Crusaders 13
The Crusaders showed a ruthless streak and underlined an enduring ability to perform away from home as they outclassed Super 15 rugby rivals the Highlanders 44-13 at Carisbrook in Dunedin today.
The title favourites among the five New Zealand franchises scored six tries to one after targeting the breakdown to gain ascendancy, a ploy which worked a treat due to the sterling work of loose forwards Matt Todd and skipper Kieran Read.
These two were principally responsible for both pilfering Highlanders ball or at least slowing down the home side's flow of possession, while the visitors also shaded their rivals in the backline duel where midfielder Robbie Fruean imposed himself.
MATCH STATS
SUPER 15 STANDINGS
Their fitness cannot be questioned either after they finished all over the Highlanders, crossing for three of their tries in the closing 13 minutes as the home side were reduced to a mere shadow of the team who won their opening three matches.
But the game-breaker came earlier, just 3min into the second half when Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn turned over Highlanders ball on the halfway line.
It was quickly transferred to lock Sam Whitelock, who only moments earlier returned to the fray after being sinbinned, and it was his nicely timed pass which thrust Read into a hole through which the Crusaders captain sped before charging 45m to the tryline.
First five-eighth Dan Carter could not nail the wide angled conversion but the Crusaders extended their lead to 18-6 and it was always going to take a minor miracle for the Highlanders to overcome that deficit.
Sure enough, another turnover led to the Crusaders' third try, to fullback Israel Dagg, after the Highlanders ran out of defenders following a break up the middle by halfback Andy Ellis which was instigated by a clever pass from his hulking second five-eighth Sonny Bill Williams.
The Crusaders by this stage were fully in control and they did not relent either, being rewarded with a bonus point fourth try 13min before fulltime when their superior scrum disrupted Highlanders ball, enabling replacement halfback Kahn Fotuali'i to pounce close to the home side's line.
Further tries came in a hurry to Dagg and replacement prop Wyatt Crockett before the Highlanders scored their only try, to flanker Adam Thomson, in the last minute.
The Highlanders, who started their campaign with a hiss and a roar - which helped explain a 20,000-strong crowd today - slipped to their second successive defeat.
They were not helped by their goalkickers, Tony Brown and his second half replacement Robbie Robinson, who between them succeeded with just three of eight shots at goal.
A frenetic first half dominated by the whistle of South African referee Marius Jonkers ended with the Crusaders ahead 13-6.
Just one try was forthcoming before the break, to centre Fruean in the 10th minute after Ellis opted for a tap kick from a penalty outside the Highlanders 22.
Aside from that, constant ball movement and flowing play came unstuck due to a succession of infringements at the breakdown, which Jonkers refused to allow to pass unpunished.
The official's patience grew increasingly thin, too, as he sinbinned Whitelock in the 33rd minute for slowing the ball down in a ruck, enabling Highlanders veteran first five-eighth Brown to land his second penalty to drag the home side to 6-7.
However the 36-year-old Brown was far from flawless with his goalkicking as he missed four of his six attempts in the first half.
Carter was also remiss in this regard, missing two penalties before landing two, both during Whitelock's absence late in the half.
Crusaders 44 (Israel Dagg 2, Robbie Fruean, Kieran Read, Kahn Fotuali'i, Wyatt Crockett tries; Dan Carter 2 pen, 3 con, Mathew Berquist con) Highlanders 13 (Adam Thomson try; Tony Brown 2 pen). Halftime: 13-6.
- NZPA
