Photos: Super 14 kicks offKEY POINTS:
The drought broke down south but there was no bend in the Crusaders.
Heading an impressive hometown cast was fullback Leon MacDonald whose handling, footwork and quality mocked the wet, greasy conditions as he marked his 100th game for the six-time champions.
A number of MacDonald's colleagues, such as Mose Tuiali'i, Greg Somerville and the former Aucklander Ali Williams, also looked very sharp as the hosts showed more class, invention and set-piece clout in their series beginning against the Brumbies.
This was a frenetic start to the Super 14 with the ball in play for sustained phases under the new laws until the players' fitness and slippery conditions demanded they alter tactics, adding a greater tactical kicking element later in the match.
After several close calls from a driving maul and five-metre scrum, Daniel Carter kicked the hosts into the lead with a 35 metre penalty before Julian Huxley replied with an even better penalty into the wind.
Soon after those opening scores, the Brumbies lost their test centre, Adam Ashley-Cooper, with ankle damage and later his midfield partner Gene Fairbanks, injuries which will complicate their selection problems as regular captain Stirling Mortlock is recovering from shoulder surgery.
The honour of the first try of the 13th edition of the professional series went to Crusaders No 8 Tuiali'i when he completed a sweeping movement started by MacDonald who danced past the defensive line to give his side the precious momentum they needed to develop an unstoppable overlap.
If that touchdown was simple for Tuiali'i, he did all the hard work for his second try when he charged onto a short pass and bounced four defenders out of the way in a determined 20m burst to the tryline.
A superb sideline conversion from Carter gave the Crusaders a 10-3 lead at halftime where coach Robbie Deans demanded they take more care with possession and show more patience.
The plea appeared to have worked when new lock Williams seemed to score in his first game for the Crusaders but after comical problems caused by the weather in communications between the match officials, Williams was ruled to have lost the ball forward as he swished over the tryline.
Tuiali'i corrected that near miss with his bullocking try but for all the ascendancy of their scrum and their weight of possession, the Crusaders found it difficult to breach the Brumbies until 10 minutes from the end when reclaimed lock Brad Thorn drove over from close range.
It then became a scramble for a bonus-point fourth try and appropriately it was MacDonald who sliced through to offload for Carter's untroubled stroll to the line.
McCaw said his side had adapted well to the difficult conditions. "On defence we were pretty sound and even though the ball was pretty slippery, we used it well."
The flanker didn't believe the Experimental Law Variations had a major influence on the game. "To be quite honest, you wouldn't know a lot different tonight," he said. "Out there it was business as usual."
Brumbies captain and opposing openside flanker George Smith, who often slotted in at halfback for defensive scrums, said the Brumbies were still coming to grips with the changes to the laws. "It takes a bit of getting used to and come the next game we'll be a lot better."
Scorers: Crusaders (M Tuiali'i 2, B Thorn, D Carter, tries; D Carter 2 pen, 4 con)
Brumbies (J Huxley, pen.) Halftime 10-3.
