CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) The Wellington-based Hurricanes overcame enormous odds to secure a home quarterfinal in Super Rugby, topping the New Zealand conference when they took a bonus point from a 35-10 win over the Crusaders Saturday while the previously first-placed Chiefs lost 25-15 to the Highlanders.
In a thrilling finish to the regular season, the Hurricanes came from fourth place in the tightly-contested New Zealand group to snatch first place, then watched defending champions the Highlanders rally in the second half to dump the Chiefs off the top of the table.
The Hurricanes also moved into first place on the combined table, a point ahead of the Johannesburg-based Lions, but the Lions have the chance to retrieve first place when they play the Jaguares in Buenos Aires in the last match of the round.
The 17th and final round of the regular season began with all placings up for grabs in New Zealand - the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs and Crusaders - who had all qualified for the playoffs - meeting in matches which would determine first place in New Zealand. Only the top-placed team in New Zealand receives home advantage in next weekend's quarterfinals while the other three Kiwi qualifiers have to travel to their playoffs.
First, the Hurricanes did the seemingly impossible by scoring five tries to one to take a bonus point from the Crusaders on their home ground, then the Highlanders, who started the round in third place, beat the Chiefs to leap into second place.
By the end of the season's 17th round only three points separated the four New Zealand teams: the Hurricanes in first place with 53 points, the Highlanders second with 52, the Chiefs next with 51 and the Crusaders fourth with 50.
The Hurricanes' quarterfinal opponent has still to be determined but the Highlanders likely will face the winner of the Australian conference, the ACT Brumbies, in Canberra.
The Highlanders' win - their sixth in succession over the Chiefs - depended to some extent on a contentious call which awarded a late try to flyhalf Lima Sopoaga. Center Matt Faddes lost the ball diving for the line and Sopoaga picked it up to score, bringing his tally for the match to 15 points.
The television referee ruled the ball had been knocked out of Faddes' hands by a Chiefs player and that allowed the try to stand, giving the Highlanders their final 10-point lead.
The match was played with frenetic pace and energy in a remarkable performance from the Highlanders who only returned to New Zealand on Tuesday from Argentina. The first half saw only a try to each team, the first to Toni Pulu for the Chiefs and the next brilliantly scored by winger Waisake Naholo for the Highlanders.
But the Highlanders scored 10 points in the second half when the Chiefs were reduced to 14 men by the sin-binning of flanker Tom Sanders for a dangerous tackle on Ben Smith. They turned a 10-8 deficit into an 18-10 lead during that period with a penalty to Sopoaga and a superb team try finished by flanker Dan Pryor.
The Chiefs hit back with a try to Lachlan Boshier before Sopoaga's last score sealed the win and the Hurricanes' home playoff.
''Good on the Hurricanes, they deserve it,'' Highlanders captain Ben Smith said. ''It's a great competiton isn't it?''
Earlier, the Hurricanes weathered intense pressure in the first half and scored tries against the run of play to Jason Woodward and T.J. Perenara to take a 14-10 lead to halftime.
They then parked themselves inside the Crusaders' half throughout the second spell, exerting pressure from which they forced errors and scored three more tries through Willis Halaholo, Callum Gibbins and Beauden Barrett.
Barrett's try, from an intercept after the final hooter, gave him a total of 15 points which included the conversions of all five Hurricanes tries.
''It's just a great win, one of the proudest wins I've ever had as a Hurricane,'' captain Dane Coles said.
''We knew the Crusaders would be up for it and in that first half it was pretty intense but the reserves came on and closed out the game.''
