Rugby: Crusaders romp past Highlanders for 11th straight win

The Crusaders celebrate Scott Barrett's try. Photo / Photosport

An attacking masterclass from Richie Mo'unga has helped the Crusaders to a classic victory over the Highlanders and has enabled their veteran loosehead prop Wyatt Crockett to celebrate his remarkable milestone in suitable fashion tonight.

Crockett, playing his 200th game for the Crusaders, did it the hard way, coming on after only five minutes for All Black Joe Moody, who left the field with a knee injury – the only jarring note for Scott Robertson's men. Their Christchurch fortress was renamed Wyatt Crockett Stadium for the evening and the big man put in a shift to do the honour justice.

There was plenty else to cheer about for the red and blacks, not least Mo'unga's brilliance in the No10 jersey which bodes very well for the rest of the season, and the return of one Kieran Read, whose class was obvious on return from back surgery.

Mo'unga provided the cut and thrust, and a clean pair of heels on several occasions, but Read, who played 48 minutes before being replaced by Jordan Taufua, provided the heft and power. He really is a quality player and although the Crusaders have done extremely well in his absence, they look a far better team with the All Blacks captain at the back of the scrum.

The upshot of this victory, which appears far more one-sided than it actually was, is that the Crusaders can't be overtaken at the top of the table and will qualify for home advantage for as long as they progress in the playoffs. On this evidence it will be a long way.

There is something in these two teams that brings out the best in each other. Last season there were two classics, both won at the death by the Crusaders, and this was another – a tit for tat try-fest which had the intensity and entertainment of 80 minutes of highlights.

The defending champions' last loss came at the hands of the Highlanders in Dunedin in the middle of March, and this time the Crusaders had all the territory, possession and points in the first quarter before the almost inevitable comeback from the visitors.

Mo'unga was a standout for the Crusaders, but so was fullback David Havili, who had his best game of the season, and left wing George Bridge, who scored a double. Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock and the rest of the Crusaders pack were their usual immovable object and the bottom line is that the red and blacks were simply too clinical.

The Highlanders, with Ben Smith at his never-say-die best, appeared to finish the first half with the momentum until one of the tries of the match scored by Barrett more than a minute after the halftime siren which featured that man Crockett and a stunning run for in-form hooker Andrew Makalio.

The Crusaders rarely allow an opposition team to score just before halftime or straight afterwards and so it proved again, and Mo'unga's try straight after the break was another stunner – a chip and chase from 40m after a breakout from a defensive scrum.

Ben Smith asked for more from his team after their disaster of a performance against the Chiefs in Suva and he epitomised all that is good about this franchise. Favouring a right hand which he injured at the end of the first half, he had no right to get back to make the tackle on Fijian flier Manasa Mataele, but he did it.

Crusaders 45 (George Bridge 2, David Havili, Scott Barrett, Richie Mo'unga tries; Richie Mo'unga 4 cons, 4 pens)
Highlanders 22 (Tyrel Lomax, Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo tries; Lima Sopoaga 2 cons, pen)
Halftime: 25-17