Crusaders run riot over the Kings
The huge Fijian wing was the battering ram who paved the way for several other tries as the Kings' defence fell apart.
It was a game the Crusaders, coming off the bye, were expected to win with ease and coach Todd Blackadder used the occasion to make nine changes and blood several fringe players.
But with the rearrangement, which included resting incoming All Blacks captain Kieran Read, it was not a promising start for the Crusaders who found themselves down 10 points down after 11 minutes.
"There was a bit of rust there. The boys were pumped up and really wanted to play so we had to try and keep them back and play with a bit of structure," captain Sam Whitelock said, adding the new combinations took time to settle in.
Louis Fouche opened the scoring for the Kings with a handy penalty and then converted Luzuko Vulindlu's run away after the right wing intercepted a loose Wyatt Crockett pass.
However, once the seven-times champion Crusaders settled down, their dominance could not be denied as they ran in four tries before half-time to lead 29-10 at the turn.
Nadolo was primed to charge at the Kings, drawing in defenders to open gaps wide out. He bulldozed his way to the line twice, while Ben Funnell touched down at the end of a long-range build up, Johnny McNicholl matched Vulindlu's runaway effort and Richie Mo'unga added nine points off the boot.
The Crusaders continued to pile on the pressure at the start of the second half, sweeping the field with multiple passing movements resulting in tries to Mo'unga and Mitchell Drummond to extend the lead to 43-10.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Kings continued to battle away and Edgar Marutlulle, who scored twice against the Chiefs last week, came off the bench to touch down.
Further sustained pressure from the Kings, however, was met with determined Crusaders defence until an eventual turnover produced another length-of-the-field move which ended with a try to Jone Macilai-Tori.
Chris Cloete scored a third try for the Kings before replacement Pete Samu scored the Crusaders eighth try after another Nadolo drive at the line.
Man of the match: Captain Steven Sykes led from the front while Kevin Luiters' service was swift and effective. Louis Fouche's boot kept the kIngs' points ticking over but it was replacement hooker Edgar Marutlulle and John-Charles Astle who were the stand-outs for the South African side. Any of the Crusaders' 23 players could bag the award and it would be easy to select Nemani Nadolo for his massive effort. However, our pick goes to someone who flew under the radar but his impact at the breakdowns and his effort in feeding off offloads sees No.8 Jimmy Tupou claim this one.
Scorers:
For the Crusaders:
Tries: Nadolo 2, McNicholl, Funnell, Mo'unga, Drummond, Macilai, Samu
Cons: Mo'unga 4, Volavola 3
Pen: Mo'unga
For Southern Kings:
Tries: Vulindlu, Marutlulle, Cloete
Cons: Fouche 3
Pen: Fouche
Yellow card: Chris Cloete (Southern Kings, cynical play – 74)
Teams:
Crusaders: 15 Ben Volavola, 14 Johnny McNicholl, 13 Kieron Fonotia, 12 David Havili, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Richie Mo'unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Jimmy Tupou, 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Samuel Whitelock (captain), 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Ben Funnell, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Ged Robinson, 17 Alex Hodgman, 18 Mike Alaalatoa, 19 Tim Boys, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Ryan Crotty, 23 Jone Macilai.
Southern Kings: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Luzuko Vulindlu, 13 Stefan Watermeyer, 12 Shane Gates, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Louis Fouche, 9 Kevin Luiters, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 John-Charles Astle, 4 Steven Sykes (captain), 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Sithembiso Sithole, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Schalk Oelofse, 20 Cyril-John Velleman, 21 Ntando Kebe, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 JP du Plessis.
Referee: William Houston (Australia)
