Ole! Crusaders aim for title as they halt stampeding Bulls

Crusaders 35 Bulls 17

The Crusaders called on their proud Super 12 heritage to get them back on course to win a first Super 14 title with a monumental performance in Pretoria.

Going into the cauldron of Loftus Versfeld with dubious recent form behind them, without rested captain Richie McCaw and against a Bulls side stampeding into semifinal contention, it shaped as a mountain too high for even the five-time Super 12 champions.

It was a remarkable turnaround on Saturday from the unusually listless loss to the Stormers last week and draw with the Force before that.

Crusaders assistant coach Vern Cotter admitted there had been soul-searching since the loss and a reference to better times.

"It was important the team found some of the virtues that have held the team over a number of years," he said.

"It does make the trip home much easier, it would have been daunting having to travel back with another loss.

"Confidence is restored and the most important thing is to keep building on what we've done."

The Crusaders need just a bonus point against the Brumbies in Christchurch on Friday to finish top qualifiers and in line to host the competition final.

The buildup is bound to be more relaxed than in Pretoria, where the Crusaders think-tank pinpointed the need to snatch control from the opening whistle.

They did it expertly, barely making a mistake in the first half hour and taking a 23-3 lead into halftime.

"About 50,000 people turned up to watch the Bulls dominate and we knew we couldn't let them get in our half and apply pressure on us because that crowd would have lifted them," Cotter said.

"It was nice to see them out there playing for each other and attacking the Bulls at their point of strength, which is the contact and ruck area.

"But if we're looking at something that showed the character, I think it was the team defence.

"Although we didn't win a few of our lineouts, the team defended from it and it was an indication of what was going on out there."

At the heart of the defence were flankers Johnny Leo'o and 19-year-old Tanerau Latimer, whose two-try display quickly dispelled predictions that the Crusaders pack would be lost without McCaw.

First five-eighth Daniel Carter was at his brilliant best, controlling the game and a number of scything breaks.

The Bulls back division looked pedestrian in comparison, although Cotter said the hosts would have been suffering from lost confidence.

"Pressure does funny things," he said.

"Luckily we were able to keep the ball and dictate in that first 20 minutes. They seemed to lose their way because they didn't have the positive feeling that comes with having the ball."

- NZPA