Seven-time champions the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes 35-18 in Super Rugby on Friday, keeping their slim playoffs hope alive and forcing the top-ranked Hurricanes to sweat for another week over the prospect of a home playoff in New Zealand.
All Blacks star Dan Carter returned to flyhalf and to form for the Crusaders, kicking six goals from seven attempts for 15 points.
Also Friday, the ACT Brumbies moved provisionally into first place in the Australian conference with a 22-16 win over the Pretoria, South Africa-based Bulls.
And South Africa's Sharks eased a little of the pressure on them in a forgettable season, holding off a 14-man Melbourne Rebels 25-21 in the day's late game. The Sharks led 10-0 early, and then 22-7 after prop Laurie Weeks' red card for punching. In the end, the Durban-based team had to cling on at home against their fellow strugglers.
After playing recently at inside centre, Carter returned to his favoured flyhalf role to produce his season's best performance for the Crusaders, while the Hurricanes produced their worst, losing for only the second time in 14 games.
The win improved the Crusaders' record to 7-7 and means they can't yet be counted out of playoffs contention, though they at least have to beat the Blues and ACT Brumbies over the next two weeks to avoid missing the post-season for the first time since 2001.
The Hurricanes need a point from their remaining regular season matches against the Highlanders and Chiefs to clinch first place and home advantage through the playoffs as they pursue their first-ever Super Rugby title.
Carter took advantage of a one-sided penalty count in the first half to kick three penalties and the conversion of a 25th-minute try to scrumhalf Mitchell Drummond as the Crusaders opened an early 16-3 lead. But Carter also missed touch and missed a tackle as the Hurricanes cut the lead to 16-8 with a 33rd-minute try to hooker Dane Coles.
The Hurricanes scored again, through flanker Ardie Savea, in the opening minute of the second half to close within a point of the Crusaders, but their game disintegrated from then on and they could make no further inroads against the Crusaders' defence.
"We've obviously been a bit disappointing up until now but coming up against the top team, the team that's set the pace all year, we really wanted to dig deep and I thought the boys did that," Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said.
"We had to absorb a bit of pressure in the first half but I think that last five minutes on defence was the bit that's been lacking all year and I'm proud of the way the boys held them out at the end."
In Australia, the Brumbies face an anxious wait over Wallabies lock Sam Carter, who went off injured in the 23rd minute against the Bulls with what appeared to be a serious right knee injury.
Fijian winger and man of the match Henry Speight scored a pair of tries for the Brumbies, who led 8-6 over the Bulls at halftime. Carter's replacement, Jordan Smiler, gave the Brumbies the halftime lead with his first try in Super Rugby. The Bulls regained the lead after an early second-half penalty goal before Speight scored back-to-back tries, both converted by Christian Lealiifano.
"It got a bit close at the end, we needed a win at this stage and we got it," ACT captain Stephen Moore said.
The Sharks had lost six in a row before beating Queensland Reds last weekend. They won their second straight game in Friday's final match but it wasn't convincing.
S'bura Sithole, Lwazi Mvovo and replacement back Heimar Williams crossed for the Sharks, with Williams' swerving 50-meter run the pick of the tries.
The Rebels had Weeks sent off in the first half for landing a series of punches on opposite number Jannie Du Plesssis, but captain Scott Higginbotham scored two tries for the Australian team and Bryce Hegarty one to push the Sharks all the way and earn a losing bonus point.
In the remaining games in the 16th of 18 regular-season rounds on Saturday, the defending champion New South Wales Waratahs can overtake the Brumbies for first place in Australia with a win over the Lions in Johannesburg. The Highlanders play the Chiefs in a big New Zealand derby and the Western Force host Queensland Reds in Australia.
The Cape Town-based Stormers play the Cheetahs seeking to extend their lead atop the South African conference.
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