Setareki Tamanivalu scored a dramatic try last night as the Crusaders came from behind to claim a remarkable 30‑27 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin.
The game got off to a slow start but came alive after the first half‑hour mark when Gareth Evans scored his side’s first try of the match.
After that the Highlanders trio of Aaron Smith, Lima Sopoaga and Waisake Naholo were the conductors in the symphony of fantastic running rugby from the home side.
And up until the 66th minute it looked as though the Highlanders had the win in the bag, until the Crusaders sparked a revolution and overturned the status quo, scoring three tries through David Havili, Whetu Douglas and Seta Tamanivalu to snatch the win.
Their second home loss in a row means the Highlanders stay rooted to the bottom of the New Zealand conference but do claim a losing bonus point from the fixture.
The Crusaders jump the Blues for third place in the conference and sit on nine points.
In other results, the Stormers beat the Jaguares 32-25, the Hurricanes thrashed the Rebels 71-6, the Cheetahs beat the Bulls 34-28, the Lions defeated the Waratahs 55-36 while the Kings beat the Sunwolves 37-23.
