Carter saves Cantab blushes

Daniel Carter

Crusaders 22 Sharks 20

The unthinkable loomed for almost 80 minutes in Timaru until Daniel Carter did his best Jonny Wilkinson impression and struck a dropped goal to save his side's blushes.

And let's not underestimate just how embarrassing a defeat would have been for the home side.

The Crusaders just don't lose at home. It happens as often as UFO sightings or other extraordinary events like Scotsmen opening their wallets.

It certainly doesn't happen when they are confronted by a side as limited as the Sharks.

Take out Percy Montgomery, Brent Russell and AJ Venter and the Sharks feature a whole heap of nobodies. There were plenty of credible rugby heads wagering only a few weeks ago that the Sharks might not win a game.

They can also write their game plan on the back of a postage stamp - rush off the defensive line and bash it up using the hard nuts.

Yet, for 76 minutes this was very nearly enough to undo the competition favourites.

The Crusaders just couldn't get into their stride. When Carter made a half break, some donkey from the forwards would wave his hoofs at the ball and knock on. The donkeys outside Carter weren't much better.

And then Carter himself was guilty of a brain meltdown after 20 minutes when he danced down the guts and then lobbed a long-range pass straight into the arms of Montgomery, who duly cantered all the way back to the Crusaders tryline.

Coach Robbie Deans clearly put a rocket up his players at halftime when they returned to the sheds 13-6 down but that didn't have the desired effect.

Only a couple of minutes after the break and Sharks wing Odwa Ndungane was touching down after Brad Barritt tidied up a loose ball inside his own 22 and made a dramatic bust.

It left the Crusaders 20-6 down with only half an hour to get some glue plastered on to their mitts and their brains more fully engaged.

The transformation appeared to be immediate when some slick handling released Rico Gear down the right wing to claim his third try of the season.

But it didn't flush out the gremlins and settle the Crusaders. The mistakes kept coming. The red jerseys would still charge into contact and more often than not the ball still didn't come back.

The frustration built, the panic mounted and the clock ticked on. It was no longer a case of when, but if, the breakthrough would come.

Caleb Ralph lunged over in the left corner to draw it back to 20-19 with 10 minutes left. But there was still no guarantee the Crusaders could actually edge in front.

The relief, then, was palpable when from about 35 metres out, Carter took hold of slow ruck ball, took aim and fired a solid-looking field goal to nudge his side ahead.

It's up for debate whether the Crusaders actually deserved to win, despite their domination of possession and territory.

Maybe they were just trying to conform as the theme in these opening weeks of Super 14 has been rough and ready. It's also true that the Sharks deserve some praise for sticking manfully to their limited game plan.

Deans will no doubt remind his weary troops that it is far better to win ugly than to not win at all.

However, once he is through with the platitudes, he'll get on with the serious business of tearing a strip off players who really can play so much better.

Crusaders 22 (Rico Gear, Caleb Ralph tries; Daniel Carter 3 pens, dropped goal).

Sharks 20 (Percy Montgomery, Odwa Ndungane tries; Montgomery 2 pens, 2 cons).

- HERALD ON SUNDAY