The Reds enjoyed a famous victory over the Crusaders. Photo / Photosport
Reds 33
Crusaders 28
It had been a quarter-century since the Crusaders last lost to the Reds in Christchurch.
It had been even longer since the serial winners suffered eight defeats in one campaign.
But both of those markers were hit by the hosts on Saturday as their most atypical season careered further off the road.
David Havili’s switch to No 10 was not enough to haul his side from 10th on the Super Rugby table, outplayed by a Reds team determined to rewrite history.
The Queensland side had lost their previous 12 games against the Crusaders, defeated by an average of 19.5 points, and were without success in the fixture since the 2011 final.
Their last win in Christchurch was in 1999 but they were far from alone in that futility — only one Australian side had won in the Garden City since 2004.
Yet the visitors looked right at home for much of Saturday’s match, storming in front and withstanding a Crusaders fightback to heap more misery on the floundering champs.
Havili was solid but only occasionally rose beyond that level in his first start at first five-eighth. Having made most of his impact with the boot, however, it was a clearing kick gone wrong that allowed the Reds to grab the lead for good.
With All Blacks coach Scott Robertson watching from the stands, keeping an eye on the outcome after his phone call prompted the positional switch, Havili produced a couple of nice passes and made the odd penetrating carry.
But after racking up more than 200 kicking metres in the first half, with the scores level and a quarter to play the utility was caught between again clearing his lines or feeding his support. Reds No 8 Harry Wilson seized on the indecision to charge down the eventual kick, regathering and collecting the fourth of his side’s five tries.
It was unfortunate for Havili, handed the No 10 jersey for the remainder of the season as the Crusaders struggle with the loss of Richie Mo’unga to Japan and Fergus Burke to injury.
But he did at least offer a steadier hand than the inexperienced trio of teammates who came before — and promised to improve in weeks to come.
“I’m enjoying being in the 10 jersey and being able to drive around,” Havili told Sky Sport. “It’s going to take a bit of time but I love that challenge and it’s something I look forward to.
“They came to play tonight and you can’t sleep on the Reds — they’re a quality team with a great forward pack.
“They just came at our breakdown in the first half and they were into the game from there. Then a couple of sloppy moments at the end where we couldn’t really execute let them back into the game.”
The Reds’ initial control could have been negated had Havili’s best moment of the match been allowed to stand. But after his piercing cutout pass eliminated four defenders and cleared Cullen Grace’s path to the line, the apparent try was wiped away by an earlier knock-on.
That was just one of a number of early mishaps for the hosts, who lost flanker Ethan Blackadder before kickoff, skipper Scott Barrett after a quarter of an hour and hooker Brodie McAlister a few minutes later.
The Crusaders had planned on enjoying the afternoon with their strongest team of the season, naming Welsh centurion Leigh Halfpenny at fullback for what proved an ineffective Super Rugby debut.
Instead, with that trio of injuries only the latest in a campaign of cursed health, they found themselves trailing 14-7 at halftime as the Reds reigned supreme at the set piece and breakdown.
Having scored a debut hat-trick in last week’s last-gasp loss to the Blues, wing Tim Ryan nabbed a brace that showed why the Reds are in the competition’s top four in scoring, finishing off one electric counter-attack and another clever kick.
And having been unable to consistently puncture a resolute Reds defence, the Crusaders lost their eighth game for the first time since 1996, when they finished the inaugural Super Rugby season in last place.
Reds 33 (Fraser McReight, Tim Ryan 2, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Harry Wilson tries; Lawson Creighton 4 cons)
Crusaders 28 (Dallas McLeod, Corey Kellow, Quinten Strange, Sevu Reece tries, Leigh Halfpenny con, Chay Fihaki 3 cons)
HT: 14-7
The All Blacks star made a brief appearance at his new club.