Crusaders vs Moana Pasifika: New best 10 in Super Rugby contender, Superman Savea

Take a bow, Moana Pasifika. Ardie Savea’s men have stormed the gates of Apollo Projects Stadium and claimed victory over the Crusaders, a rare achievement for any team.

Moana were piling on the points on Friday night, reluctant to surrender momentum and wrestling it back after the Crusaders bomb squad of Tamaiti Williams and Codie Taylor enterred the fray.

For every swing the Crusaders could throw, Moana had a counter. Here are four takeaways from a famous win.

Superhuman Savea

Moana Pasifika may not have donned a superhero edition uniform this season, but it would be fitting to hand Ardie Savea a Superman kit to play in every week because, holy hecker, this guy is strong.

We know this, but every now and again it’s worth pausing for a moment of appreciation.

Mandatory Ardie Savea praise aside, his signing over the recent offseason was one that raised some questions. One that puzzled this writer as well as many fans was exactly how much does this lift Moana Pasifika’s ceiling?

One gets the impression it’s a question the team themselves were contemplating, as reports from the environment during preseason were pretty clear the team were star-struck by their new captain.

It’s tough being the new kids on the block, and Moana Pasifika have played like an underdog team since their debut Super Rugby season. Injecting a recent World Player of the Year changes that.

The journey of this season for Moana Pasifika seems to be as much about growth as it is about realising just how good they are, and the fact that not only can they hang with the big dogs, but they can walk into their home and win.

When Ardie Savea says he’s here to win, he means it. The standards and example the captain will be setting will leave little doubt over how sincere he is, and that mental shift, that belief, appears to be doing wonders for what has been a sleeping giant of a team.

Pellegrini in the running for best 10 in Super Rugby

In his rookie Super Rugby Pacific season, Patrick Pellegrini is proving to be a weekly game-changer for Moana Pasifika.

With kicking skills to make Premier League players jealous, Pellegrini gets his side in the right areas of the field consistently, bringing a territorial advantage to this team that has been missing over recent seasons.

While Moana have struggled in their first few years in this comp, their attacking firepower has always been undeniable, whether it’s Timoci Tavatavanawai and Levi Aumua, Lotu Inisi and Julian Savea, or Ardie Savea and Kyren Taumoefolau.

Now, though, those attacking threats are playing in the right areas of the field, allowing Moana to capitalise on the scoreboard.

Credit must be shared with William Havili, who also possesses a powerful boot and used it to great effect in Christchurch. Havili also dealt with the Crusaders’ contestable kicking game superbly on the night.

Damian McKenzie is well renowned as the best 10 in Super Rugby, but Pellegrini’s influence on this Moana team and their historic win on Friday night deserves immense respect. The distribution skills are complemented by moments of superb footwork and hustling defence.

The 26-year-old is already a star and will only progress further in the conversations around the best talents at 10 Super Rugby has to offer.

Consistency is king

Two early tries to Crusaders forwards in the second half painted a grim picture for Moana Pasifika, who have struggled to put in 80-minute performances this season.

But, Saturday night was different.

The visitors weathered the storm and struck back through Miracle Faiilagi, who is making a habit of dragging multiple defenders over the try line. The flanker is proving to be one of the most physically destructive forces in the competition and is exactly the kind of blindside teams need in the modern game.

The relentless ball-carrying ability of this Moana team needed to be unlocked, and with the aforementioned territorial advantage they now enjoy thanks to their superb clearance game, Tana Umaga’s men are inflicting their will on opposition.

Time after time, Super Rugby Pacific proves to be a very, very hard competition to win if you can’t exit your half efficiently. Moana are now marrying their “poly flair” with astute game-management, Moana have the tools to play a very good game of rugby.

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Avg. Points Scored

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Avg. Points Scored

3.7

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Moana’s breakdown work steps up

Scoring hasn’t been an issue for this team at all this year, but stopping opponents from scoring has. Moana Pasifika’s defence on Saturday night was on par with their efforts throughout this season, tackling at 86 per cent. However, they kept that mark with a higher volume than their average and held down the breakdown.

The Crusaders won just two turnovers all game, having averaged six this season. Moana were better than their average of four, winning six turnovers, each of which came with a timely shift of momentum.

The Crusaders had their chances to respond, with All Blacks across the matchday 23, even on a week when some stars were rested. However, Moana were simply too disruptive at the breakdown for the hosts to get their game going.

Turning defence into attack, players like Solomon Alaimalo and Pepesana Patafilo were causing havoc for the Crusaders’ defence. Don’t forget, this was a Moana team without star winger Kyren Taumoefolau.