Clinical Crusaders see off Highlanders
Mo’unga leads way as champions seize control with Squire in sinbin
Life comes at you fast. One minute you’re in the fight, the next you’re left staring at the heavens wondering how things went so wrong.
At least for the Highlanders, it’s not hard to pinpoint the moment things headed south in their 38-14 quarter-final loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch last night.
The Highlanders were proving up to the task of going toe to toe with the defending champions, but when Liam Squire was sent to the sin bin for a blatant shoulder charge in the 45th minute, they couldn’t hold out the hosts.
The Crusaders ran in two tries during the 10 minutes they had a oneman advantage, and that was enough to end the Highlanders’ season.
While the Crusaders and their fans will have no issue with taking the win and moving on, the yellow card quickly put a dampener on what was, until that point, an entertaining and competitive game of rugby. But while Squire became the villain, Crusaders No 10 Richie Mo’unga was the hero.
Mo’unga had his fingerprints all over the match and controlled it superbly with two tries and a 100 per cent record from the tee.
The Crusaders opened the scoring with an early settler off the boot of Mo’unga, before the Highlanders took control.
After dominating territory and possession for the opening 15 minutes, they were rewarded with a try to Sio Tomkinson on the wing.
Their lead didn’t last long, as Mo’unga sent David Havili in between the posts from close range just five minutes later.
Mo’unga extended the lead further when he finished off some slick ball movement but the Crusaders lead was cut to three at the half by Highlanders midfielder Teihorangi Walden.
All signs pointed to a tense final 40 minutes and the second half started accordingly. However, when Squire left the pitch, the energy in the Highlanders squad went with him.
A man down, the Highlanders dropped their heads slightly and the Crusaders pounced, first through Whetukamokamo Douglas, who went over from a driving maul that was almost unimpeded by the Highlanders defence, before Michael Alaalatoa barged his way over.
When Mo’unga stripped the ball out of the hands of Marty Banks and fell over the tryline for his second of the night, that closed the book on the Highlanders’ season.
This game was the last in a Highlanders jersey for a number of key players, with Ben Smith and Waisake Naholo among those moving on, while the Crusaders push on in search of a record-extending 10th Super Rugby title.
Crusaders 38 (Richie Mo’unga 2, David Havili, Whetukamokamo Douglas, Michael Alaalatoa tries; Mo’unga 5 cons, pen)
Highlanders 14 (Sio Tomkinson, Teihorangi Walden tries; Josh Ioane 2 cons)
Hafltime: 17-14.