Clinical Crusaders shut out Blues to secure important Super Rugby Pacific win

At Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch: Crusaders 15 (Quinten Strange try 30min, Leicester Fainga’anuku try 43min; Richie Mo’unga pen, con), Blues 3 (Beauden Barrett pen). HT: 10-3.

Red card: Dalton Papalii (Blues) 43min.

A red card to Blues skipper Dalton Papalii early in the second spell handed the Crusaders an advantage they scarcely required as the perennial champions powered to yet another decisive victory over their northern rivals in Super Rugby Pacific.

Riding a decisive dominance in territory and possession, the Crusaders did it the hard way, but still did what they had to as they continued their ownership of the men from Auckland. This was the red and blacks’ 17th victory in their last 18 matches against the Blues, their third on the bounce and 15th in the last 16 in Christchurch. It could also be decisive in this competition.

The victory improves the Crusaders to 8-3 and takes them to 37 points, with three matches remaining. The Blues drop to 7-4, remain on 33 points and now have a bit to do to scramble even a home quarter, let alone semifinal.

The Crusaders only managed a try in each half, to lock Quinten Strange and wing Leicester Fainga’anuku, but that was more than enough as they kept the Blues tryless. It was just the third time in their history the men from Auckland have been kept to just three points in a match.

The Blues defended superbly (making 188 tackles in total). That much was beyond refute as they soaked up wave after wave of pressure to hang in the contest through sheer force of will and ability to bring people down. They were also unlucky to cough up Fainga’anuku’s try, with a blatant knock-on by Tamaiti Williams in the leadup somehow missed by the various eyes on play.

But beyond that, the positive stuff was limited, to say the least. Their kicking game was atrocious, with one bit of Beauden Barrett magic late the exception, and their ability to construct solid attacking platforms was minimal. This was a real whiff from the visitors who just couldn’t;t fire a shot when it mattered.

The Crusaders were brilliant in their ability to shackle the visitors, and were well led by Richie Mo’unga in the pivot, Tom Christie, Codie Taylor and Scott Barrett up front and by the hard-running Fainga’anuku out wide, with 98 metres on the carry, and a vital try.

The Crusaders dominated an extraordinary first half almost from go to whoa, and certainly through the first quarter when Orangetheory Stadium might as well have had the “One Way” signs up. Just past the quarter-hour mark the tackle count was 79-3 in the Blues’ favour, and the half ended with the visitors making 114 tackles to their hosts’ 36, and the home team, with 70% possession, gaining 237 to 116 metres on 75 carries to just 28.

But at 10-3, the red and blacks did not have the scoreboard numbers to show for their on-field dominance, with only the try scored by Strange after half an hour to show for all that ball, all that territory and all those openings.

The Blues’ defence and scrambling was magnificent through the first spell, as was their work at the breakdown, where they forced turnovers at crucial times. The visitors also appeared to have the edge at scrum time (though without reward from the referee), though the Crusaders had a definite advantage at lineout.

The Blues got their hands on more ball in the second 40, but it was largely futile stuff. Papalii’s early red card did not help their cause, and Fainga’anuku’s try, with quality leadup work from Braydon Ennor and David Havili, left them a mountain to do.

They simply weren’t up to it. And the Crusaders, who love the big occasions, most certaoinly were.

Big moment

Had to be the 43rd minute when it was all happening. Papalii was red-carded for his shoulder to the head of Mo’unga, the referee (and all his helpers) missed a blatant knock-on by Williams that followed and then some brilliant support work put Fainga’anuku across in the left corner for a try, and the 15-3 lead.

Match Rating

7/10: Neither team was able to string together much in the way of sparkling attacking play, but it was a delicious arm-wrestle between two of the heavyweights of this competition. More absorbing than entertaining, but a prime example of the clinical mode the Crusaders are able to slip into when it really matters.

MVP

Not exactly a showcase of individual skill. Mo’unga’s effort running the show was notable for the Crusaders, but loosie Tom Christie gets the nod for another big-time performance on defence and at the breakdown. Taylor wasn’t bad either with a busy effort before departure.

The big picture

This was a decisive result for the Crusaders as they jostle for important things like home playoff matches. They now leapfrog the Blues and control their destiny somewhat over the final three weeks. The same can’t be said for the Aucklanders who now need plenty to go their way over the run home.