Crusaders avenge loss in fine style
What a difference eight months can make in Super Rugby.
The Crusaders dispatched the Hurricanes 33-16 in Christchurch yesterday afternoon with a performance fuelled by their twopoint loss to the same side at the same venue last year.
Crusaders coaches and players admitted the defeat, which snapped a 36-match unbeaten run on home soil, was raised during preparation the week, adding an extra edge to an already explosive rivalry.
Clearly, it worked. The Crusaders outscored the Hurricanes five tries to two in a comfortable bonus point win in front of about 12,000 fans at Orangetheory Stadium.
The game was as good as over when Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor pounced on a rotten Ricky Riccatelli lineout throw early in the second half.
His second try of the game, and third of the young season, put the hosts 33-6 up after 47 minutes, reminding everyone they remain the benchmark.
To add to the Hurricanes’ woes, hooker Asafo Aumua left the field holding his right-arm early in the second half with what appeared to be a serous injury.
Aumua, so dominant against the Blues last week, suffered the injury attempting to tackle loosehead prop Joe Moody.
In a game when both teams lost captain’s referrals, the game lost its shape after the Crusaders blew the game open and went to their bench early in the second spell.
Down 26-6 at halftime, it was always going to be a mountain to climb for the Hurricanes, and that was before the weather turned and rain began to fall.
Riccatelli and Peter Umaga
Jensen pegged back consolation tries but the Hurricanes never threatened to drag back the hosts, who did a fine job keeping powerful midfielders Ngani Laumape and Umaga-jensen quiet.
As good as some of the Crusaders’ tries were, the play of the day arguably deserves to go to wings Sevu Reece and Leicester Fainga’anuku.
After all, down 3-0 early, it was their remarkable 80 metre scramble which denied Hurricanes pivot Jackson GardenBachop an intercept try.
Garden-bachop looked certain to put the Hurricanes 8-0 up in the 11th minute, only for Reece and Fainga’anuku to bundle him out as he attempted to touch down.
The Crusaders took a quarter of the match to fire any shots, and instead found themselves firmly on the back foot.
Jordie Barrett kicked the visitors to a 6-0 lead after 14 minutes, although the Hurricanes would have been up by more had the bounce of the ball gone their way when Ardie Savea, having carved open the hosts, kicked for wing Wes Goosen.
Instead, having weathered the storm, the Crusaders got a sniff when Savea was yellow carded for dragging down a driving maul on his own goal line.
A few minutes later, hooker Taylor crashed over from a quicktap, the first of four first-half tries in the space of 17 minutes. Up 14-6 after 25 minutes, the Crusaders were humming, earning repeat penalties and drilling the Hurricanes deep inside their own 22.