Flyhalf Daniel Carter won a goal-kicking duel with former teammate Stephen Brett to lead the Canterbury Crusaders to a 33-20 win over the Auckland Blues in Super 14 rugby Saturday.
Carter kicked seven goals from seven attempts – three conversions and four penalties - for 18 points to steer the seven-time champions to their third win in four matches.
Brett, in his first match for Auckland against his former team, kicked four penalties and a dropped goal for 15 points.
Canterbury scored tries through flanker George Whitelock plus centers Ryan Crotty and Robbie Fruean, while Auckland had a late try by halfback Alby Mathewson.
Crotty's intercept try in the 16th minute of the second half was a game-breaker, giving the Crusaders a 23-15 advantage after they had clung to a one-point lead for more than 20 minutes.
Auckland pressed Canterbury hard in an intensely physical match but couldn't break its defensive line until the 76th minute when Mathewson scrambled over.
"In this competition the difference between making mistakes and not making mistakes is the difference between winning and losing," Auckland captain Keven Mealamu said. "You can't expect to come down here against a team like the Crusaders, make as many mistakes as we did and expect to win."
