Crusaders hold on against Blues
Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:31
On a big Crusade: Richie McCaw goes on the run
The Crusaders bounced back from last week's shock loss to cement their place at the top of the Super 14 standings with a 26-22 win against a determined Blues outfit in Christchurch on Friday.
The Blues came back strongly at the Crusaders, three times, but in the end just ran out of time. The Crusaders held 12-0, 19-7 and 26-17 leads at various stages in the match - but the Blues managed crucial scores each time to stay in touch.
The Crusaders won all right, but the team deserving the major share of the kudos on this Anzac Day evening in Christchurch was the Blues of Auckland.
The Crusaders got the bonus point for tries scored and the Blues that sad one for being close losers. It could have been different. The "ifs" of the match were big ones. IFS.
For one thing the Blues, trailing 17-26, lost two TMO decisions in about a minute - the first when Troy Flavell's hip hit the touch-line a fraction before he grounded the ball and another when Anthony Tuitavake was millimetres short of the line as Kade Poki and Richie McCaw combined in miraculous defence to keep the centre out.
The Last Post mourned its way into the night air before the match and then the trumpeter, Corporal John Wise, sounded the Reveille. The Blues' performance mirrored the trumpet sound. For much of the first half they were dead and buried but somehow they woke up with renewed life and energy in the second half.
The Crusaders won their line-outs. They were better at the tackle. They were ahead 7-4 in free kicks. All that suggests that it would be an easy victory for the well-oiled Christchurch machine, but they were not at all convincing and it was the Blues who had the greater energy and creativity, starved of the ball as they were for almost all the first half and for much of the match till they were able to shake the match loose.
The Crusaders kicked off and Flavell knocked on to set the home side attacking in many phases till Stephen Brett broke it with a diagonal kick which Nick Evans easily marked. The Crusaders then had a three-man overlap on the left, but Leon MacDonald knocked on.
The score came after Daniel Braid conceded three free kicks in less than two minutes and was spoken to. After he was spoken to the Crusaders put down a scrum and went right - Mose Tuiali'i to MacDonald who cut past Isa Nacewa and gave inside to McCaw who rushed past Nick Williams for a strong try. Brett converted. 7-0 after 12 minutes.
The Blues backs swung into intricate action from a line-out with Isa Nacewa twice prominent. Rudi Wulf caught a Nacewa up-and-under to threaten and Brad Thorn had a strong run.
The Crusaders went through many phases and tall Kieran Read forced a gap between John Afoa and Braid and gave to hooker Corey Flynn who ran a straight line for the goal-line. 12-0 after 26 minutes.
The Crusaders looked in charge but the illusion was soon shattered as the Blues changed tactics to close-quarter running and passing till Jerome Kaino bashed through Flynn, drew Evans and sent Wulf over for a try on the left. Evans converted. 12-7 after 28 minutes.
Tuitavake had his first great run when he grabbed a Brett knock-on and countered, a moved frustrated by accidental off-side five metres from the Crusaders line.
The Blues attacked but Nacewa knocked on and Brett broke out of the 22, kicked downfield. Sean Maitland got the ball and the Crusaders came wide right where they had an overlap but Caleb Ralph knocked on.
Half-time came at 12-7 but early in the second half the Blues were ahead.
Flavell who had botched the first kick-off of the match, secured the first kick-off of the second half and the Blues attacked with a will. Nacewa twice flung himself at the defence till powerful Williams picked up bashed and swirled to ground the ball against the padding for a try. Evans converted and - lo and behold - the Blues led 14-12.
The lead lasted moments. Taniela Moa kicked the ball downfield into the Crusaders 22 and the Crusaders scored. It was a wonderful try in the Crusaders mould. Tim Bateman used a strong hand-off to shunt Benson Stanley out the way. He played inside to Ralph who gave to Andrew Ellis. The scrumhalf beat the covering David Smith and gave to Flynn who cut back past Wulf for a try under the posts. Brett converted. 19-14 after 44 minutes.
The Blues attacked again and then Flynn was sent to the sin bin. Just before half-time he had been grossly late and armless on Wulf and now he leapt for a tackle deemed dangerous on Smith. Evans goaled the subsequent penalty. 19-17 after 63 minutes.
The yellow card may just have backfired. The Blues were stronger in the scrums and now, against seven men, they destroyed a Crusaders scrum. But the Crusaders managed to scramble the ball and set play on an even keel. Bateman ran down the left while all the Blues' forwards were hell bent on destruction. He kicked ahead and Maitland gathered the ball at the touch-line. He managed to stay in the field of play - or did he, for a subsequent replay suggested that a foot was out. Battling strongly against tacklers he got the ball infield to McCaw who was strong against tacklers and gave to Ti'i Paulo who had the speed and strength to score. Brett converted. 26-17 - and a bonus point.
The rest of the match belonged to the Blues,.
After much interpassing, Flavell dummied and stretched for the line, but was ruled in touch, which he was.
Then Smith started a counterattack that Tuitavake carried on in startling fashion beating man after man till Poke rode him down from behind. Tuitavake surfed on to the line where he was adjudged just short and had the added pain of a free kick against him for holding on.
Flynn came back and the Blues eventually did get a try. They bashed and bashed and then went wide left where Isaia Toeava ran a brilliant line to create an overlap for Smith and the wing squeezed over in the corner, his left knee bashing the cornerpost before he grounded the ball, no longer an impediment to scoring under the experimental law variations. Evans missed the conversion from touch, an important miss. 26-22 with five minutes to go.
It was an important miss because with about two minutes to play the Crusaders were off-side. It was kickable but a penalty was not enough. Instead, Evans kicked for the corner - and kicked dead.
Man of the Match: He was not on long enough, but while he was on, Isaia Toeava was brilliant. Richie McCaw is always a contender with his strength and immense workrate, but our award this week goes to Anthony Tuitavake. His defence was sound, his attack the most brilliant aspect of the match.
Moment of the Match: The build-up to Corey Flynn's second try was magnificent but somehow the cruel end to Anthony Tuitavake's run and slide added poignancy to brilliance. It is our Moment of the Match.
Villain of the Match: A law which decrees that Anthony Tuitavake's brilliance should end in a tawdry free kick.
The scorers:
For the Crusaders:
Tries: McCaw, Flynn 2, Paulo
Cons: Brett 3
For the Blues:
Tries: Wulf, Williams, Smith
Cons: Evans 2
Pen: Evans
Yellow card: Corey Flynn (Crusaders, 62 - foul play, dangerous and high tackle, his second of the match)
Teams:
Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Kade Poki, 13 Caleb Ralph, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Sean Maitland, 10 Stephen Brett, 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 Ross Filipo, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Hamish Gard, 22 Scott Hamilton.
Blues: 15 Nick Evans, 14 David Smith, 13 Anthony Tuitavake, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Isa Nacewa, 9 Taniela Moa, 8 Nick Williams, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Troy Flavell (captain), 4 Anthony Boric, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Nick White, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Kurtis Haiu, 19 Justin Collins, 20 Danny Lee, 21 Isaia Toeava, 22 Ben Atiga.
Referee: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Brent Murray (New Zealand)
TMO: Kane McBride (New Zealand)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)
