Late penalties costly in bonus-point loss THE Crusaders needed to commit all hands to the pump, All Blacks legend Dan Carter included, to prevent an inspired Melbourne Rebels from repeating last year's giant-killing upset when the two sides met in Christchurch for the first time yesterday. The Rebels, magnificently led by captain Scott Higginbotham, outscored the seven times champions three tries to two and led until the 67th minute but, just as they did in their last outing against the Southern Kings, lost control of proceedings just when victory was within their grasp. The Rebels lost 30-26. The turning point came, ironically, when the Rebels won a rare ruck penalty in the 66th minute, with the Rebels clinging to a 26-24 lead. Up stepped fullback Jason Woodward with ambitions of pumping the ball deep into the corner but instead he hooked his attempted touch-finder infield and watched in dismay as the ball rolled dead. Back came the play 70m for a Crusaders scrum and when replacement Melbourne prop Paul Alo-Emile's head popped out under pressure, nerveless goalkicker Tom Taylor raised the flags to restore his side to the lead. It was one of three penalties Alo-Emile conceded within six bleak minutes of replacing a rampaging Laurie Weeks. Right on half-time, NZ referee Neil Briant gifted the Crusaders with three points to go into the break 18-11 ahead when he ruled against Rebels halfback Nick Phipps as he tried to rip the ball from an isolated Luke Romano in front of the Melbourne posts. Then, seven minutes into the second half, he left even NZ onlookers bewildered by finding the Rebels at fault for a scrum collapse that looked to be no more than a slip. Both times Taylor goaled - he landed seven from eight - and in the context of the four-point Rebels loss, those six points proved costly in the extreme. At 21-14 the Crusaders looked to have regained the initiative when the Rebels struck back after conceding two early tries to engineer one of the great team tries of 2013 to carry the ball 70m from a lineout turnover before Higginbotham plunged over. Higginbotham also had a hand in the Rebels' next try when he followed up a Hugh Pyle break to scoop up the ball one-handed from the breakdown to send James O'Connor slipping and sliding for the tryline. Pyle again broke through from the kick-off and again fed Higginbotham, who in the same act of catching the ball dropped it on to his left boot. The two Rebels giants then monstered All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg and it was all the Crusaders could do to scramble the ball into touch five metres from their own line. The home side anticipated a line-out drive but instead hooker Ged Robinson threw short to flanker Jarrod Saffy, who passed the ball back to Phipps, spearing around the front of the lineout. Crusaders hooker Ben Funnell lunged at him but the Wallabies halfback slipped the ball to Robinson, who flopped over for his side's second try in as many minutes. Suddenly, with O'Connor landing a brilliant conversion from the touchline, the Rebels led 26-21. Then on came Carter. So, too, huge All Blacks prop Wyatt Crockett. Melbourne coach Damien Hill felt the need to counter with some fresh legs of his own but in retrospect would regret choosing Weekes and Saffy as the men to be substituted "We played some good footy but we can't seem to close out matches," lamented Higginbotham, who surely tightened his hold on the Wallabies' No 6 jersey against the British and Irish Lions with his outstanding display. It was only the third win by a NZ team in 11 trans-Tasman meetings this season but the Crusaders could not rely on a repeat of that performance if they hope to win their next match - against the Brumbies in Canberra on Sunday.