Chiefs hand Crusaders first loss of season with last-gasp try
The Chiefs have condemned the Crusaders to their first loss of the Super Rugby Pacific season with an injury time try to secure a 24-21 win in Christchurch.
Hit with a late flurry of player withdrawals, including captain Scott Barrett, the Crusaders were forced to withstand a disrupted lead-up to kick-off on the day of the game, but looked in control for large portions of the contest.
A tense affair that was dominated by set-piece stoppages, it was the Crusaders who struck first via the boot of Richie Mo’unga, who looked in sharp form in his first start of the season.
However, the Chiefs took the lead with a wonderfully constructed Shaun Stevenson try that saw flashes of x-factor between him and fullback Chase Tiatia.
Tupou Vaa’i also played a key role in the lead-up to his side’s opening score, sucking in a pair of defenders before releasing the ball with a deft offload to kick-off what was another fine showing by the budding young All Blacks lock.
The Crusaders responded quickly, though, as a combination of some fine innovative play by Mo’unga and some misfortune for Chiefs No 8 Pita Gus Sowakula resulted in a David Havili try just five minutes.
Sowakula redeemed himself later in the half, though, as his powerful fend on Mo’unga, as well as Vaa’i’s silky ball-playing skills while carrying into contact, will both make for good viewing in the post-match highlight reel.
Two further Mo’unga penalty goals outweighed the solitary three-pointer landed by his opposite Bryn Gatland, handing the Crusaders a four-point lead at half-time.
That buffer was increased to 11 points when Braydon Ennor soared under the sticks following a prolonged Crusaders attack comprised of helter-skelter rugby early in the second half.
Both teams had opportunities to add to their tallies, but some impressive scrambling defence on both sides denied tries to Sowakula and Leicester Fainga’anuku.
Gatland also tried his best to channel his inner Mo’unga and get the Chiefs over the line midway through the second stanza, but some clutch defence by Bryn Hall denied the visitors their first points of the half.
That scrambling defence was a hallmark of the Crusaders’ defensive fortitude and resilience throughout the final quarter.
The dam was finally broken, though, when, after a mountain of possession, the Chiefs unlocked the Crusaders defence and scored through Stevenson, who completed his try-scoring double in acrobatic fashion in the left-hand corner.
That set-up a grandstand finish, which delivered all that it promised when reserve midfielder Rameka Poihipi crashed over in the same corner that Stevenson had scored in just six minutes earlier.
Poihipi’s try was deserved reward for the Chiefs, whose relentlessness on attack and standout ball retention eventually paid dividends.
The Crusaders will be rightly aggrieved that their staggering defensive effort in the latter stages of the contest wasn’t enough to keep their Kiwi rivals at bay.
Alternatively, the result will also inject Scott Robertson’s men with dose of reality as they fall to their third home Super Rugby defeat in as many years, and their first defeat at the hands of the Chiefs in Christchurch since 2016.
As a result, the Crusaders fail to overtake the first-placed Brumbies at the summit of the Super Rugby Pacific table, while they could yet be overtaken by the third-placed Reds should they pick up and expected win over the Fijian Drua later on Saturday.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, draw level with the fourth-placed Blues, who they only trail by on a small points difference margin heading into their round five clash against the Hurricanes in Wellington next weekend.
Chiefs 24 (Tries to Shaun Stevenson (2) and Rameka Poihipi; 3 conversions and penalty to Bryn Gatland)
Crusaders 21 (Tries to David Havili and Braydon Ennor; conversion and 3 penalties to Richie Mo’unga)
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments