Crusaders check list

Five things we learned from the 33-24 win over the Blues …

1 No-one could accuse Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock of being meek ...

Rather than demand Mitchell Hunt attempt a bankable penalty mid-way through the second spell, when the Blues led 24-12, captain Sam Whitelock ordered a kick for the corner. Ben Funnell scored minutes later, and the comeback was on for all money.

2 If you are searching for a turning point, go no further than the penalty missed by Piers Francis in the 64th minute ...

If successful the Blues would have led 27-19 and secured possession from the kickoff. Instead they dropped themselves in the porridge as the Crusaders kicked seven different colours out of them with their attack.

3 The Crusaders got some luck, too ...

Flanker Pete Samu appeared to have the ball jolted out of his hands when he was awarded his try in the 51st minute. If referee Brendon Pickerall had gone to the TMO a 5m scrum to the Blues was inevitable, surely.

4 Missed tackles stung the Crusaders in that first half ...

There were 16, said one statistics provider. No wonder guys like Blues backs George Moala and Augustine Pulu made had so much fun as they found space around the ruck fringes and mis-matches out wide.

5 Ten. That’s how many times the Crusaders recycled the ball before Mitchell Hunt scored his vital try late in the game ...

It proved that even without three injured internationals, the backline has the ability to cause chaos.