The Sunday Mail
A sensational 45-metre Mitchell Hunt drop goal, three minutes into injury time, gave the Crusaders a 25-22 win over the Highlanders in a Super Rugby clash that may have repercussions for the All Blacks.
It was the second heart-break finish for the Highlanders against the only unbeaten side in the competition after the Crusaders produced a stunning fight back to turn a 6-27 deficit into a 30-27 victory when they met in round two. This time the Highlanders were up 22-19 with four minutes to go after a pair of Waisake Naholo tries early in the second half lifted them from a 19-10 deficit at the turn.
But in the fallout from the frenetic, physical battle, key All Blacks Ben Smith and Ryan Crotty were injured and unable to play out the game.
Three weeks out from the first test against the British and Irish Lions, Highlanders fullback Ben Smith failed a concussion test and influential centre Crotty of the Crusaders left the field with rib damage.
As they watched on from the sideline, the Highlanders looked to have laid their early season meltdown to rest until Crusaders replacement flyhalf Hunt took the field.
With four minutes remaining he landed one penalty to tie the scores. When he missed another shot the referee said there were only 10 seconds remaining. Crusaders forwards fielded the restart and drove their way up field, making a metre at a time for nearly three minutes after the final hooter until Hunt banked over the match-winning drop goal.
Hunt said the tiring pack really gave him no choice. “Wyatt Crockett turned around and said ‘do something with it’ and there wasn’t anything else I could do,” he said, admitting he
