The Melbourne Rebels pulled off the shock result of the Super Rugby season when they beat the Crusaders 28-19 in Melbourne.

Super Rugby's most successful team in history the Crusaders went into the match as strong favourites but were outscored by three tries to one with a double from Nick Phipps.

The two teams had never played each other before in Super Rugby but had played in pre-season warm up matches and both were won by the Crusaders 14-19.

The Crusaders led 10-19 at half time but were kept scoreless in the second half as the Rebels scored 18 unanswered points.

The result had no immediate effect on where both teams are placed in the Super Rugby standings but as the Crusaders even failed to take a losing bonus point from the match the New Zealand Super Rugby Conference has tightened.

Three teams are battling for second place in the New Zealand conference and they are only separated by three points as the have Crusaders 37 points, the Highlanders 35 and the Hurricanes have 34 points.

Scrumhalf Nick Phipps' second try set up the victory as it gave the Rebels a 23-19 lead in the 67th minute, and Stirling Mortlock added Melbourne's third try - his 50th in Super rugby - three minutes later to put the game out of reach for the Crusaders in front of 18423 fans.

The Crusaders will want to quickly forget their first visit to play the Rebels after being held scoreless in the second half for the first time in three years.

The Rebels, in only their second season of Super Rugby, turned the match with two tries in as many minutes late in the second half to storm to a nine-point lead.

Spearheaded by prospective Wallaby fly-half Kurtley Beale and veteran Stirling Mortlock off the bench, the Rebels ripped into the Crusaders with gusto for their third win in 10 games this season.

The Crusaders, who failed to score a try in putting away defending champions Reds at home the previous weekend, tried to come away with a losing bonus point in the final minutes before skipper Richie McCaw knocked on to end the game.

The Crusaders, who started with All Blacks Israel Dagg, Andy Ellis, Kieran Read and Ben Franks on the substitutes' bench, missed a chance to close the gap on New Zealand Conference leaders the Chiefs, who take on the Reds in Brisbane on Sunday.

Scrum-half Nick Phipps scored the first of his two tries to put the Rebels ahead in the 17th minute before the Crusaders hit back through lock Sam Whitelock 10 minutes before halftime.

The Crusaders led 19-10 at halftime but they were the last points the Crusaders were to score in the match as Phipps scooted over off a Mark Gerrard break and then Mortlock doubled around winger Cooper Vuna to score minutes later to put the home team in command.

The Crusaders loss may also have come with an extra cost as All Black forward Read was forced from the field with a lower back injury after he crashed awkwardly to the ground from a lineout win minutes after coming on as a replacement in the second half.

Final Score Rebels 28 (10) Crusaders 19 (19)

Rebels
Tries - N. Phipps 2, S. Mortlock
Pen - K. Beale 4
Con - K.Beale
Drop -
Cards -

Crusaders
Tries - S. Whitelock
Pen - T. Taylor 4
Con - T. Taylor
Drop -
Cards -

Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Ref 1: James Leckie
Assistant Ref 2: Will Houston
TMO: Matt Goddard

Teams

Rebels

1. Nic Henderson, 2. Ged Robinson, 3. Rodney Blake, 4. Cadeyrn Neville, 5. Hugh Pyle (vc), 6. Tim Davidson, 7. Michael Lipman, 8. Gareth Delve (c), 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Kurtley Beale, 11. Cooper Vuna, 12. Lachlan Mitchell, 13. Mitch Inman, 14. Mark Gerrard, 15. Julian Huxley.

Replacements: 16. Adam Freier, 17. Jono Owen, 18. Al Campbell, 19. Ryan Hodson, 20. Nic Stirzaker, 21. James Hilgendorf, 22. Stirling Mortlock.

Crusaders

1. Wyatt Crockett, 2. Corey Flynn, 3. Owen Franks, 4. Luke Romano, 5. Samuel Whitelock, 6. George Whitelock, 7. Richie McCaw (c), 8. Luke Whitelock, 9. Willi Heinz, 10. Tom Taylor, 11. Zac Guildford, 12. Dan Carter (vc), 13. Robbie Fruean, 14. Sean Maitland, 15. Tom Marshall.

Replacements: 16. Ben Funnell, 17. Ben Franks, 18. Tom Donnelly/Ross Kennedy, 19. Kieran Read, 20. Andy Ellis, 21. Ryan Crotty, 22. Israel Dagg.