CRUSADERS 18 SHARKS 10
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The Crusaders consolidated their Super 14 semifinal hosting rights last night while their latest victims, the Sharks, continued their freefall away from home which has put their play-off hopes in jeopardy.
The result may look adequate in the almanac but victory was a real struggle for the Crusaders who had to overcome skipper Richie McCaw's trip to the sinbin, hailstorms, heavy rain and a rugged inquisition from last year's finalists before they could claim their victory.
This latest defeat for the Sharks leaves them with just one narrow victory and a draw from their five-game slog in Australasia in contrast to their unblemished record this season before they left home. They lacked some sting in recent defeats against the Brumbies and Waratahs but, after a rough start, asked plenty of the home side during last night's match.
After the first quarter the Crusaders were in control, driving play deep into the opposition half where tighthead prop Greg Somerville ploughed over from close range and Stephen Brett converted and kicked a penalty. If they had continued at that tempo, the result appeared a formality.
But on small errors matches change and when Brett kicked out on the full, athletic Sharks No 8 Ryan Kankowski collected from the back of a scrum to fend and outrun three defenders for a sensational individual try. A conversion and penalty from Rory Kockott led to some panic in the defenders and McCaw in the bin when he was forced to concede a professional foul.
Coach Robbie Deans pinpointed discipline on defence and in carrying the ball in deteriorating conditions for his side to hold out the vigorous opposition who had a strong second-half breeze behind them. They used that wind to kick for territory but the Crusaders held their nerve against that tactic and a fierce physical onslaught from the Sharks.
Several times the visitors peeled off huge distances with their rolling mauls but the Crusaders unremitting defence in very difficult conditions allowed them to repel every one of those second-half charges.
The game stayed in the balance until five minutes from fulltime when the Sharks made a rare handling error inside their 22m line and the Crusaders' replacement prop Wyatt Crockett controlled the ball for just long enough over the tryline for the video official to confirm he had scored the only points of the second half.
Crusaders 18 (G Somerville, W Crockett, tries; S Brett con, 2 pen
Sharks 10 (R Kankowski, tries; R Kockott con, pen)
Halftime 13-10
