Crusaders smash sloppy Sharks
Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:19
In fine form: Crusaders scrumhalf Andy Ellis
The Crusaders put their campaign firmly back on track with an impressive 35-6 demolition of the Sharks in Christchurch on Friday - a victory built on a powerful defensive effort.
The Crusaders are back. They are tackling like demons, scrumming strongly and keeping the ball alive when on the run, mixing their game up with pick-'n-drive and wide passing.
Into the wind in the first half they tackled and had the better of the half, ending it leading 10-6. Then at the end, after Andy Goode had been sin-binned, they burst into a bonus point with two tries in the last seven minutes.
It was a victory richly deserved.
And the Sharks?
They have no pressure points. At no stage did they look remotely like scoring a try.
Their best moment was a tap and run by Rory Kockott which got them into the Crusaders' 22, but not with any real threat. Oh, and they had a five-metre scrum which became a free kick to the Crusaders for early engagement.
After the match, John Smit, their captain, said as much - that they have no attack. That is an understatement - one try in three matches so far. They maul well, if slowly, and that is it. They have a flyhalf who, willing though he is, would probably prefer not to be there and then the problem in the middle with centres who crab across the field.
But, credit, they defended well till they were a man down.
Goode, a recent, expensive import, came on for Kockott while Ruan Pienaar moved to scrumhalf. Goode then tackled Daniel Carter around the throat and was sent to the sin bin. After that there were no Rorke's Drift heroics for the men from KwaZulu Natal.
They have another four matches to play on their tour. It could be a long tour, one that could bring the union to its knees - at least in last-resort prayer.
The Sharks had the sharp wind and scored first when Brad Thorn was guilty of a tip tackle and Kockott goaled from a long way out. 3-0 after two minutes. Thorn was lucky not to be sin-binned, especially in view of what happened to Goode later in the match.
Thorn can regard himself lucky to have escaped only with a penalty. Maybe the citing commissioners will look at this one again!
When the ball came out of a tackle, Odwa Ndungane footed it towards the Crusaders' line. Carter saved, but conceded a five-metre scrum. However, the Sharks were freekicked and did not again get close to the line.
The Sharks who opted to run with the wind battled with their handling in the face of fierce tackling. Willem Alberts bungled and Tendai Mtawarira bungled and the next thing Kieran Read was racing down the middle of the field with a real chance of scoring till Terblanche tackled him just short of the line. The Crusaders piled in and then went wide left where Zac Guilford did a switch with Jared Payne and cut inside Alberts to score. Carter converted and the Crusaders led 7-3 after 20 minutes, a lead they built on.
Smit was twice penalised at collapsed scrums. The second time Carter goaled. 10-3, which became 10-6 when Andy Ellis was penalised at a tackle and goaled from just inside the Crusaders' half. 10-6.
The second half started with the Crusaders getting the shove on in the scrums, putting pressure on Ryan Kankowski who was expected to pick the ball up.
The Crusaders attacked but the Sharks were winning a turnover till Steve Sykes dived in harshly on Ellis. Carter opted to goal. 13-6 after 48 minutes. It was almost a surprise that the Sharks were still that close.
The ranks of Cantabrians raised a mighty cheer soon after this when their champion Richie McCaw made his comeback to Super 14 rugby.
The Sharks could make no headway. They were outnumbered by the defence when they had the ball and their kicking, bar one by Pienaar, was really just a transfer of possession and punished them.
Really it was all Crusaders as they attacked and looked to be on their way to scoring till Sykes went offside five metres from his line and Carter made it 16-6.
The Sharks tried to run. From a scrum, the ball went from Kankowski to Goode who gave to Swanepoel who took his time before passing in the direction of Terblanche. It did not reach Terblanche for Guildford intercepted and ran in a comfortable try. 23-6 with 11 minutes to play.
For the Crusaders the best, for the Sharks the worst was yet to come.
McCaw won a turnover to set his side attacking and then Goode tackled Carter dangerously and was sent off.
The Crusaders bashed and then went wide where Guildford, as he was tackled by industrious Ndungane, flicked a pass inside to Adam Whitelock who scored. 28-6 with five minutes left.
The Crusaders came racing back with interplay between forwards and backs, a great cutback by replacement lock Joe Wheeler and the a cutback by Quentin MacDonald who delighted himself and everybody else in Christchurch with the bonus-point try which Carter converted.
The Crusaders were attacking when JP Pietersen kicked the ball out and the final whistle sounded.
Man of the Match: For the Sharks Rory Kockott had his best match so far and Ryan Kankowski tackled like a hero but their star was strong, involved Bismarck du Plessis. For the Crusaders powerful Brad Thorn, smooth Daniel Carter, feisty Andy Ellis and bustling Thomas Waldron stood out and so did our Man of the Match Zac Guilford who was the most incisive back on the field, making the best out of whatever he got and he got two tries.
The scorers:
For the Crusaders:
Tries: Guildford 2, A Whitelock, MacDonald
Cons: Carter 3
Pens: Carter 3
For the Sharks:
Pens: Kockott 2
Yellow card: Andy Goode (Sharks, 74 - foul play, high tackle)
Teams:
Crusaders: 15 Jared Payne, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 George Whitelock, 6 Kieran Read (captain), 5 Brad Thorn, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Ti'i Paulo, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Joe Wheeler, 19 Richie McCaw, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Adam Whitelock, 22 Colin Slade.
Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Adrian Jacobs, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Johann Muller, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 John Smit (captain), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Deon Carstens, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Keegan Daniel, 21 Andrew Goode, 22 Riaan
Swanepoel.
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Keith Brown (New Zealand)
TMO: Kane McBride (New Zealand)
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