Crusaders finish powerfully to see off Blues’ challenge
CHRISTCHURCH: The Crusaders saw off an intense challenge from the Blues in a furious final quarter to complete a 2615 victory in their Super Rugby Aotearoa clash in Christchurch on Saturday night.
The home side has now won all four of its Super Rugby Aotearoa matches and ended the Blues' sevengame winning streak across both competitions.
The Crusaders seemed to be sparked into a furious response when centre Braydon Ennor charged down an attempted conversion by Otere Black of a controversial Rieko Ioane try.
Ioane crossed in the 55thminute when his side took a quick tap penalty following an attacking scrum that appeared to have been wrongly awarded by referee Paul Williams.
Richie Mo'unga then took a quick restart and gathered the ball which resulted in the Crusaders storming back, halfback Mitchell Drummond crossing to give the home side a 1615 lead, its first of the game.
Mo'unga added his fourth penalty and then Will Jordan scored his fifth try in the past three games to maintain its fouryear winning streak at Rugby League Park in Christchurch.
The match had been billed all week as the longawaited reignition of an intense rivalry that stretches back in provincial rugby for more than a century with both teams unbeaten in the New Zealandonly competition.
The near sellout crowd was not disappointed. The game was layed at near test intensity as the Blues created immense early pressure. The early momentum set up a 10thminute try by Mark Telea before the Crusaders worked their way into Blues' territory and forced a string of penalties, which allowed Mo'unga to ensure they were only trailing 76 at halftime.
The intensity continued in the second half as Black and Mo'unga traded penalties before Ioane crossed, which only sparked the Crusaders' furious response. — Reuters