View photosKEY POINTS:
All those pyromaniacs hoping for an explosion at Jade Stadium last night will have gone home satisfied that the All Black-laden Crusaders at least went poof, if not bang.
The really big, powder-keg eruption will come in the weeks ahead when Richie McCaw, Daniel Carter and the rest
of the reconditioned brigade chip off the remaining rust.
All six 'new boys' will be feeling reasonably chipper with their contribution and maybe even quite surprised at how quickly they were able to find their feet after such a long period in the stands.
They will be especially pleased, as the opening 20 minutes were not memorable. Aaron Mauger missed his first tackle. Richie McCaw lost the ball in his first hit-up which also resulted in him being dangerously upended by Schalk Brits. And Chris Jack spilled the pill with no one in sight.
Daniel Carter missed his first kick at goal. Leon MacDonald was indecisive on the counterattack. And Reuben Thorne was nowhere to be seen - although that supposedly is the very essence of his game.
Inauspicious doesn't quite do those 20 minutes justice but such is the class of these footballers that it took only the slightest spark of magic for the tinder box to light. Carter delivered an inch-perfect cross-field kick to Scott Hamilton, who fed Casey Laulala. It wasn't the kick alone that was sublime, it was the way Carter fixed the opposition by only setting himself and looking wide at the very last minute.
Just before halftime, Carter produced a beautifully weighted chip over the top for Laulala. He off-loaded to Rico Gear and the Rolls Royce of New Zealand rugby purred to the chalk.
By then, it wasn't just Carter crunching through the gears. McCaw obviously spent most of the break wiping the butter off his fingers and honing his radar. He couldn't boss the breakdown the way he normally does but he was still covering an obscene amount of ground, getting into positions to pressure the Stormers.
Graham Henry would have been delighted to see his skipper pounding the left wing with 10 minutes remaining to then feed the ball inside to the fast-supporting MacDonald. It was a score MacDonald deserved, as he was looking more comfortable running from deep and was constantly popping up to take on some hard yards.
Mauger, too, maintained a healthy appetite for work. His footwork got sharper and he was never flustered by the rushing Stormers defence.
With so many players dropped in cold, it was vital for the Crusaders that a number of their battle-hardened foot soldiers took command.
Andy Ellis was probably the leader in that regard. The halfback maybe knew he was under pressure to deliver after All Black rival Jimmy Cowan was all thunderous tackles and snarling defiance earlier in the day. It was pressure he thrived on, with his service sharp, his option-taking spot-on and his acceleration scorching.
Ellis was helped no end by another controlled effort by Mose Tuiali'i at the back of the scrum and his name must now be mentioned daily by All Black forwards coach Steve Hansen.
Corey Flynn is another who must get the occasional mention in the same esteemed company. His throwing was again on the money and he made it obvious that he was delighted the Stormers were happy to dispense with Queensbury Rules.
Not everyone likes a bit of nasty stuff but Flynn is one of those no-nonsense campaigners who fronts up, takes a bit and then gives a bit.
It's that attitude which is at the core of this Crusaders team and makes them impossible to look past as eventual champions come the end of May. That and the fact a heap of world class players could be in very special form within a month.
Crusaders 36 (C. Laulala, R. Gear (2), L. MacDonald tries; D. Carter 4 pens, 2 cons) Stormers 11 (D. Barry tries; P. Grant 2 pens)
