Crusaders reclaim top position with 33-11 win over Sunwolves

Crusaders 33 - 11 Sunwolves, AMI Stadium

Crusaders ran five tries as they overcame Sunwolves with a 33-11 victory in their Super Rugby face-off at AMI Stadium on Saturday.

They now have reclaimed the top position in New Zealand Conference from Hurricanes after registering their sixth win this season while Sunwolves languish at the bottom of Australian Conference after losing all their eight games.

After Hayden Parker misfired a kick that failed to find the touch, his counterpart Mike Delany responded with a long pass that found Ryan Crotty as he went past the line in the first minute. Delany also slotted the conversion to make it 0-7 in a game which was hampered by torrential rain.

The lead soon doubled for the home side when Matt Todd made most of the driving maul from Crusaders to go over the line in the 9th minute and Delany once again slotted the conversion.

The response from Sunwolves finally came in the 14th minute when Michael Little dived past the line in the 14th minute which remained the only points for the visitors in the first half as they trailed by 14-5.

Parker helped Sunwolves narrow down the gap to just three points with two penalty goals in the 43rd and 51st minute but brilliance from Crotty in the 56th minute once again pushed them back and Delany's conversion made it 21-11.

The bonus point for the Crusaders came at the start of the final quarter when Manasa Mataele capitalised on the offload from Tim Bateman to help them achieve the bonus point and with a minute to go in the game, Jack Stratton scored their fifth try to complete a 33-11 victory.