Cruden inspires Chiefs to blow the Hurricanes away
AARON Cruden continued his development as a potential world class flyhalf by guiding a ruthless Waikato Chiefs side to the top of the Super Rugby standings with a 34-22 victory over the Wellington Hurricanes in Hamilton yesterday.
Cruden, who grew in confidence when he started two Tests for the All Blacks against France earlier this month as world leading points scorer Daniel Carter recovered from a broken hand, created two tries and slotted 14 points.
The four-try victory moved the 2012 champions to 61 points, ahead of Australia’s ACT Brumbies (59), who have played one game more than the New Zealand side.
“We were a bit rusty in the first half,” Chiefs captain Craig Clarke said in a pitchside interview.
“The points are crucial as we aim to get a home semi and we have to keep winning these local derbies.”
Both were patient in their attack, willing to build phases and stretch the opposition defence with the only difference in the first half being a missed conversion by Beauden Barrett.
Cruden slotted an early penalty and converted tries to number eight Matt Vant Leven and inside centre Bundee Aki.
Both of the Hurricanes tries, to scrumhalf TJ Perenara and Barrett, came from patient build-ups and while the flyhalf converted Perenara’s try, he was unable to add the extra points from his own. The 22-year-old, however, added a penalty with half-time looming to reduce the deficit to 17-15 at the break.
Barrett missed an early second half penalty and the match settled into a war of attrition before Cruden gave his side a five-point cushion with his second penalty before the Chiefs shut the Hurricanes down in the final quarter.
The Chiefs pulled well clear when scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow and replacement prop Ben Tameifuna crashed over to give the home side a 19-point lead with five minutes remaining before Alapati Leiua grabbed a consolation try for the Hurricanes. — Reuters