Waratahs 13 Crusaders 17
The unkind could have previewed this match as the Bored vs the Flawed, given the
Crusaders' fall from grace this year and the stick the Waratahs have taken for winning ugly.
Injuries haven't helped the Crusaders and the Waratahs could be
forgiven for being injured at all the criticism that has come their way when all they have done is let substance outweigh style and move into the top levels of the Super 14 tables.
True to form, the first half of this game started off as not much chop. The Waratahs looked the stronger but struggled to match perception with reality, making mistakes when opportunity beckoned.
The Crusaders looked patchy, their scrum got a bit of a bending from the Waratahs (not a sentence that has had a lot of previous airing in Super rugby history), and the sight of Colin Slade and Adam Whitelock on the wings lent the Crusaders the air of a toothless man faced with biting through a crayfish shell to get at the meat inside.
Which made it a surprise when the Crusaders' young backline stitched together a quick series of passes that saw centre Tim Bateman scamper down the sideline and centre-kick. Halfback Andy Ellis, whose steadying influence was valuable to the
Crusaders, re-gathered and threw a glorious left-handed pass that outflanked the defence and saw flanker Keiran Read gallop over for the opening points.
It was vintage Crusaders from a definitely non-vintage year - the counter-attack, the quick passing, the telling kick, the chase, the support work; the simple things done well.
The rest of the first half, however, was mostly dropped ball, turnovers and a lot of kicking for position, leavened by the odd flash of attacking skill by the Crusaders - which highlighted the Waratahs' lack of same.
The Waratahs began the second half with more efficiency, building their attacks more patiently and without so much spillage. They got lock Isaac Ross yellow-carded when a try seemed on to first five Kurtley Beale and the big second rower got caught in the traffic. Prop Benn Robinson scored from a resulting ruck after being instrumental in the build-up.
Slade replied with a penalty to keep the Cantabrian noses in front and watched as the Waratahs squandered another chance when the scoring pass from fullback Sam Norton-Knight went behind winger Lachie Turner just enough for the Crusaders' defence to save the try.
Then the moment which decided the match.
Stephen Brett tiptoed past the Waratahs out of defence. Ross burst out of his 22, showing pace for such a big 'un, linked with Thomas Waldrom and ever-present Ellis and Leon MacDonald - who had been lined up for some big tackles, who looked a bit rusty and maybe even a bit aged in the legs previously - had the try under the posts. It covered 90m and it was a try of which the old Crusaders would have been proud.
The Waratahs swung back into action and Slade pulled off a try-saving tackle on Lote Tuqiri, just as midfielder Ryan Crotty had done against Turner. The Australians had to be content with a penalty which narrowed matters to 17-13.
Slade - having his best game as a winger - put the Waratahs under pressure after soaring high to retrieve an up-and-under but the defence held. They camped in the Crusaders half but, guess what, they couldn't make it tell as the red and blacks ran down the clock.
The Crusaders look better, with more options, with Brett at first-five and captain Keiran Read played a big hand as did Ellis - the glue that bound them together.
Waratahs 13 (B. Robinson try; K. Beale con, pen; D. Halangahu pen) Crusaders 17 (K. Read try, L. MacDonald tries; S. Brett 2 con; C. Slade pen). Halftime: 0-7.
