Andrew Mehrtens came off the bench to score 12 points

Defending Super 12 champions Canterbury Crusaders opened the defence of their title with a 37-21 victory over Kiwi rivals the Hurricanes on Saturday.

The ACT Brumbies, last year's beaten finalists, also got off to a winning start by scraping past the Queensland Reds 22-19 in Brisbane.

In Christchurch, Fijiian wing Marika Vunibaka, Australian league convert Brad Thorn and age-group international Daniel Carter were the only non-All Blacks in the Canterbury starting XV.

Carter, who displaced All Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens from the starting line-up, scored two tries, with Caleb Ralph, Aaron Mauger and Vunibaka getting the others.

Mehrtens came on as an early replacement and kicked 12 points as the Crusaders started their season with a bonus-point victory.

Saturday's late game proved to be a tale of two kickers as Brumbies star Stirling Mortlock kicked all six of his attempts - five penalties and a conversion - while Reds fly-half Julian Huxley missed two penalty kicks at the death.

Queensland made a dream start when Chris Latham scored a stunning solo try after just 21 seconds. The full-back chipped over the ACT defence and won the chase to the rolling ball.

Trailing 10-9 at half-time, the Brumbies claimed a decisive lead when Joe Roff, who played in France last year, powered over eight minutes into the second half.

The Brumbies had been reduced to 14 men one minute earlier when prop Ben Darwin was shown a red card for his second yellow card offence.

But ACT's victory was guaranteed when Huxley saw his 79th-minute penalty effort come back off the right upright.

On Friday, the Auckland Blues underlined their Super 12 claims with a commanding 31-18 victory over New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney.

Fijian-born Rupeni Caucaunibuca scored two tries for the two-time former winners, with fellow wing Joe Rokocoko also on the scoresheet.

Auckland led 26-6 in the final quarter before last year's semi-finalists - for whom rugby league star Lote Tuqiri was making his Super 12 debut - scored two late tries.

The Otago Highlanders also enjoyed an impressive away win with a 29-16 triumph over the Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton.

Despite being dominated up front, fly-half Willie Walker kicked eight out of eight penalties to lead Otago home.

In Bloemfontein, South Africa, fly-half Louis Koen kicked 29 points as the Northern Bulls upset Golden Cats 34-26.

The Bulls, who lost all 11 matches last year, rallied superbly from a 17-12 half-time deficit to give new coach Rudy Joubert a perfect start on his return from Cardiff.

In Friday's final match, the Western Stormers earned a bonus point in a five-try, 40-18 win over the Coastal Sharks at Newlands.

Meanwhile, Sharks fly-half Herkie Kruger is facing a two-year ban after testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone.

Kruger, who failed a routine pre-season test in Durban on 24 January, has been suspended from all rugby with immediate effect.

Results: Week One

Friday:
Chiefs 16-29 Highlanders
Waratahs 18-31 Blues
Cats 26-34 Bulls
Stormers 40-18 Sharks

Saturday:
Crusaders 37-21 Hurricanes
Reds 19-22 Brumbies