Crusaders
Crusaders
33
AMI STADIUM
SATURDAY, 6 MARCH 2010
7:35PM (local time)
20
Blues
Blues
 
15
J Payne
13
R Fruean
12
R Crotty
9
A Ellis
7
G Whitelock
2
T Paulo
1
W Crockett
17
P Borlase
18
I Ross
19
J Poff
20
K Fotuali'i
21
A Whitelock
22
C Slade
Preview: Crusaders v Blues
By Paul Neazor, Sportal
VENUE & TIME: AMI Stadium, Christchurch, Saturday March 6, 17.35 AEDT.

HEAD TO HEAD: Played 16 – Crusaders 8, Blues 8.

LAST TIME: May 16, 2009 (Auckland) – Blues 13-15 Crusaders.

LAST TIME AT VENUE: April 25, 2008 – Crusaders 26-22 Blues.

MATCH ODDS: Luxbet (Thursday): Crusaders $1.19, Blues $4.65.

WALKING WOUNDED: The Crusaders have lost two regulars, Ben Franks (knee) and Thomas Waldrom (Achilles). Richie McCaw returns in a reshuffled loose trio while Owen Franks steps into the run-on XV. The bench also features recovering All Blacks Corey Flynn and Isaac Ross as the Crusaders are nearing full strength. The Blues will be pleased John Afoa's calf problem won't keep him out of the starting lineup and, with Isaia Toeava not ready yet, Rene Ranger holds the centre berth. Peter Saili is also missing this week, with early-season starter Viliame Ma'afu back in the 8 jersey.

FORM:

PAST FIVE Crusaders:
Round 1: Beat Highlanders 32-17
Round 2: Lost to Reds 20-41
Round 3: Beat Sharks 35-6

PAST FIVE Blues:
Round 1: Lost to Hurricanes 22-34
Round 2: Beat Highlanders 19-15
Round 3: Beat Reds 27-18

The Crusaders got back to something like normal service against the Sharks last week, although that scoreline is a little flattering. Yes, the Crusaders applied a lot of pressure for the first hour but it took a three-try flurry in the closing stages to blow the score out and claim a bonus point. That said, the red-and-blacks looked like the real Crusaders and that washed-out (red and grey) mob that was thumped by the Reds was obviously left at Brisbane Customs. The Blues did what the Crusaders could not, and won at Brisbane in difficult conditions. The downpour that made handling all but impossible also allowed the Blues to put all kinds of pressure on the home side in the closing stages as they defended that narrow lead and it was good money to toy stuff that those desperate long-range Reds attacks would end just as they did, with a turnover and a clinching try.

WHO'S HOT: It may have taken the Crusaders a while to get scoreboard return for much effort last week, but the blows came swiftly in the end. Zac Guildford showed he’s as adept at scoring tries at Super 14 as he is at Air NZ Cup level, while the whole backline looked far more cohesive than at Brisbane. As usual, the bulk of the work was done up front, where Sam Whitelock continues to grow into this level and the other tightis were strong. Look for the loose trio, featuring two opensides in Richie McCaw and George Whitelock, to be influential this week. The Blues did well to recover from a situation where the match could have been lost in Brisbane and Tony Woodcock – benched last week – made a big impact when he came on. Alby Mathewson played the conditions perfectly and Rene Ranger scored an excellent try to clinch the match. Anthony Boric, who goes up against a number of serious competitors for his All Black place this week, will be asked for maximum effort in what will be a stern test.

WE THINK: Despite those two results at Brisbane in the past two weeks, we're going to call it for the hometown Crusaders in this one. While we expoect both sides to bash each other – and therefore won't be surprised if the score is fairly low and close – our call is that the Crusaders will take it by 5-10 points.


TEAMS:

Crusaders: 1 – Wyatt Crockett, 2 – Ti’i Paulo, 3 – Owen Franks, 4 – Sam Whitelock, 5 – Brad Thorn, 6 – Richie McCaw (captain), 7 – George Whitelock, 8 – Kieran Read, 9 – Andy Ellis, 10 – Daniel Carter, 11 – Zac Guildford, 12 – Ryan Crotty, 13 – Robbie Fruean, 14 – Sean Maitland, 15 – Jared Payne.

Reserves: 16 – Corey Flynn, 17 – Peter Borlase, 18 – Isaac Ross, 19 – Jonathan Poff, 20 – Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 – Adam Whitelock, 22 – Colin Slade.

Blues: 1 – Tony Woodcock, 2 – Keven Mealamu (captain), 3 – John Afoa, 4 – Kurtis Haiu, 5 – Anthony Boric, 6 – Jerome Kaino, 7 – Serge Lilo, 8 – Viliame Ma'afu, 9 – Alby Mathewson, 10 – Stephen Brett, 11 – Rudi Wulf, 12 – Benson Stanley, 13 – Rene Ranger, 14 – Joe Rokocoko, 15 – Paul Williams.

Reserves: 16 – Tom McCartney, 17 – Charlie Faumuina, 18 – Filo Paulo, 19 – Tom Chamberlain, 20 – Chris Smylie, 21 – Daniel Kirkpatrick, 22 – George Pisi.

REFEREE: Keith Brown
 
Preview: Crusaders v Blues
By Paul Neazor, Sportal
VENUE & TIME: AMI Stadium, Christchurch, Saturday March 6, 17.35 AEDT.

HEAD TO HEAD: Played 16 – Crusaders 8, Blues 8.

LAST TIME: May 16, 2009 (Auckland) – Blues 13-15 Crusaders.

LAST TIME AT VENUE: April 25, 2008 – Crusaders 26-22 Blues.

MATCH ODDS: Luxbet (Thursday): Crusaders $1.19, Blues $4.65.

WALKING WOUNDED: The Crusaders have lost two regulars, Ben Franks (knee) and Thomas Waldrom (Achilles). Richie McCaw returns in a reshuffled loose trio while Owen Franks steps into the run-on XV. The bench also features recovering All Blacks Corey Flynn and Isaac Ross as the Crusaders are nearing full strength. The Blues will be pleased John Afoa's calf problem won't keep him out of the starting lineup and, with Isaia Toeava not ready yet, Rene Ranger holds the centre berth. Peter Saili is also missing this week, with early-season starter Viliame Ma'afu back in the 8 jersey.

FORM:

PAST FIVE Crusaders:
Round 1: Beat Highlanders 32-17
Round 2: Lost to Reds 20-41
Round 3: Beat Sharks 35-6

PAST FIVE Blues:
Round 1: Lost to Hurricanes 22-34
Round 2: Beat Highlanders 19-15
Round 3: Beat Reds 27-18

The Crusaders got back to something like normal service against the Sharks last week, although that scoreline is a little flattering. Yes, the Crusaders applied a lot of pressure for the first hour but it took a three-try flurry in the closing stages to blow the score out and claim a bonus point. That said, the red-and-blacks looked like the real Crusaders and that washed-out (red and grey) mob that was thumped by the Reds was obviously left at Brisbane Customs. The Blues did what the Crusaders could not, and won at Brisbane in difficult conditions. The downpour that made handling all but impossible also allowed the Blues to put all kinds of pressure on the home side in the closing stages as they defended that narrow lead and it was good money to toy stuff that those desperate long-range Reds attacks would end just as they did, with a turnover and a clinching try.

WHO'S HOT: It may have taken the Crusaders a while to get scoreboard return for much effort last week, but the blows came swiftly in the end. Zac Guildford showed he’s as adept at scoring tries at Super 14 as he is at Air NZ Cup level, while the whole backline looked far more cohesive than at Brisbane. As usual, the bulk of the work was done up front, where Sam Whitelock continues to grow into this level and the other tightis were strong. Look for the loose trio, featuring two opensides in Richie McCaw and George Whitelock, to be influential this week. The Blues did well to recover from a situation where the match could have been lost in Brisbane and Tony Woodcock – benched last week – made a big impact when he came on. Alby Mathewson played the conditions perfectly and Rene Ranger scored an excellent try to clinch the match. Anthony Boric, who goes up against a number of serious competitors for his All Black place this week, will be asked for maximum effort in what will be a stern test.

WE THINK: Despite those two results at Brisbane in the past two weeks, we're going to call it for the hometown Crusaders in this one. While we expoect both sides to bash each other – and therefore won't be surprised if the score is fairly low and close – our call is that the Crusaders will take it by 5-10 points.


TEAMS:

Crusaders: 1 – Wyatt Crockett, 2 – Ti’i Paulo, 3 – Owen Franks, 4 – Sam Whitelock, 5 – Brad Thorn, 6 – Richie McCaw (captain), 7 – George Whitelock, 8 – Kieran Read, 9 – Andy Ellis, 10 – Daniel Carter, 11 – Zac Guildford, 12 – Ryan Crotty, 13 – Robbie Fruean, 14 – Sean Maitland, 15 – Jared Payne.

Reserves: 16 – Corey Flynn, 17 – Peter Borlase, 18 – Isaac Ross, 19 – Jonathan Poff, 20 – Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 – Adam Whitelock, 22 – Colin Slade.

Blues: 1 – Tony Woodcock, 2 – Keven Mealamu (captain), 3 – John Afoa, 4 – Kurtis Haiu, 5 – Anthony Boric, 6 – Jerome Kaino, 7 – Serge Lilo, 8 – Viliame Ma'afu, 9 – Alby Mathewson, 10 – Stephen Brett, 11 – Rudi Wulf, 12 – Benson Stanley, 13 – Rene Ranger, 14 – Joe Rokocoko, 15 – Paul Williams.

Reserves: 16 – Tom McCartney, 17 – Charlie Faumuina, 18 – Filo Paulo, 19 – Tom Chamberlain, 20 – Chris Smylie, 21 – Daniel Kirkpatrick, 22 – George Pisi.

REFEREE: Keith Brown
 
80:00 Full time with the Crusaders victorious 33-20.
 
75:50 CONVERSION BLUES - Brett with an easy kick for the 2 points, Crusaders lead 33-20.
 
74:20 TRY BLUES - ... I stand corrected! Alby Mathewson burrows his way through a maul and finds a sneaky route all the way to the line with not a defender in sight.
 
72:45 Blues getting absolutely dominated now by this polished Crusaders outfit, they're really just looking forward to this game ending. It's been 15 minutes since they've seen the other half of the field.
 
68:40 CONVERSION CRUSADERS - Carter gets yet another 2 pointer for the Crusaders to lead 33-15.
 
67:05 TRY CRUSADERS - Robbie Fruean what a try! Bumps multiple Blues defenders straight down the middle of the park and finishes by beating Williams across the line. Great stuff.
 
64:00 Blues are playing some stupid rugby of late, trying to run the ball from inside their own 22. Might have a change in heart now though, with main culprit Rokocoko leaving the field.
 
61:20 PENALTY CRUSADERS - Blues penalised for slowing the ball down on their own line, and Carter obliges with another 3 pointer. Crusaders lead 26-15.
 
58:35 CONVERSION CRUSADERS - Easy kick for Carter. Crusaders lead 23-15.
 
57:00 TRY CRUSADERS - Rudi Wolf catches a little chip and throws a great crossfield pass directly into the line of Ryan Crotty to score under the posts.
 
55:40 Still no points in the second period, game has been played between the two 40m lines and hasn't given either team a chance at accumulating any more points.
 
52:00 It must be said, the loose forwards from both squads have put in a great shift tonight. McCaw and Reid in particular, no wonder they're leading the men in black. Game has hit a bit of a lull.
 
47:50 Aimless kicks all over the park - these wingers need to learn they're not in the team for their ability off the boot. To be honest though, Brett hasn't showered himself in glory so far since oranges.
 
43:55 Game has definitely been dominated by each teams respective defences, the standard of the rugby has been exceptional though. Few handling errors starting to pop up, courtesy of some over-eager props.
 
40:00 Halftime here in Christchurch, very tight game at the moment.
 
38:00 PENALTY BLUES - Silly penalty conceded by the Crusaders gives Brett a chance to close the gap. Really good contact by the former Cantabrian sends it right over the dot, Crusaders lead 16-15.
 
34:20 PENALTY CRUSADERS - Blues get penalised for offside play and Carter punishes them with a solid kick from inside the 22. Crusaders lead 16-12.
 
30:35 Both teams have really stepped up for this match, form is good all over the park. One of the old classic derbys of the Super Rugby competition is living up to its reputation.
 
27:00 A poor pass from Ellis puts paid to the Crusaders' attacking plans, scrum down just inside the Blues' half.
 
26:00 Carter hoofs it down field and Joe Rokocoko gets a rare touch, but turns it over and the Crusaders are on attack.
 
24:00 All the patience turns to nothing as a knock-on spoils all the hard work. Crusaders off the hook.
 
23:00 The Blues are slowly rumbling it up through their forwards, which has been effective for them all night.
 
22:00 He is human...Carter kicks out on the full from the restart and again the Blues have a platform to attack.
 
21:00 Brett kicks another penalty in front of his former fans, the scoreboard attendant is being kept busy as it's now 13-12 to the Crusaders.
 
20:00 And the topsy-turvy nature continues as Peter Saili flies upfield in a strong run. The Crusaders have to rush back and concede another penalty as a result.
 
19:00 Carter's conversion from right in front goes over and it's 13-9 to the Crusaders in a helter-skelter affair that is a thrill to watch.
 
18:00 TRY CRUSADERS! Carter at his world class best again. He steps off his right foot and breaks the line, finds a support player and George Whitelock goes in under the sticks.
 
16:00 But the home side gives three points straight back as they impede the Blues defenders from the kick-off. Brett could throw it over, but kicks it instead to give his side a 9-6 lead.
 
15:00 The Blues infringe right in front of the posts and dead-eye Carter is straight and true with the penalty - 6-all.
 
13:00 Brett has the wobbles with his kicking boot but his touch finder dribbles out his side of the halfway. Crusaders with a chance to attack.
 
12:00 The wind gets the better of Ryan Crotty as Stephen Brett's high bomb is spilled by the Crusaders midfielder just outside his own 22m.
 
0:00 Welcome to the match between the Crusaders and the Blues, it's a beautiful night at AMI Stadium and perfect for running rugby.
Crusaders
Blues
0%
Possession
100%
 
 
 
0
Scrum Wins
0
0
Lineouts Wins
0
0
Rucks & Mauls
0
0/0
Tackles / Missed
0/0
0
Turnovers
0
0
Penalties Conceded
0
 
 
80:00 Full time with the Crusaders victorious 33-20.
 
75:50 CONVERSION BLUES - Brett with an easy kick for the 2 points, Crusaders lead 33-20.
 
74:20 TRY BLUES - ... I stand corrected! Alby Mathewson burrows his way through a maul and finds a sneaky route all the way to the line with not a defender in sight.
 
72:45 Blues getting absolutely dominated now by this polished Crusaders outfit, they're really just looking forward to this game ending. It's been 15 minutes since they've seen the other half of the field.
 
68:40 CONVERSION CRUSADERS - Carter gets yet another 2 pointer for the Crusaders to lead 33-15.
 
67:05 TRY CRUSADERS - Robbie Fruean what a try! Bumps multiple Blues defenders straight down the middle of the park and finishes by beating Williams across the line. Great stuff.
 
64:00 Blues are playing some stupid rugby of late, trying to run the ball from inside their own 22. Might have a change in heart now though, with main culprit Rokocoko leaving the field.
 
61:20 PENALTY CRUSADERS - Blues penalised for slowing the ball down on their own line, and Carter obliges with another 3 pointer. Crusaders lead 26-15.
 
58:35 CONVERSION CRUSADERS - Easy kick for Carter. Crusaders lead 23-15.
 
57:00 TRY CRUSADERS - Rudi Wolf catches a little chip and throws a great crossfield pass directly into the line of Ryan Crotty to score under the posts.
 
55:40 Still no points in the second period, game has been played between the two 40m lines and hasn't given either team a chance at accumulating any more points.
 
52:00 It must be said, the loose forwards from both squads have put in a great shift tonight. McCaw and Reid in particular, no wonder they're leading the men in black. Game has hit a bit of a lull.
 
47:50 Aimless kicks all over the park - these wingers need to learn they're not in the team for their ability off the boot. To be honest though, Brett hasn't showered himself in glory so far since oranges.
 
43:55 Game has definitely been dominated by each teams respective defences, the standard of the rugby has been exceptional though. Few handling errors starting to pop up, courtesy of some over-eager props.
 
40:00 Halftime here in Christchurch, very tight game at the moment.
 
38:00 PENALTY BLUES - Silly penalty conceded by the Crusaders gives Brett a chance to close the gap. Really good contact by the former Cantabrian sends it right over the dot, Crusaders lead 16-15.
 
34:20 PENALTY CRUSADERS - Blues get penalised for offside play and Carter punishes them with a solid kick from inside the 22. Crusaders lead 16-12.
 
30:35 Both teams have really stepped up for this match, form is good all over the park. One of the old classic derbys of the Super Rugby competition is living up to its reputation.
 
27:00 A poor pass from Ellis puts paid to the Crusaders' attacking plans, scrum down just inside the Blues' half.
 
26:00 Carter hoofs it down field and Joe Rokocoko gets a rare touch, but turns it over and the Crusaders are on attack.
 
24:00 All the patience turns to nothing as a knock-on spoils all the hard work. Crusaders off the hook.
 
23:00 The Blues are slowly rumbling it up through their forwards, which has been effective for them all night.
 
22:00 He is human...Carter kicks out on the full from the restart and again the Blues have a platform to attack.
 
21:00 Brett kicks another penalty in front of his former fans, the scoreboard attendant is being kept busy as it's now 13-12 to the Crusaders.
 
20:00 And the topsy-turvy nature continues as Peter Saili flies upfield in a strong run. The Crusaders have to rush back and concede another penalty as a result.
 
19:00 Carter's conversion from right in front goes over and it's 13-9 to the Crusaders in a helter-skelter affair that is a thrill to watch.
 
18:00 TRY CRUSADERS! Carter at his world class best again. He steps off his right foot and breaks the line, finds a support player and George Whitelock goes in under the sticks.
 
16:00 But the home side gives three points straight back as they impede the Blues defenders from the kick-off. Brett could throw it over, but kicks it instead to give his side a 9-6 lead.
 
15:00 The Blues infringe right in front of the posts and dead-eye Carter is straight and true with the penalty - 6-all.
 
13:00 Brett has the wobbles with his kicking boot but his touch finder dribbles out his side of the halfway. Crusaders with a chance to attack.
 
12:00 The wind gets the better of Ryan Crotty as Stephen Brett's high bomb is spilled by the Crusaders midfielder just outside his own 22m.
 
0:00 Welcome to the match between the Crusaders and the Blues, it's a beautiful night at AMI Stadium and perfect for running rugby.
Crusaders
Blues
0%
Possession
100%
 
 
 
0
Scrum Wins
0
0
Lineouts Wins
0
0
Rucks & Mauls
0
0/0
Tackles / Missed
0/0
0
Turnovers
0
0
Penalties Conceded
0
 
 
Crusaders show class
By Bob Schumacher at AMI Stadium, Sportal
The class of the Crusaders showed in the second half as they pulled away from the Blues for a 33-20 win in their fourth round Super 14 match at AMI Stadium, Christchurch, on Saturday night.

The home team led by a point at half-time, but an intercept try by second five-eighths Ryan Crotty after 56 minutes gave the Crusaders extra confidence and they dominated most of the half, centre Robbie Fruean sealing the win when he busted Stephen Brett's tackle and surged to the line after 66 minutes.

With Dan Carter kicking seven out of seven, the Crusaders had a healthy lead as time ticked down, but the Blues did cross for a consolation try.

Carter was named the man of the match and was an influential figure, but the Crusaders loose forward trio, spearheaded by Richie McCaw in his first start for the season, came into their own as the tempo of the game increased in the second half.

A spirited 20m drive by the Blues pack from the Crusaders kick-off signaled the team's purpose and they were rewarded with the first points after six minutes with former Crusader Stephen Brett on target with an easy penalty.

From the restart, the Crusaders turned over the ball after winning a lineout near their line and Brett dropped a goal from close range to have the Blues ahead, 6-0.

More points came from the kick-off, this time to the Crusaders who received a penalty and Dan Carter made no mistake from 28m on the angle.

Carter had his second chance after 15 minutes to level the score and did so with a penalty from 37m and in front. From the restart, the Blues received a penalty on the 22m and Brett was untroubled from a slight angle to make it 9-6.

The Crusaders scored the first try after 19 minutes through a Carter break in midfield. Fullback Jared Payne ranged on his outside and his in-pass was taken by flanker George Whitelock, who scored handy to the posts for Carter to convert comfortably.

But again the Crusaders conceded a penalty from the kick-off and Brett kicked another simple goal to close it to 13-12.

Neither team was able to retain possession long enough to put their patterns into place, although a clever chip over the top by Crusaders halfback Andy Ellis found wing Zac Guildford, who was just tipped over 7m from the line.

Carter kicked his third penalty goal in the 35th minute to put the Crusaders ahead, 16-12, but Brett brought it back to one point with his fourth straight successful kick, from 42m, two minutes later, the teams going to half-time with the Crusaders leading 16-15.

Carter's decisive field kicking had the Crusaders on attack early in the second spell, but while both teams showed willingness to attack even from their own 22m, the passing was too often astray and the defence was equal to the occasion.

Brett missed with a second dropped goal attempt after 54 minutes and two minutes later the Crusaders were across for their second try after Blues wing Rudi Wulf threw a big in-field pass which Crusaders second five-eighth Ryan Crotty gratefully accepted, He scored under the crossbar for Carter to convert and have the Crusaders ahead, 23-15.

The Crusaders stormed back from the restart, winning a penalty near the Blues line and Carter made it six from six for a 26-15 lead on the hour.

In the 66th minute Crusaders centre Robbie Fruean scored the decisive try, pushing off Brett and charging 20m for his first try for the new franchise, Carter converting to rocket the Crusaders to a 33-15 advantage

The Crusaders made most of the play as the clock wound down, the Blues being helped by a string of penalties when they were hard on defence. Blues halfback Alby Mathewson scooped up a loose ball near the Crusaders line and went over unopposed in the corner, the wide conversion missing.

The Blues almost crossed again in the last minute, Guildford making a try-saving tackle on replacement Tom McCartney in the corner, leaving the final score, 33-20.

Scorers:
Crusaders 33
Tries: G Whitelock, Crotty, Fruean
Cons: Carter (3)
Pens: Carter (4)

Blues 20
Try: Mathewson
Pens: Brett (4)
DG: Brett
HT: 16-15
Crusaders
Blues
0%
Possession
100%
 
 
 
0
Scrum Wins
0
0
Lineouts Wins
0
0
Rucks & Mauls
0
0/0
Tackles / Missed
0/0
0
Turnovers
0
0
Penalties Conceded
0