Opening try: Kieran Read
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The Crusaders kept their Super Rugby title hopes alive on Friday with a crucial 28-21 win over tournament leaders the Chiefs in Hamilton.
Defeat would have left the seven-time champions facing the prospect of missing the play-offs for the first time in eleven years but four vital points ahead of a home game against the struggling Western Force next week means they are now a safe bet to make the cut.
The result is only the Chiefs' third loss this year and means the Stormers are now within striking distance of top spot in the overall standings.
With so much at stake it was always going to be an epic clash, but with competitions for All Blacks jerseys featuring across the park, even more spice was added to the fiery mixture. And the protagonists didn't disappoint.
The Crusaders raced into a 20-6 lead early on thanks to tries from Kieran Read and Luke Romano, but the Chiefs clawed their way back into contention via a touchdown from Brodie Retallick to trail 20-16 at the break.
Andy Ellis's second-half score was cancelled out by a phenomenal try from Sonny Bill Williams but the Crusaders' advantage at the set-piece and a monumental late defensive effort proved enough to keep the Chiefs at bay.
Sam Cane and Tawera Kerr-Barlow combined to allow Chiefs fly-half Aaron Cruden to open the scoring from the kicking tee soon after kick-off but the first 20 minutes belonged to the Crusaders.
Dan Carter was given a chance to reply almost immediately but hit the post from long range. Retallick's knock-on from the rebound gave the visitors a golden opportunity to attack at the first set-piece and when the Chiefs scrum was penalised under their sticks, Carter levelled the scores. The Chiefs never held the lead again.
Read rammed the advantage home on the ten-minute mark when he crashed over following a break by Robbie Fruean, and Carter's conversion put the Crusaders up 10-3.
Cruden pulled three points back for the tournament leaders but Carter showed the youngster why he is New Zealand's incumbent pivot by knocking over a drop-goal just a minute later to lengthen the Crusaders' lead and keep the pressure on.
It didn't take long for the men in red to strike again and Romano bagged their second try when the Chiefs failed to handle a cheeky grubber from Ellis. Carter's extras gave the Crusaders a healthy gap at 20-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The next 20 minutes saw the Chiefs come storming back though and when Kerr-Barlow gave Retallick a perfectly-timed pass, no one was going to stop the big second-row from close range.
Cruden provided the conversion and another penalty to cap a long period of sustained pressure from the hosts to cut the gap to just four points at 20-16.
Carter missed a long-range effort on the stroke of half-time but the Crusaders were first to score in the second stanza. The home side had reason to feel aggrieved though after TMO Bryce Lawrence awarded the try despite a clear second movement to push Ellis across the line.
The Chiefs' reply came via a moment of magic from SBW, who had been rather quiet all night but shrugged off four defenders to score after a ruck steal from Kerr-Barlow.
Like Carter a few minutes earlier, Cruden missed the conversion to leave the Crusaders 25-21 ahead going into the last quarter.
Crucially, Carter found his range to land a penalty and extend the lead to seven, meaning the Chiefs had to cross the whitewash.
Asaeli Tikoirotuma was denied by inches in the corner but the hosts were camped on the Crusaders' try-line in the closing stages. Wave after wave of drives and successive penalties came to nothing and Williams will feel guilty for going it alone with the final play of game when he had a two-man overlap on his outside.
It's a decision that could have a massive impact on the outcome of the tournament.
The scorers:
For Chiefs:
Tries: Retallick, Williams
Con: Cruden
Pens: Cruden 3
For Crusaders:
Tries: Read, Romano, Ellis
Cons: Carter 2
Pens: Carter 2
Drops: Carter
Chiefs: 15 Robbie Robinson, 14 Tim Nanai-Williams, 13 Andrew Horrell, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Alex Bradley, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke (c), 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Mahonri Schwalger, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Replacements: 16 Hika Elliot, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Romana Graham, 19 Tanerau Latimer, 20 Brendon Leonard, 21 Jackson Willison, 22 Lelia Masaga.
Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Adam Whitelock, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Owen Franks.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Tom Donnelly, 19 Matt Todd, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Tom Taylor, 22 Sean Maitland.
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
By Ross Hastie
Comments
Trader2 says...
The Chiefs will not win this competition if they repeat their set piece performance the Saffa's will be salavating, they will kick it out all day - omg another reason for them to kick everything.
Posted 15:36 06th July 2012
Rayz says...
What can I say, but great game and the Crusaders deserved to win.
Too many errors committed by the Chiefs. Lineouts were atrocious and even their scrums started to wobble (Although the Crusaders were helped by the inconsistencies of the ref). It was a sorry day when the Chiefs had to tap & run 2 penalties because they had no confidence in their scrum or lineouts. And added to that they lost most of the kick-off restarts which any team should count as their ball.
The loss of Clarke (Leadership, lineouts and scrum) and Kane (no disrespect to Bradley but Kane would have offered more) proved to be bigger than first thought. They have a lot of room for improvement, so even in spite of the result I am still confident for the games ahead.
The Crusaders on the other hand had their top team playing and won only by 7 points which suggests the gap between the 2 sides isn't all that great. One thing the Crusaders do do well, is that to a man, they put as much pressure as they can on the referee to get a favourable outcome for them as soon as the whistle is blown. And the cosy chats Walsh was having with McCaw only reinforced that.
Liam Messam is a fine player and all, but there were times he needed to step up and question the ref about some of the decisions that were made as well as some of the off-the-ball tactics of the Crusaders. The Crusaders certainly made their feelings known in this area.
Posted 14:26 06th July 2012
rugbyphile says...
Why is Bryce Lawrence still allowed to adjudicate on anything? Game after game he makes mistake after obvious mistake and unfortunately it brings the game into disrepute.. The replay clearly shows Ellis tackled short --tried to push the ball ahead when on the ground but was again held short. At that stage the law says he must release the ball and may not play it. He was then lifted slightly by one of his teammates and pushed over the line. None of the commentators was in any doubt it was no try. Something happening in the state of Denmark ----
Posted 14:00 06th July 2012
Carpelone says...
If the Stormers score four tries, they will go 63 points. Who would get the possible home advantage, in that case?
Posted 13:41 06th July 2012
jappers1983 says...
Superb match, but Bryce Lawrence.....come on, how can this guy be allowed to officiate at this level? Scandalous TMO decision.
Posted 13:00 06th July 2012
hayj05 says...
Crusaders Fowards in the 2nd half - Out of this world. Great fighting effort.
@side_stepper - So do I. That losing bonus point could be crucial considering how the Stormers struggle to score tries.
Posted 12:45 06th July 2012
powerplay says...
Taumalolo-what can he not do???
Posted 11:45 06th July 2012
Frooschman says...
Gutted I missed this. Boss standing over me so I couldn't load up Sky! Can anyone talk about the game within the game i.e. McCaw v Cane?!
Posted 11:33 06th July 2012
side_stepper says...
Chiefs shouldn't expect to win the tournament with that kind of display. Set pieces were extremely poor. Hope the Chiefs can bounce back in the final week to maintain top spot.
Posted 11:31 06th July 2012
byrnesy6 says...
Keiran Read is awesome
Posted 11:15 06th July 2012
Wallaroo says...
Well done Saders on a well deserved and constructed victory, didn't think the Chiefs would be beaten, they certainly have looked the form team this competition.
Going to be an interesting final this year, may even be a dark horse.
Posted 10:45 06th July 2012
tweedledee49 says...
whether or not it was the correct decision for Lawrence to allow the try or if SBW holding on to the ball in the end was smart...I really don't care because it was a freakin awesome game of rugby and that couldve been a final right there. Chiefs will regather themselves next week and hopefully thrash the Hurricanes!!
Posted 10:36 06th July 2012