Sharks 28
The Crusaders turned on the razzle dazzle to give Londoners a rugby treat with a dominant 44-28 victory over the Sharks in a Super 15 match at Twickenham today (NZT).
The Crusaders scored four tries in a scorching hot first half performance and added one more in a slightly cooler second half as they survived a mini Sharks comeback to easily record their fourth win of the season, and move back to the top of the New Zealand conference standings with 22 points.
A strong scrum, good interplay between backs and forwards, a sumptuous display from first five-eighth Daniel Carter and yet another impressive performance from the man outside him, Sonny Bill Williams, were highlights of the Crusaders' win, which also featured two tries to wing Sean Maitland and the successful comeback from injury of All Blacks flyer Zac Guildford.
SUPER 15 STANDINGS
The Crusaders led 34-18 at halftime but would have been looking over their shoulders midway through the second stanza when the Sharks got within nine points on the back of unconverted tries to lock Alistair Hargreaves and wing Odwa Ndungane, the latter securing them a four-try bonus point, but Maitland's second try, his seventh of the season, gave the Crusaders breathing space and the Sharks did not threaten again.
After a minute's silence out of respect for Christchurch following the February 22 earthquake which devastated that city, and the strange sound of the New Zealand and South African national anthems being played before a non-international match, the Crusaders stamped their mark with, at times, some breathtaking back play in the first 40 minutes.
The Sharks scored the opening try, against the run of play, when flanker Willem Alberts crashed over from close range after their first excursion into the Crusaders' 22, but that was the Crusaders' cue to move into overdrive at the home of English rugby, which became the Crusaders' home for a day after the earthquake-inflicted damage to their Christchurch stadium rendered it unusable.
On the back of a superb scrum and some magnificent touches and offloads from inside backs Carter and Williams, the Crusaders crossed for four tries in 15min to lead 34-10, giving Londoners a taste of southern hemisphere rugby in the first Super match to be played outside of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
The back three were the major beneficiaries as Maitland, Guildford, who capped his return with a fine match and a superb 40m run for a try, and fullback Israel Dagg, who was on the end of a flowing backline move, all crossed for five-pointers.
Carter, whose vision in the first half and combination with rampant second five-eighth Williams was the highlight, also scored a try and added six goals from six attempts.
The Sharks needed to score before halftime to give themselves a chance and they did when first five-eighth Jacques-Louis Potgieter regained his own kick after the Crusaders botched the restart and scooted away to score.
- NZPA
