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Crusaders edge Chiefs, claim seventh straight Super Rugby title
By AAP
The Crusaders have put a seal on one of the great eras of rugby union domination with a 25-20 victory over the Chiefs in the Super Rugby Pacific final, sending coach Scott Robertson off to the All Blacks with a seventh straight title.
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The Christchurch-based powerhouse handed the Chiefs only a second loss of the season to silence a full house at Hamilton’s Waikato Stadium and secure a 14th Super Rugby title of all types.
Hooker Codie Taylor crossed for the second time in the 73rd minute for the winning score and the Crusaders held off the Chiefs, reduced to 14 men for the third time in the match, to snatch the victory.
The Chiefs had tries from fullback Shaun Stevenson and flying winger Emoni Narawa and held a 20-15 lead on the hour mark, but fell short in their bid for a first Super Rugby title since they went back-to-back in 2012-13.
As well as coach Robertson, who will take over at the All Blacks after the World Cup, the Crusaders were bidding farewe ll to three players who helped build the dynasty in Sam Whitelock, Richie Mo’unga and Leicester Fainga’anuku.
“I’m lost for words, I’m so proud of the effort,” said an emotional Taylor.
“I can’t get the fact that the boys are leaving out of my head and how much it means to them. It’s special. Can’t take anything away from the Chiefs. They threw everything at us and we just managed to hang in there.”
The Chiefs were the dominant team in the regular season and co-captain Sam Cane, the last of the three home players to be shown yellow cards, was clearly deflated.
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“We’ve had a heck of a season and it certainly hurts to come up short right at the end there,” he said.
“A lot of credit must go to a quality Crusaders side. They’ve been the best for a number of years now and they managed to show that again tonight.”
Flyhalf Mo’unga scored a try and kicked 10 points, opening the scoring with his first penalty in the ninth minute, just before Chiefs centre A nton Lienert-Brown went to the sin bin for a dangerou s tackle.
Damian McKenzie levelled up the contest with a penalty before Lienert-Brown returned, however, and three minutes later the home side were ahead.
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Number eight Luke Jacobson tackled Will Jordan hard in midfield before stripping the ball off the Crusaders fullback and two phases later Shaun Stevenson was cruising across the line for his 12th try of the season.
Codie Taylor booed? #SuperRugbyPacificFinal pic.twitter.com/ndi0jYtyWN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 24, 2023
Jacobson was yellow carded following repeat team offences soon afterwards, however, and Taylor grabbed his first try off the rolling maul against a short-handed pack to cut the deficit to 10-8.
The Crusaders were in the ascendant and Mo’unga finished off a raid down the left wing and converted his own try to give them a slender 15-10 lead at halftime.
The Chiefs struck back through Emoni Narawa three minutes after the break when slick hands through the backline sent the winger across in the right corner and McKenzie converted from wide to nudge the hosts back ahead.
The noise the crowd hit new heights as McKenzie kicked a second penalty for a 20-15 lead.
Narawa had a second try called back in the 56th minute and the Crusaders immediately laid siege to the Chiefs line but the home defence held firm.
They were unable to repeat the defensive feat legally eight minutes before fulltime and Cane was sent to the sin bin with Taylor mowing over the line from another catch-and-drive a minute later.
As an Australian with no skin in the game I thought it was a cracker. And I find it interesting all the sour grape comments on here. Sure there were some reffing errors [when are there not] but in the end they pretty well evened out. Interesting to see Lienert-Brown has now been cited. If he is found guilty of dangerous play it will reinforce the fact that the Chiefs were a little fortunate he wasn't red carded.
And interesting to read John's comment. No more than one would expect with all the anti kiwi comment. What a twat.
...and, once again, the winner goes to the rolling maul on the back of some very soft penalties. I hope the ABs don't try and go down that path Mr Robertson.
Well that was certainly a great 80min advertisement for Rugby League. Love a sport that is ultimately decided by the ref (whatever you think of the reffing, it was his whistle or lack thereof, that decided the game) and where the best team's best attack is lining 7 guys up in front of the ball knowing full well the defense can't really do anything to stop it.
What a cheat fest. Kiwis don't realise that while NZ rugby is obsessed about trying to cheat to win, the world has moved on, while they are getting left behind.
Delusional Jonathan..
No team in any sport NBA,SOCCER,NRL ETC will go through an entire season and be at the top of the table and cause so many infringements to cost them that final hurdle.
More importantly if you were watching the game they played with 14men for 30mins.... just wondering what happened to the knock on at the end that gave the Sanders the penalty (after playing it back afew times)
Cracker of a game. The team that kept their heads and their discipline won. Chiefs had their moments, but were out of their depth, overawed by the moment, and it showed in the penalty count. The one black mark - Disgraceful that a player can recklessly cause a head-clash that takes a player out of the game, but the player who caused it was allowed back on the field.
As a neutral I feel that the better team lost, which isn't good for rugby. Ben is usually a good referee, but he seemed to have money on the Saders for this one.