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Crusaders vs Blues: The best prop in Super Rugby, try assist of the year
By Ned Lester
The Blues persevered in their hunt for seven points throughout a sodden 80 minutes of physical rugby in Christchurch, but a scrum penalty after the 80th minute saw their effort come undone as James O’Connor’s game-winner sailed between the uprights.
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While denying the first super point finish of the season, the Crusaders retained their lead atop the Super Rugby Pacific standings with seven wins and two losses to their name.
The Blues also proved why they would be a nightmare matchup if they are to sneak into the playoffs late in the season.
Here are some takeaways from the Crusaders win.
Don’t forget about Dalton
In the great Sam Cane successor debate, Dalton Papali’i’s name has been lost.
This is despite the 27-year-old being Scott Robertson’s go-to man to begin the 2024 season before injuries took him out of the action.
Papali’i played just 30 minutes in tonight’s contest, but made them count with strong carries and a turnover to complement his usual tenacious defence.
The 36-cap All Black is second only to Du’plessis Kirifi in total tackles for any Kiwi loose forward, despite having played one less game than the Hurricanes’ co-captain.
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Papali’i is rarely called upon to carry for the Blues, but does impress and tends to make it over the gain-line when his number is called. The All Blacks will be much the same, with Wallace Sititi and Ardie Savea sure to start in whatever combination Robertson and company select.
Papali’i may not be as exciting as Kirifi, but he may be just what the All Blacks need in an otherwise explosive loose trio.
Crusaders do what they do best
This game was the ultimate test of the Crusaders’ iconic grit and grind defence, a test they passed.
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The Blues were camped in the hosts’ 22 for large stretches of this contest, going hammer and tongs at the line with little reward. The visitors managed three times as many 22m entries as their rivals and, remarkably, spent 50 per cent of their time in possession inside the Crusaders’ 22, but were denied time and time again.
The game took its toll, and the defensive resilience was worn down in the final quarter, but 183 tackles later, the Crusaders prevailed.
10 Crusaders chewed through double-digit tackles, with Ethan Blackadder leading the pack with 26. Scott Barrett, Christian Lio-Willie and Codie Taylor were all immense and followed up with 17 tackles apiece.
While it was an impressive display of fortitude, Rob Penney will be disappointed that poor exits and underwhelming discipline had his side pinned against their own line for so long.
Try assist of the year
Hoskins Sotutu’s attacking X-factor has been more subdued this season than last, but tonight the No. 8 produced a piece of brilliance that will undoubtedly be seen the world over by this time tomorrow.
A behind-the-back, flick of the wrist, 20-metre dime found AJ Lam, who got through three defenders to score.
There are no words for this one. Simply outstanding.
WHAT HAVE WE JUST WITNESSED?!? 🤯
Hoskins Sotutu take a bow 🙌 #SuperRugbyPacific #CRUvBLU pic.twitter.com/0L7rD2mkK7
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) April 18, 2025
Blues reverse most concerning trend
The reigning champions have been a very poor second-half team in 2025, but even with perhaps their least experienced bench unit of the year so far, they managed to twist this game into a contest late in the piece.
The Blues being dead last in second-half scoring this season won’t come as much of a surprise given they’ve scored the second-fewest points this season, but having your points so heavily skewed is a dangerous trend.
The loss will sting for many reasons, but to be down by seven at halftime against the competition leaders and go on to lead by three with nine minutes remaining is a great positive step for the Blues.
The aforementioned brilliance of Sotutu was key to getting the Aucklanders in the game, while multiple scrum penalties against the Crusaders also helped.
AJ Lam also deserves a ton of credit for another superb performance in the midfield. Don’t be surprised if Lam stays ahead of fellow in-form 12s like Quinn Tupaea and Timoci Tavatavanawai in the national selection picture.
Tamaiti Williams is the best prop in Super Rugby
Two men presented themselves as antidotes to the Blues’ bully-ball carry game tonight: Scott Barrett and Tamaiti Williams.
Both All Blacks proved too physically dominant to be moved as the Blues looked to pick-and-go in Crusaders territory, repelling what was such a powerful tactic both a season ago and again and in recent wins.
Barrett’s response to recent criticism is a testament to his character, and Williams’ form at the age of just 24 is exactly what fans hoped the 144 kg behemoth would grow into when he burst onto the scene.
The prop is performing better than any other in Super Rugby Pacific, using his size and strength to impact the game on both sides of the ball.
He scored in the opening minute and couldn’t be contained at scrum time, even up against a former All Black in Angus Ta’avao.
Williams’ propping partner Fletcher Newell also deserves plenty of credit for an 80-minute performance, including the game-winning scrum penalty.
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As much as I would like to see Savea shifted to 7 to accommodate Sititi at 8 and a big blindside at 6, Razor said at the end of 2024 he is very pleased with the dominant ball carrying of 6 Sititi and 8 Savea and it’s at 7 where the real decision will be made by Razor (Blackadder, Kirifi, Lakai, or Papalii).
If my assumption is correct, my bet is Blackadder and Kirifi will be the selections at 7 with backups 6 Finau and 8 Lakai, although Grace and Willie -Lio are certainly putting pressure on the latter two.
As article says Tamaiti Williams is the best prop in Super rugby. He has it all, show casing it in his 50th game for the Crusaders on Friday night. Fletcher Newell his propping partner set up the win with his scrum turn over and played full 80. Christian Lio-Willie has to be in the All Black conversation. He is a dynamic no 8.
Dalton Papalii was completely outplayed by Ethan Blackadder in the first half (Papailii did not even play in the second half due to injury). I cannot fathom what Papalii did to be even mentioned in the article in this match.
Christian Lio-Willie was by far the best loose forward with ball in hand in this match and Blackadder led all defenders with a whopping 26 tackles.
Agree Ethan Blackadder outplayed Dalton Papali’i. 26 tackles says it all. Ethan is a certainty for the AB’s . Never say die attitude. A relentless loose forward.
Tamaiti is a monster in open play but obviously has some work to do with his scrummaging. Lomax and Tosi are not far behind in the loose but imo are doing better scrum time. And let’s not forget Angus Bell.
Meanwhile DeGroot is stuck in the team with the worst propping stocks in the comp. Struggling to regain his form because the front row is always collapsing.
Must be great to be a Crusaders fan and see a dominant performance in that (apart from the scrums)! From a more objective POV, the ref had far too great an influence on the game, penalising Tuipolotu for a legitimate line-out steal just before half-time, (which would have seen the Blues go into the changing room 7 - 7, rather than 14 - 7 down), and then at a critical point of the second half, penalising Tele’a for interfering with a Crusaders catch of a high ball, when it was clearly Cody Taylor, who had tripped over his own man. As for Blackadder, no questioning his commitment and endeavour - he certainly produces the quantity of tackles and carries. But he just doesn’t have the power and presence of, say, Papali’i while he was on, or any number of other loosies. Razor and Jason (and Murray Mexted) have to take off their Crusaders goggles when it comes to Blackadder’s ability at international level.
Nonsense about ref's “influence”. Straight from the sore loser playbook.
And Paddy didn’t steal the lineout. We won it cleanly but the ref judged in real time that Paddy jumped across the lineout. Which he did although he didn’t affect the throw. You’ll see the ref signals “advantage” immediately. And when we knock on, he calls a no advantage penalty.
And no, Taylor didn’t run into Fihaki. He was ahead of Telea, never interfering with him, & then veered off to give him access. Neither “touchie” nor ref had issues when asked by Telea.
The Blues were lucky the heavy rain kept their forwards from being blasted by halftime like they were when we smashed them at Eden Park.
I was at this game, so pleased as a Crusaders supporter with the result. As someone else said conditions were terrible. Ethan Blackadder with that tackle count and all round game showed he is one of the best. James O’Connor has fully showed why he was picked, kicking the winning penalty in horrible conditions. The Blues turned up big time, relieved with the result.
The skill level in the backline was the difference. Blues back play was stilted..so many individual one off runners. Saders were far more coherent.
Blues lucky the terrible weather kept them in the game.
Really - I thought Taha Kemara kept the Blues in the game.
Crusaders should or would be favourites for the comp, but they have some significant issues at 10. You can see the talent in Kemara, and some of his touches are outstanding, but he is still clearly not ready for this level.
I fully agree. The appalling weather was very much in the Blues favor but the Crusaders stoic defence negated their power game. A very close game but the Crusaders fully deserved the win as they had their noses in front for most of this match. I believe their win would have been more comprehensive on a fine night as the Blues backs don’t match their forwards strength whereas the Crusaders have more ability to play 15 man rugby.
Filthy!