Late rally puts Crusaders clear
Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:19
Try time: Crusaders fullback Scott Hamilton
The Crusaders consolidated their lead at the top of the Super 14 standings with an emphatic 34-7 win over the Waratahs in Christchurch on Friday, four late tries sealing a bonus-point win.
With 55 minutes on the clock the Waratahs held a one-point (7-6) lead. However, the Crusaders produced a very clinical last quarter to score four converted tries and race clear at the top of the standings.
It took a try by the Waratahs to get the best out of the Crusaders and that best was considerably better than all the intense defence of the Waratahs who wilted under the grinding attack of the Crusaders, for the Crusaders changed tactics to great effect, as a great side can always do.
The first half had nothing to enthuse about apart from the aggressive defence of the Waratahs as they drove into the midriffs of the Crusaders set the ball spilling free.
There was a lot of kicking in the first half, mostly by Lachie Turner and Kurtley Beale. There were many handling errors, mostly by the Crusaders and there were 11 free kicks. There were also five penalties to the Crusaders (to nil to the Waratahs) and Daniel Crater had two shots at goal, scoring both times.
He kicked the first at the first line-out of the match when Daniel Vickerman was penalised for an air tackle. 3-0 after two ,minutes. He kicked the second on 39 minutes when Lote Tuqiri was off-side at a kick. 6-0. That was all the scoring.
It was a disappointing half. There had been such great expectation of the match between two talented and creative sides. The weather was perfect - too perfect it seems ands the warmth was blamed for making the ball slippery - something which decreased in the second half. There was a crowd of just under 20 000 at the AMI construction site in Christchurch. There seemed every reason to have a great game.
What destroyed the glamour of the spectacle may well have been the intensity of the Waratah defence. Their tackling was shuddering and deserved more than a scoreline that looked like a hiding.
At half-time Robbie Deans, coach of the Crusaders, spoke of the need for patience and eventually his team were as patient as can be as they knocked and bashed at the Waratahs to great profit.
The Waratahs showed the greatest change at the start of the second half. Gone was their simple tackle-and-kick mode of play. They started running and going through phases. It paid off when their scrumhalf Brett Sheehan, who had a brave game, darted into a half gap just outside the Crusaders' 22. Tackled he popped the ball to replacement hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau who plodded without great conviction for some 12 metres before passing inside to big Wycliff Palu who had an unimpeded run to the posts. 7-6 after 50 minutes.
The Waratahs were looking like a team set for victory. The Crusaders ensured that that was an illusion as they changed plan.
Mind you, their was an element of fortuitousness in the way they regained the lead. They were being driven back by the defence but kept the ball and Tim Bateman kicked an unimpressive up-and-under which Casey Laulala, whose hands had been so fragile in the first half, jumped, won the contest for the ball, shook himself free and had the speed to keep ahead of Turner as he raced 41 metres to score in the right corner. Carter converted. 13-7.
From then on it was a matter of how much the Crusaders would win by as the Waratah challenge evaporated.
The Crusaders now went into their patient, pick-and-go routine. They bashed through 17 phases to put Greg Somerville close and then Mose Tuiali'i over for a try which the television match official confirmed. That was near the posts and Carter converted, 20-7 after 64 minutes.
The Waratahs were free-kicked at a tackle and warned that the next one would be a penalty. This was after seven free kicks at the tackle. The warning had an effect as there were no ,more. The Crusaders opted for a scrum and scrumhalf Andrew Ellis sniped away from it heading for the posts,. He was stopped five metres out but Tuiali'i fed Wyatt Crockett who plunged over near the right upright. Carter converted. 27-7 after 71 minutes.
Rocky Elsom had a promising run and Tuqiri attacked but Polota-Nau knocked on into the Crusaders' in-goal and Carter cleared.
Back came the Crusaders with a mixture of pick-and-go and playing wide. From a tackle/ruck Carter hoisted a diagonal kick to his left. Brad Thorn leapt high and knocked the ball back into the arms of Scott Hamilton who swept round for the bonus-point try. Carter converted and the final whistle went. 34-7.
It seemed cruel to the Waratahs but it was testimony to the wonderful ability of the Crusaders. Even with a re jigged backline, they still had the confidence, skill and resilience to produce a victory of this magnitude against a top side. One of their problems was losing their outstanding counterattacker, Leon MacDonald, on the day before the match.
Good Friday was a good Friday for the Crusaders.
Man of the Match: Brett Sheehan was certainly a candidate with his courage and skill but the Waratahs took him off after an hour, which was a pity. Bashing changed the game and the leading basher was Melbourne-born, Wallaby-qualified prop, Ben Franks. He is our Man of the Match, more as a symbol than as a star performer.
Moment of the Match: Casey Laulala's try, for his leap and catch and run turned an harmless kick into a try which turned the match the Crusaders' way.
Villain of the Match: Nobody at all.
The scorers:
For the Crusaders:
Tries: Laulala, Tuiali'i, Crockett, Hamilton
Cons: Carter 4
Pens: Carter 2
For the Waratahs:
Try:
Palu
Con: Beale
Teams:
Crusaders: 15 Scott Hamilton, 14 Kade Poki, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Caleb Ralph, 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 Hamish Gard, 22 Sean Maitland.
Waratahs: 15 Lachie Turner, 14 Alfi Mafi, 13 Ben Jacobs, 12 Tom Carter, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (captain), 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Dan Vickerman, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Adam Freier, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Will Caldwell, 19 Beau Robinson, 20 Josh Valentine, 21 Sam Harris, 22 Rob Horne. 23rd Man: Benn
Robinson
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand), Christie du Preez (South Africa)
TMO: Kane McBride (New Zealand)
