Chiefs end Crusaders' run
Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:27
Go you good thing: Simms Davison gets some help from teammate Mils Muliaina
The Chiefs became the first team to beat the table-topping Crusaders this year when they recorded an impressive 18-5 Super 14 win at the Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, on Friday.
The two-tries-to-one win saw the Chiefs move into third place on the standings, while the Crusaders hang on to top spot despite the defeat.
The international aspect of Super 14 is all good and well but it is still the local derby that fires the imagination and Waikato Stadium was jam-packed on Friday night and what a good night for the home fans, a memorable victory to talk about for years to come.
It was not just another victory. The Chiefs beat the seemingly invincible Crusaders and did it with conviction. The wonderful Crusaders had glided through team after team, scoring 37 tries in eight matches. On this night in the Waikato they scored just one try and it took into the second half and Chiefs' errors to get that try.
Suddenly the Crusaders looked fragile, their handling was not great. They missed tackles and they conceded turnovers. Led by the turnover king, Richie McCaw, they were beaten by the energy and enthusiasm of the Chiefs.
The Crusaders have been labelled a second-half side. They were better in the second half in that they kept the Chiefs away from the scoreboard but then they managed just a measly five points themselves. Better but not nearly good enough.
Unbeaten was thoroughly beaten.
Moolloo rejoiced though, with understatement so typical of New Zealand rugby, Mils Muliaina described the victory as "very pleasing" and hoped that "we'll play a bit better next week".
It was, as one would imagine, a top quality match on a top quality surface on a balmy evening. It simply flew by with fascinating intensity.
The match started badly for the Crusaders when Stephen Brett kicked the kick-off directly into touch and the Chiefs started attacking from the ensuing scrum. They tapped a free kick and attacked again with clever, short passes, beating tackles till Ali Williams was penalised for going in at the side and Stephen Donald made it 3-0 after 2 minutes.
The contest between mature Stephen Donald and promising Stephen Brett was set to be one of the great contests of the night. Brett did not start well. The kick-off was a blunder and then he missed a relatively easy penalty when Lelia Masaga tackled late and was fortunate not to be sent to the sin bin for his act was deliberate.
The Chiefs went hunting in Crusader land. From a scrum Sione Lauaki picked up and barged over the advantage line. The ball went left to Richard Kahui who was tackled. The Chiefs went left again and Donald headed between Kieran Read and Scott Hamilton, taking both out as he got a nose ahead and then passed the ball behind Hamilton's back to Sitiveni Sivivatu who beat Andrew Ellis down the touch-line for a try. Donald missed the relatively easy conversion, his only flop of the night. The Chiefs led 8-0 after 14 minutes.
The Crusaders had a chance when McCaw won a turnover and young Sean Maitland beat two down the right touch-line before Sivivatu tackled him into touch, saving the situation.
Again it was the Chiefs turn to batter at the Crusaders' line with Lauaki and Muliaina going close.
The Chiefs had been warned after two tackle offences and again of more drastic action when they were penalised at a tackle. Toby Lynn suffered for the accumulation of illegalities when he was sent to the sin bin.
While he was in the sin bin the Chiefs scored seven points, the Crusaders nil. Not even against 14 men could the most prolific scorers of Super 14 2008 score a single point.
As Donald had created the first try, he created the second. He chipped behind the Crusaders and there was pressure on them. He chipped again, caught the ball and in the tackle passed to prop Simms Davison. Davison set off down the field with a sharp turn of speed, handing off Caleb Ralph's feeble tackle as he went and delighted the whole of the Waikato by sweeping over under the crossbar. Donald converted. 15-0 after 30 minutes.
That became 18-0 when a Crusader was penalised for a deliberate knock-on out of a tackle/ruck. That was the half-time score.
The Crusaders did not look any more likely to score in the second half till the Chiefs won a turnover and made the worst of it. Behind the mini victory Toby Lynn and Brendon Leonard managed to bungle and fumble. Then Leonard tried to push the ball back along the ground in the vague direction of Donald but Brett nipped in, kicked the ball which sat up into his grateful arms. Brett beat Masaga and as the defence closed in got the ball off to Ellis who scored in a handy position but Brett missed the conversion. 18-5 after 47 minutes.
And that was the final score. Not that the rest was uninteresting. It was intensely interesting.
The Chiefs attacked but Ralph intercepted. The Crusaders attacked but Brett knocked on. Kahui broke out of defence and kicked deep but Brett saved. The Crusaders countered but a pass was forward. Donald broke and chipped and the defence held. Leonard was close but lost the ball forward. The Chiefs attacked and Sivivatu smashed into Kade Poki. The Crusaders attacked and Ben May won a crucial turnover.
It was hectic and the 30 players playing hectically did so in a mix with backs bashing into tackle/rucks and forwards at centre. It was every man for his team.
The Crusaders came closest in this time. Donald Grubbered and Hamilton started a counterattack with some strong running by Casey Laulala which set Hamilton free of the clutter and Maitland racing towards the left. He got the ball to burly Nasi Manu who plunged for the line with the ball in his big left hand. The hand was, said the television match official, not bog enough for the flank lost the ball forward and then the Crusaders conceded a free kick from the subsequent scrum and a golden opportunity was lost.
Aled de Malmanche had a great charge and then the Crusaders had a chance but Maitland knocked on a straightforward pass when he had an overlap.
There was a long delay while Casey Laulala was taken off on the stretcher cart after a clash of heads with Sweeney.
The Chiefs had a scrum with two minutes to go and spent the two minutes on determined pick-'n-drive till the siren went and they kicked the ball out into the glad night.
Man of the Match: The heroes were the Chiefs - Liam Messam everywhere, Kevin O'Neill, Toby Lynn, Sione Lauaki, late inclusion Dwayne Sweeney but above all our Man of the Match Stephen Donald who ran, kicked, tackled and cleaned up with great creativity, determination and efficiency.
Moment of the Match: Simms Davison's
try - the sight of a speedy prop with a thumping hand-off heading for the posts.
Villain of the Match: Nobody.
The scorers:
For the Chiefs:
Tries: Sivivatu, Davison
Con: Donald
Pens: Donald 2
For the Crusaders:
Try: Ellis
Yellow card: Toby Lynn (Chiefs, 27 - repeated infringements, not rolling away at tackle)
Teams:
Chiefs: 15 Mils Muliaina (captain), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Dwayne Sweeney, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Kevin O’Neill, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Ben Castle, 2 Tom Willis, 1 Simms Davison.
Replacements: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Ben May, 18 Jay Williams, 19 Faifili Levave, 20 Jamie Nutbrown, 21 Murray Williams, 22 Sosene
Anesi.
Crusaders: 15 Scott Hamilton, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Caleb Ralph, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Andrew Ellis, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richie 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 Ross Filipo, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Hamish Gard, 22 Kade Poki.
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Steve Walsh (New Zealand), Brent Murray (New Zealand)
Television match official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
Assessor: Kim Eichmann (New Zealand)
