Crusaders tame the Hurricanes
Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:27
Score: Scott Hamilton and Caleb Ralph combine
The Crusaders cemented their place at the top of the Super 14 standings with a hard-fought 20-13 win over the Hurricanes in a bruising all-New Zealand derby at the Westpac Stadium, Wellington, on Friday.
The two tries to one win sees the unbeaten Crusaders stretch their lead over the second-placed Sharks to 12 points.
What a contest! More of a conflict than a contest for it was a match of high intensity and absolute concentration. It took every bit of determination, mind, heart and sinew that every player on the field could muster.
Have you ever seen Ma'a Nonu as busy in a match and have you ever seen him taken down as promptly as Crusader after Crusader flew into his midriff.
Every aspect of the game was a contest. The scrums were a contest and messy and testy at times, but it was the tackle above all where the battle raged. The result was 20 free kicks for tackle infringements plus eight full penalties plus a yellow card.
The yellow card went to Mose Tuiali'i who had grim things to say to the referee as he left but his departure came after warnings: "I'm now in penalty mode. If it continues we go to the next option." Perhaps they did not understand the euphemism for Corey Flynn was penalised and then Tuiali'i was sent to the sin bin.
There was a time in the second half, when Tuiali'i was sitting out, that the Crusaders looked rattled. Richie McCaw admitted as much after the match but then they changed and went into a long period of pick-'n-go which settled the game down till they could welcome Tuiali'i back into their ranks.
Conceding an uncharacteristic 13 penalties added to the pressure on the Crusaders.
This season the Crusaders have dominated the second half but not this time. They scored a meagre three points in the second half which the Hurricanes won 10-3 and things could have been worse for them. Losing Dan Carter to a knee injury after 66 minutes did not help their cause at all.
The Crusaders started like a house on fire. Carter kicked off, McCaw won a turn-over, Corey Flynn scored and Carter converted. 7-0 and all within two minutes.
From the turnover they went left and Leon MacDonald grubbered to the line. They were awarded a free kick and battered to the line with Ali Williams close. He was tackled and the ball squirted out the side where Flynn picked it up and plunged over near the posts.
From the kick-off the Hurricanes attacked off a knock-on by Greg Somerville and eschewed a penalty kick at goal when MacDonald went in at the side of a tackle, opting for a five-metre line-out instead. They did this five times in the match - fifth time lucky. This time Neemia Tialata and then Piri Weepu and then Nonu got close to the line but the Crusaders held their line. Eventually Jimmy Gopperth kicked at goal after Tim Bateman went in at the side. He missed, one of three penalty attempts that he missed.
When Casey Laulala handed off Tamati Ellison whose defence was fragile more than once, the Crusaders went on the attack as Bateman took the ball up close and then Kieran Read bashed at the line. They turned a free kick into a five-metre scrum and Tuiali'i was close till Weepu was penalised for being deliberately illegal at a tackle and Carter goaled. 10-0 after 19 minutes.
When Ellis was off-side at a scrum, Gopperth goaled but the Crusaders then scored an exquisite try.
Corey Jane kicked ahead and McCaw caught it but was tackled,. The Crusaders grouped bout their fallen captain and won the ball. They went left - Hamilton to Tuiali'i on the left touch line. He had an overlap and ran ahead till, hemmed in, he side-footed a grubber with his right foot to his right. The ball bounced to evade Rodney So'oialo before presenting itself to Ali Williams who scored. Carter converted. 17-3 after 34 minutes.
That was the half-time score.
After McCaw was penalised for an air tackle, the Hurricanes attacked. Read was penalised and Weepu goaled. 17-6 after 42 minutes.
Jerry Collins tackled Read high and may have been fortunate to remain on the field for the wrap around the jaw looked a serious offence and may perhaps be a citeable one. Carter missed the subsequent kick but then goaled one when Conrad Smith was penalised for an early tackle. 20-6 after 47 minutes. The Crusaders did not score again.
They nearly did when Scott Hamilton ran them out of desperate defence and set them flying down the left then the right till Smith saved ahead of Kade Poki's kick into in-goal.
The Hurricanes had two five-metre line-outs but the defence held, once because of an aggressive tackle by Flynn on Weepu. But, with Tuiali'i off, they at last had success off the fifth five-metre line-out when they drove Andrew Hore over for a try close in. Gopperth converted. 20-13.
The Hurricanes came roaring back as the Crusaders teetered on the brink of collapse but Gopperth kicked a penalty against the upright and then McCaw set his men on close contact mode.
After the siren had gone the Hurricanes did everything they could to run out of deep defence, twice from within their own in-goal in their ambition to get a share of the game. Eventually they settled for their one bonus point as Alby Mathewson kicked out.
Man of the Match: Of course, McCaw did many good things but he infringed more often than a good player should. Of course, Jerry Collins was powerful but so was Brad Thorn. Of course Rodney So'oialo worked hard and relentlessly. He is our Man of the Match.
Moment of the Match: Mose Tuiali'i's brilliant kick that sat up so generously for Ali Williams's try.
Villain of the Match: Yellow-carded Mose Tuiali'i who should have taken the hint and should not have added insult to infringement.
The scorers:
For the Hurricanes:
Try: Hore
Con: Gopperth
Pens: Gopperth 2
For the Crusaders:
Tries: Flynn, Williams
Cons: Carter 2
Pens: Carter 2
Yellow card: Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders, 67 - repeated infringements, ruck offense)
Teams:
Hurricanes: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Shannon Paku, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Tamati Ellison, 11 Ma'a Nonu, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo (captain), 7 Chris Masoe, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 John Schwalger.
Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Tim Fairbrother, 18 Jeremy Thrush, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Tane Tu'ipulotu, 22 Hosea Gear.
Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Scott
Hamilton, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Kade Poki, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andrew Ellis, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richard McCaw (captain), 6 Kieran Read, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Ben Franks.
Replacements: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Paterson, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Caleb Ralph, 22 Sean Maitland.
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Keith Brown (New Zealand), Josh Noonan (New Zealand)
Television match official: Kane McBride (New Zealand)
Assessor: Kim Eichmann (New Zealand)
