuries, but soldiered on to complete the game.

Tim Mannah overcame a leg injury suffered last week, initially feared to be a broken leg, to take his place in the Eels starting lineup.

Eels co-captain Reni Maitua was placed on report for a shoulder charge on Cowboys halfback Michael Morgan.

The win lifts Neil Henry's men into the top eight.

Parramatta centre Jacob Loko finished the match hampered by a hip injury.

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