Rugby: Never-say-die spirit sees Crusaders win

The Crusaders Nasi Manu on the burst. Photo / Getty Images

SUPER 14
Crusaders11
Stormers7

The Crusaders have lost many things this season but not their indefatigable spirit.

They needed it last night. Every last ounce. This was a dog fight. There were no frills - it was a game completely without charm.

It was all passion. Honest toil, hard running, big tackling and commitment to the end. The Crusaders clinched it largely because they had the greater self-belief.

They also had most of the ball which makes life so much easier in these tight games. Come the final quarter, the Crusaders had more left in the tank.

The Stormers had been forced to tackle for long periods. While they seemed to relish that suck-it-all-in-then-sucker-punch style of rugby, it's hard to pull off a famous win on such limited rations.

It's hard to take control of the game and get up the other end of the field and score when the legs and lungs are burning so hard as a result of excessive defensive chores.

It made, then, for a compelling if unattractive contest. The 8-7 scoreline came into play five minutes before halftime after Adam Whitelock was worked in at the corner.

With just one point separating the team for most of the second half, tension was a factor. For the Crusaders there was this awful thought that they had most of the game, created way more chances and looked the only likely winner - yet they could blow it.

On the flip side, the Stormers took heart from the knowledge they were only ever one kick up the field and a bit of luck away from starting their road trip with a victory.

The longer it went on, the more obvious it became the players were feeling the pressure. Stephen Brett had a long range penalty attempt on 70 minutes that he would have fancied. He pushed it wide and his angst at the miss was plain to see.

He knew that his team needed the points - deserved them really. Isaac Ross had been colossal, his natural athleticism a real feature.

Brad Thorn had crunched too many hard yards to let the game slip.

Fortunately for Brett - who again had shown some composed touches spiced with a bit of magic - his opportunity for redemption came six minutes later when he was able to nudge one over from 15 metres, straight in front.

With a four-point lead, the Crusaders could breathe a little easier. The Stormers hadn't threatened the tryline since Luke Watson cantered over in the early exchanges.

The try was not only horribly soft, it was very much against the run of play.

They had barely sighted Crusaders' territory and in their first foray, Watson shrugged off a weak Brad Thorn tackle then three more equally bad attempts before cruising past Nasi Manu for a try he could scarcely believe he had been allowed to score.

The Crusaders were never going to be that generous again. From that point, they defended with certainty and with precision. The Stormers gave the impression they knew they were never going to break the line again.

They were hanging in, hoping to stay within a point and then exert enough pressure to win a penalty and kick the goal.

Teams need to do a bit more than that, though, to win in Christchurch even in these supposedly troubled times for the champion franchise.

You have to go back to 1996 to find the last time the Crusaders lost to a South African side and you would probably have to go back further to find a performance from the home side that was so lacking in structure.

Certainly in the first 40 minutes it was impossible to keep up. The breakdown was random. The number of turnovers was off the scale and it was all so frantic.

But the Crusaders have never been too fussy about how they win. They are one of the few teams in this competition who understand that substance is more important than style.

Having looked almost dead and buried on the same ground two weeks ago, they now have hope, conviction and that never-say-die spirit.

Crusaders 11 (A. Whitelock try; S. Brett 2 pens) Stormers 7 (L. Watson try; W. de Waal con)