DUNEDIN - Defending champions the Queensland Reds and surprise package Otago Highlanders achieved narrow wins to stay unbeaten after three rounds in a Super 15 rugby tournament where winning has been a hard habit to gain.
Of the 21 matches played so far in a 126-match regular season, only seven have been won by margins of more than seven points.
In the latest round, only the Wellington Hurricanes' 41-19 win over the Western Force and the Sharks' 32-20 win over the Lions were achieved with any level of comfort. The New Zealand conference paints a picture of a tough competition: after three rounds the Highlanders are the only unbeaten side while the more-favoured Canterbury Crusaders and Auckland Blues have only one win each.
The Blues broke through for their first win of the season on Saturday when they beat three-time champions the Bulls 29-23 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Flyhalf Gareth Anscomb scored all of his team's points, including two tries, to relieve pressure after early losses to the Crusaders and Waikato Chiefs.
After beating the Blues in the opening round, seven-time champions Canterbury stumbled to their second straight loss, going down 24-19 to the Chiefs. That result contributed to the unusual appearance of the standings in the New Zealand conference with the Highlanders on top ahead of the Chiefs and Hurricanes - both 2-1 - and the Crusaders and Blues, both 1-2 - struggling at the foot of the table.
The Reds are the only team in the Australian conference with a 3-0 record, though they share the top of the table with the ACT Brumbies who are unbeaten in two matches after an early-season bye and Friday's desperate 24-23 win over the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs.
In South Africa, the Stormers are the only unbeaten team, though they are also only 2-0 after a bye in the latest round. The Bulls' loss to the Blues was their first of the season while the Sharks' win over the Lions was also their first win.
The Joburg-based Lions remain 1-2 and the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs have yet to win after three rounds, though they came close in Canberra on Friday. Usually, by the third round, some clarity has emerged. While the Highlanders and Reds have preserved unbeaten records, neither has done so with authority.
Reds, Highlanders remain unbeaten
DUNEDIN - Defending champions the Queensland Reds and surprise package Otago Highlanders achieved narrow wins to stay unbeaten after three rounds in a Super 15 rugby tournament where winning has been a hard habit to gain.
Of the 21 matches played so far in a 126-match regular season, only seven have been won by margins of more than seven points.
In the latest round, only the Wellington Hurricanes' 41-19 win over the Western Force and the Sharks' 32-20 win over the Lions were achieved with any level of comfort. The New Zealand conference paints a picture of a tough competition: after three rounds the Highlanders are the only unbeaten side while the more-favoured Canterbury Crusaders and Auckland Blues have only one win each.
The Blues broke through for their first win of the season on Saturday when they beat three-time champions the Bulls 29-23 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Flyhalf Gareth Anscomb scored all of his team's points, including two tries, to relieve pressure after early losses to the Crusaders and Waikato Chiefs.
After beating the Blues in the opening round, seven-time champions Canterbury stumbled to their second straight loss, going down 24-19 to the Chiefs. That result contributed to the unusual appearance of the standings in the New Zealand conference with the Highlanders on top ahead of the Chiefs and Hurricanes - both 2-1 - and the Crusaders and Blues, both 1-2 - struggling at the foot of the table.
The Reds are the only team in the Australian conference with a 3-0 record, though they share the top of the table with the ACT Brumbies who are unbeaten in two matches after an early-season bye and Friday's desperate 24-23 win over the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs.
In South Africa, the Stormers are the only unbeaten team, though they are also only 2-0 after a bye in the latest round. The Bulls' loss to the Blues was their first of the season while the Sharks' win over the Lions was also their first win.
The Joburg-based Lions remain 1-2 and the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs have yet to win after three rounds, though they came close in Canberra on Friday. Usually, by the third round, some clarity has emerged. While the Highlanders and Reds have preserved unbeaten records, neither has done so with authority.
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