Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Watch: Braydon Ennor's game-changing moment of magic that sparked Crusaders victory

Braydon Ennor

The Crusaders produced two moments of innovative magic in quick succession to turn the game in their 26-15 win over the Blues in Christchurch last night.

ADVERTISEMENT

The game exploded into life midway through the second half when Rieko Ioane crashed over the line to give the Blues a 15-9 lead with 25 minutes to play.

But as Otere Black lined up the conversion from out in front, Crusaders winger Brayden Ennor stunted the Blues momentum.

As Black took a step back to begin his slow meander towards the ball, Ennor brilliantly burst off the line to charge down the kick.

That strike appeared to spark something within Crusaders standout Richie Mo’unga, who proceeded to push his side towards victory.

Not long after a cheeky quick restart from Mo’unga caught the Blues napping when he saw Blues fullback Beauden Barrett was sitting slightly deeper than he had been in the first half.

That was all Mo’unga needed to expertly dribble a restart along the deck for himself to gather, before dashing deep into Blues’ territory.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Sometimes I like to put things on myself, that was one thing I felt I could have done to change the momentum and change the way the game was going,” Mo’unga said.

“I had just been told Will Jordan was down, and Davie [David Havili] was down getting checked out on the in-goal. I sort of felt something had to happen.”

Mo’unga then delivered a brilliant double pump cut-out ball that put George Bridge into space on the outside. Bridge found Mitchell Drummond back on the inside, and the Crusaders stole a one-point lead for the first time in the match.

Those were the moments that turned the match.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We could feel the energy around the stadium, could feel the boys start to lift. That is rugby, that is momentum. Boys doing their job and doing it well,” Mo’unga said of his team’s finish.

Blues coach Leon MacDonald said it was the “little moments” that let his team down.

”We came and scored a fantastic try in the second half, and then they get a charge down on the conversion, which shows how relentless they are in everything they do,” he said.

“Then Richie is alert, like always, and does a little short kick and all of a sudden we are defending our try line.

“That is the Crusaders, a relentless outfit that keeps on putting pressure on. We chucked everything we had at them, we came really close and I’m really proud of the effort.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

158 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Will Bristol's daredevil 'Bears-ball' deliver the trophy they crave? Will Bristol's daredevil 'Bears-ball' deliver the trophy they crave?
Search