Unbeaten Crusaders miss final
The Crusaders outscored the Rebels eight tries to four, but fell short of the 33-point bonus point win they needed to surpass the Highlanders. Robert van Royen reports.
THE Crusaders couldn’t use The Force to magic themselves into the trans-Tasman Super Rugby final.
The men in red might have notched up a big win over the Rebels in Sydney last night but by falling short of the 33-point margin, bonus-point victory they needed to clamber past the Highlanders on the points table, they would have been glued to their screens hoping the Western Force would get up over the
Blues. Only that long shot would keep their season alive and give them a shot at adding to the Super Rugby Aotearoa title they bagged last month.
In the end, the Blues’ 33-21 Eden Park victory meant that despite the Crusaders going unbeaten in the absurdly short five-week regular season – and collecting 23 points from a possible 25 – they still failed to reach the decider.
Up 52-26 after Braydon Ennor scored with seven minutes left, the Crusaders came agonisingly close to reaching their goal but Leicester Fainga’anuku had a try disallowed for double movement, much to the delight of Highlanders fans.
Loosehead prop Tamaiti Williams had not long spilled the ball attempting to score, as the Crusaders were left to rue lost opportunities, leaving at least three tries on the field and conceding some soft five-pointers.
Not helped by losing vicecaptain David Havili to a calf complaint ahead of kickoff, the Crusaders lost his replacement –
Dallas McLeod – to concussion just 14 minutes into the game.
Not that it stopped them from throwing everything at the team they’ve averaged 62 points against in their previous four matches.
They were at times superb running it out of their own 22, as was evident when Richie Mo’unga darted through a gap and put Will Jordan away for the
second of their eight tries.
They led by 19 when Sevu Reece finished off his hat-trick to put the Crusaders 38-19 up with 20 minutes to play, and will know they should have kicked on and finished the job.
Some credit must go to the Rebels, including Andrew Kellaway for his try-saving tackle
on Jordan, but the Crusaders will look back at some of their execution and kick themselves.
After all, Mo’unga missed touch twice from penalties,
Ennor bombed a certain try, and a loose Jordan pass led to a Frank Lomani try in the final quarter.
In perfect conditions for running rugby and chasing points, the Crusaders flew out of the gates to score twice inside five minutes, and four times after just
22 minutes. Indeed, it was all going swimmingly well at Leichhardt Oval.
That is until fullback Jordan was yellow-carded in the 26th minute after it was deemed he deliberately knocked a pass on, which was begging to be intercepted.
It slammed the brakes on the Crusaders’ pursuit for points as the Rebels dominated the rest of the half, scoring a nice try
through sniping halfback Joe Powell.
But the Crusaders should have led by more than 26-12 at the break, had it not been for two coach-killers down the stretch.
If Mo’unga’s missed touch finder that led to Powell’s try was bad, the try centre Ennor butchered with time almost up was horrible. He was coasting clear to the line but inexplicably dropped the ball.