Super Rugby: Brumbies hammer Reds, Rebels shock the Crusaders, and Hurricanes punish Lions

The 2015 Super rugby season kicked off with a blast as the Brumbies smashed Australian rivals the Reds and the Rebels caused the first upset of the competition by beating seven-time winners the Crusaders.

Brumbies 47-3 Reds

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The  Brumbies scored six tries in a thumping 47-3 win over Australian rivals Reds to post a record winning margin in their Super Rugby match in Canberra on Friday.

The Brumbies, champions in 2001 and 2004, were too well drilled and organised for the ragged Reds who lost their former Wallaby skipper James Horwill to a red card in the final minutes.

The Canberra-based side gave promise of things to come with an impressive performance, with former Wallabies skipper David Pocock coming through the 80 minutes unscathed after two seasons blighted by knee reconstructions.
The 44-point winning margin eclipsed the Brumbies' 51-8 victory over the Reds in Canberra in 2004 for their ninth straight win at home.

The Brumbies, who led 21-3 at halftime, launched their season with a bonus-point win with tries to Robbie Coleman, Joe Tomane, Matt Toomua, Nic White, Tevita Kuridrani and James Dargaville. Christian Lealiifano kicked 17 points from four conversions and three penalties.

Queensland's only points came from a 34th-minute penalty from their new signing and former rugby league international Karmichael Hunt, who played at fly-half for the sidelined Quade Cooper.

Crusaders 10-20 Rebels

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The Rebels stunned the Crusaders 20-10 in the opening match of the Super 15 season on Friday, notching the club's first ever win outside Australia.

The Rebels scored two tries to one and outmuscled a Crusaders side that struggled to shake the off-season rust, even with All Blacks legends Richie McCaw and Dan Carter in its ranks.

The Rebels who have been wooden spooners in two of the four seasons they have competed, were given little chance against Super Rugby's most successful club with seven titles.

The Australians were on the back foot after just two minutes against last year's finalists when scrum-half Nic Stirzaker was sin-binned for stamping on McCaw at the bottom of a ruck.

Carter, playing his last Super rugby season before a move to France after the World Cup, notched the first points of the season with a penalty.  

But the unfancied Rebels then took on the Crusaders through the middle of the park, setting up lock Lopeti Timani to surge over the line for a try.

Full-back Mike Harris, an off-season recruit from the Queensland Reds, slotted the conversion to make it 7-3. But Harris fumbled when he kicked the ball out on the full from the restart, leading to a Crusaders' rolling maul that shredded the Rebels defence to give hooker Ben Funnell a try.

The second half began as an arm wrestle but the momentum swung the Rebels way when Stirzaker pounced on a loose Carter kick and took off for a runaway try. Harris again added the extras to make it 20-10 with 14 minutes to go.

The Crusaders laid seige to the Rebels tryline but the defence held firm to seal the biggest win of the Rebels' short history.

Lions 8-22 Hurricanes

Beauden Barrett booted four penalties to lead the Hurricanes to an away win over the Lions at Emirates Airline Park.

The New Zealand fly-half proved decisive with his kicking in a scrappy match as the Hurricanes outscored their hosts by two tries to one.

Lions fly-half Marnitz Boshoff missed three opportunities to build an early foundation for his side, although they did get the opening try through winger Ruan Combrinck in the 21st minute.

But TJ Perenara crossed the home line to give the Hurricanes an 11-8 half-time lead before replacement Matt Proctor notched another try late in the second half.