VIDEO: Crusaders just too classy for hapless Chiefs
SUPER RUGBY AOTEAROA MATCH REPORT: The Crusaders were a class apart as they cruised past a hapless Chiefs team in Christchurch on Saturday.
The defending champions outscored the visitors by five tries to two for a 39-17 bonus-point win.
With All Black flyhalf Richie Mo’unga pulling the strings, the Crusaders put on display their full bag of tricks – handling in tight spaces, stepping, offloading and continuity.
All this was based on set-piece dominance against a Chiefs team that has now lost a record-equalling 11 consecutive defeats.
Crusaders captain Scott Barrett put the secret to his side’s success down to their desire to run the ball.
“The easy thing is to kick it but we’ve seen teams holding the ball, building pressure more often than not come out on top so we’re looking to build phases, build pressure and hopefully points,” he said.
The Chiefs need to beat the Hurricanes next week to avoid holding the losing record outright, and captain Brad Weber voiced confidence they could do that.
“Never once in that game did anyone drop a lip or think we were out of it,” he said.
“The belief was always there and jeez we do a lot of good things in 80 minutes and we’ve just got to put more and more of them together and we’ll get a result.”
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Do we have an early contender for try of the year? Or decade? Perhaps century? 🔥🔥 camera work from @skysportnz #CRUvCHI #NelsonExpress pic.twitter.com/5ylZeLPS18
— Crusaders (@crusadersrugby) March 13, 2021
The Crusaders shrugged off an early 10-point deficit, keeping their undefeated record in this year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Flyhalf Richie Mo’unga turned in a virtuoso performance for the defending champions, with a dazzling array of sidesteps and deceptive movement, to bring his side back into the game after Damian McKenzie scored a second-minute try for the visitors and then kicked a penalty.
But Mo’unga was also central to a controversial try at a crucial juncture of the game when he got a call in his favour from the television match official.
Mo’unga looked to have passed forward but the TMO did not call it, and from the resultant move the Crusaders were awarded a penalty try.
The Crusaders were 11-10 ahead at half-time after Leicester Fainga’anuku had shown extraordinary athleticism to begin the fightback with the team’s first try in the 15th minute.
He managed to hang in the air, keeping his feet from touching the ground as he dotted down in the corner despite a strong shoulder charge from McKenzie.
Soon after the start of the second half, the controversial penalty try increased the Crusaders’ lead to 18-10 after Chiefs scrumhalf Brad Weber held up Fainga’anuku’s efforts to score but was punished because he made the tackle from an offside position.
A no-look pass from Mo’unga, who also kicked over two penalties, then set up fullback Will Jordan for the home’s side third try after 53 minutes; a bonus-point fourth try was scored nine minutes later by No. 8 Whetukamokamo Douglas and the pressure continued with replacement Mitchell Dunshea going over to increase the score to 39-10.
But the Chiefs got a late consolation try with six minutes left as Etene Nanai-Seturo went over in the corner.
The scorers
For the Crusaders
Tries: Fainga’anuku, Penalty try, Jordan, Douglas, Dunshea
Cons: Mo’unga 2, Burke, penalty try does not require a conversion
Pens: Mo’unga 2
For the Chiefs
Tries: McKenzie, Nanai-Seturo
Cons: McKenzie 2
Pen: McKenzie
Yellow card: Brad Weber (Chiefs, 43 – cynical foul, offside and preventing a try)
Teams:
Crusaders: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 David Havili, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Whetukamokamo Douglas, 7 Tom Christie, 6 Sione Havili Talitui, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 George Bower.
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Mitchell Dunshea, 20 Quinten Strange, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Fergus Burke, 23 Dallas McLeod.
Chiefs: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Shaun Stevenson, 13 Sean Wainui, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10 Bryn Gatland, 9 Brad Weber (co-captain), 8 Luke Jacobson, 7 Sam Cane (co-captain), 6 Mitchell Brown, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Tupou Vaa’i, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Reuben O’Neill.
Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Kaylum Boshier, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Chase Tiatia.
Referee: James Doleman
Assistant referees: Brendon Pickerill, Ben O’Keeffe
TMO: Paul Williams
