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Match Highlights - Ruthless Crusaders punish Lions again to defend title

The Crusaders successfully defended their Super Rugby title as a 37-18 home victory handed the Lions more final pain at AMI Stadium.

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For the second year running, the New Zealand outfit added to their record haul of titles – now at nine – as the magnitude of a repeat of last year’s final appeared too much for the Lions at times in a sloppy display.

Seta Tamanivalu, set to depart for Bordeaux, and David Havili scored first-half tries and a 15th consecutive Crusaders win looked a formality, despite allowing the visitors to monopolise possession.

There was a belated riposte from Cyle Brink after the break and, although a Mitchell Drummond effort restored a healthy home advantage, Ryan Crotty was then sent to the sin bin shortly before Malcolm Marx again brought the Lions back into contention.

But Scott Barrett stretched the lead again to begin the Crusaders’ celebrations early, as the wait for a first championship goes on for the Lions, whose heartbreaking run of final defeats extends to a third year in a row.

The Lions were dominant in the early stages but had only an Elton Jantjies penalty to show for their efforts by the 15-minute mark, allowing Richie Mo’unga to swiftly level.

And the visitors’ failure to capitalise on their strong start proved costly as the Crusaders turned the screw and Tamanivalu charged through two challenges to cross in the corner.

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Jantjies poor kicking from deep invited further pressure late in the half and, after gifting the Crusaders a scrum and valuable territory as he carried the ball over his own try-line, the Lions were punished.

Mo’unga dispatched a penalty following the scrum and soon created a second home try, claiming a Jantjies kick and driving an attack that ended with Havili lunging over.

Jantjies reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time, yet the Lions again initially struggled to build on his penalty and Mo’unga kicked the first points after the restart.

The visitors then wrongly believed they had their first try when Jantjies stretched just short of the line, but they did not have to wait long to score as Brink thundered through from 20 yards.

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A devastating move freed Drummond to cross under the posts at the other end as the Crusaders hit back, but the Lions attacked with ever more gusto and a sturdy home defence was hindered by Crotty’s yellow card before Marx forged a route through on the left.

Once again the Crusaders had a response, though, and Barrett’s try 10 minutes from time finally secured the result and the title.

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Nickers 26 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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