Taylor: 31 points for the Crusaders
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The Crusaders brought the Stormers' unbeaten run in this season's Super Rugby tournament to an end thanks to a well-earned 31-24 win in Christchurch on Saturday.
Fly-half Tom Taylor stole the show by contributing all of his side's points with a try, conversion and eight penalties in what was a flawless performance by the Crusaders young gun.
Even though the visitors outscored their hosts two tries to one, their discipline let them down in the end but deserved to snatch a losing bonus point in injury time.
It was always going to be a tough day at the office for the Stormers, after losing both their first-choice locks to injury in the opening 20 minutes of the match.
But they soldiered on and managed to stay within touching distance of the seven-time champions throughout the thrilling encounter - cutting the deficit down to just one point (22-21) with a quarter of the game to play, before that man Taylor sealed the deal with his faultless boot.
The result keeps the Stormers on top of the Super Rugby standings although the Chiefs could move ahead of them with a victory over the Cheetahs later in the round.
The Crusaders moved up to seventh place overall but remained fourth in their conference indicating how tight the New Zealand conference is currently.
There were errors in this match that will be rightly criticised, but there were also superlative exhibitions of skill, unrelenting showings of power and no small measure of guts.
Taylor scored the first try of the game, after straight running and quick hands saw the ball worked to Corey Flynn on the wing and his inside pass put Taylor over.
Taylor added the extras but the visitors hit back through a Peter Grant penalty and a Juan de Jongh try after the centre hacked on a spilled pass from Carter and won the footrace to score. Pietersen added the touchline conversion to level the scores (10-10).
The Crusaders survived Wyatt Crockett's 10 minutes in the bin for a high tackle on Siya Kolisi which deserved little more than a penalty, but still went into the half-time sheds 19-13 up through three more Taylor penalties while Pietersen kept his team in the hunt with a penalty of his own.
Taylor continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over, until the Stormers cut the gap when Dewaldt Duvenage's clever cross-kick was gathered by Bryan Habana who finished. Pietersen missed the conversion which would have put them ahead.
Disaster struck for the Stormers after losing Rynardt Elstadt - shifted to lock in the absence of Andries Bekker and Eben Etzebeth - to the bin for a similar offence to that of Crockett.
It was another dubious call by referee Chris Pollock, and the Stormers spent a crucial period of the game with only seven forwards on the park.
Through Taylor's unerring boot, the hosts scored nine points while Elstadt was on the sideline and at 31-21 the game was over.
Grant nailed a well-taken penalty well after the siren though to earn the visitors a losing bonus point they thoroughly deserved for their part in a magnificent game.
The scorers:
For Crusaders:
Try: Taylor
Con: Taylor
Pens: Taylor 8
For Stormers:
Tries: De Jongh, Habana
Con: Pietersen
Pens: Grant, Pietersen 2
Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Dan Carter, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Tom Taylor, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Tom Donnelly, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Luke Whitelock, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Ryan Crotty, 22 Tom Marshall.
Stormers: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Nizaam Carr, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Gio Aplon/ JP du Plessis.
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Comments
BokAvenger says...
@BillyMutt - okay, I'll apologise for calling the Franks brothers hillbillies
Posted 20:13 14th April 2012
SACanuck says...
Well played Saders, looks like they are going to be the team to beat in the finals. Getting better and better each week and very creative. Great Stuff.
Posted 19:09 14th April 2012
Daibok says...
@martinmoronIQ78
When you have nothing to say, say nothing. You dont understand rugby and nobody cares about your sad obsession and lack of a life.
This was a good game and the Stormers looked very good despite losing.
Posted 19:04 14th April 2012
philipjfry says...
@Trader: 'Love the usual Saffa comments on cheating referees, classic cry babies and they need to toughen up.' I don't think you can count. There's been one accusation of cheating so far (16.25).
Posted 16:27 14th April 2012
philipjfry says...
@startledwombat: True, he had a good game against the Highlanders.
Posted 16:12 14th April 2012
BokAvenger says...
Kiwis bleating about the alleged "forward pass" that resulted in a Stormers try yet not a single word about how the Saders try was a direct result of a turnover that was cause by one of the Franks hillbillies having a hand in the ruck. As usual, totally ignored by the ref and the touchie
Posted 15:46 14th April 2012
kpe12 says...
As expected there are whingers, it was a tough game played tough, Vinnie Munroe should be commended for his call on consistency for the high tackles cause he got it spot on despite the first yellow card being unjust.
As for the ref he had a pretty tough job, he kept the Stormers honest on defense because they have been riding the offside line all season and it looks like the refs have been put on alert to this cause they got pinged all night.
People who don't like aerial ping pong, this is a direct result of the type of defense both teams play, in your face, fast line up. Crusaders conceded 7 points to it and adjusted to not let it happen again. An interesting stat would be to see how many tries the Stormer have scored off their own ball this year (created positively rather than from defense).
Best team won on the day, Stormers still can't buy a win in CHCH.
Beware the momentum of the Crusaders, short or replaying the NZ conference, they have played all the top teams now and could possibly put a real roll on.
Posted 15:19 14th April 2012
bloemboy says...
@bokAvenger, I think you have got this one wrong, the ref was poor on the night and I would agree that the Crusaders got away with a fair deal of offsides and forward passes. Fact is that the Stormers did too, though they were policed a little better for offsides.
I dont think the ref was biased, just very poor. To the credit of the Kiwi's, they played to the whistle, saw the opportunities offered by a poor ref, and took them. No argument there as that is smart, adaptable, thinking play.
What lost it for the Stormers in my opinion was the fact that the Crusaders were able to release the ball to support in the tackle and recycle quickly, which put the stormers defence under pressure for the first time in the tournament. Last few weeks, the stormers drove everyone back in the tackle and slowed down the next phase, allowing for time to re-establish their defensive formation. The Stormers will bounce back and learn from this.
The Stormers also had to change their gameplan as their runners upp the middle were off in the first 20 minutes, which did affect the game hugely, mostly in the driving and the scrums.
All in, fair play to the Saders, they are a quality side that did what was needed to win, ugly or not.
Posted 15:03 14th April 2012
Ramage says...
It wasn't long before another bleater had to come on here with their one eyed view of the game. However we all know New Zealanders are cheats as we are told so every week so it must be true.
Posted 14:20 14th April 2012
martinmarais78 says...
Maybe good timing to bring us back to earth in order to refocus.
Not a pretty game to watch + my weekend was pretty much ruined after the Sharks won yesterday... ;)
We need our Schalk!
Posted 14:14 14th April 2012
BokAvenger says...
Another NZ team bailed out by a cheating NZ referee. He only seemed to ping the Stormers players while totally ignoring all of the Saders' indiscretions - not supporting their body weight in the rucks, diving over the top, entering from the side. I also counted eight forward passes from the Crusaders that were blatantly ignored. The Saders loosehead prop dropped his bind virtually every scrum and it was ignored too and their number 7 kept breaking from the scrum before the ball was out. As usual there is one set of rule for SA teams and another for the rest
Posted 13:34 14th April 2012
Ramage says...
Most have commented on the aerial pinpong which I believe spoilt the game. It was a tactic that was played by the crusaders but to me it was a waste of the talents that Dagg has to offer a tactical kicker he is not and too many times his poor kicking put too much pressure back on the Crusaders.
Just what is rugby coming to the yellow cards were ridiculous but once Pollock, had made that first horrible decision about Crockett he was forced to give a similar bad one against the Stormers for the sake of consistency. I didn't hear what his assistant Mike Fraser, a new referee on the Super refereeing panel had to say but it was after consulting he came up with the weird decision. I did hear though what his other assistant Vinnie Munro said regarding the Stormers decision which was that it was the same as the first one and he had to be consistent. Both players did not deserve a yellow and some of our referees are too quick in some cases and too slow in others to wave a yellow.
The Crusaders will be pleased their tactics worked but I hope we don't see that type of game again as it will certainly put off the public.
Posted 13:24 14th April 2012
NHsaints says...
well done crusaders, Dan Carter watch your back...especially if this taylor guy keeps his form up consistently and to keep Carter displaced to 12 pretty much sums up what blackadder must have been expecting of taylor and he got it...this could turn out interestingly, especially with Beuden Barrett already breathing down Carter's neck for that black 10 shirt...
Posted 12:49 14th April 2012
Rosbif says...
Wow, all the comments so far very balanced.
As a neutral, I couldn't help thinking Stormers were harshly treated. The pen on stroke of half time was good example. But also in last 15 minutes when result was in the balance at 22-21. Everything given against them from then on. Scrum pens. Not straights at line-out. Dubious knock-ons. The impression was each time the Stormers did get a pen, they had really earned it after multiple phases and continued infringement. On the other hand, Crusaders got their pens cheaply. And they were at least as offside in their defensive line all night as the Stormers, just didn't get penalised all game. Not once? Thank goodness Grant kicked that final pen so Stormers at least got something.
That said, Tom Taylor really stood up. It's one thing being given the shots. It's another thing to kick em. And he ran the game superbly. Well done. Bright prospect.
Posted 12:30 14th April 2012
jonesy2 says...
haha at south african supporters as usual with no clue. could not believe my eyes when crockett got sent off, stormers were lucky, the scoreline flattered them hugely particularly considering one of their 'tries' was a blatant knock on.
Posted 12:26 14th April 2012
startledwombat says...
@philipjfry: > "they (and most South African teams since Andre Joubert retired) lack a fullback who can counter attack and run from deep. "
I don't get to see much rugby because of this city's approach to oval-ball sport coupled with this country's approach to free-to-air broadcasting, or "anti-siphoning". But even so I did see the Highlanders vs the Stormers last week.
In that game, Joe Pietersen was magnificent from the rear. Including a sensational try. I think most international teams would be happy to have him.
Posted 12:12 14th April 2012
zambokke says...
philipjfry - wouldn't the Reds be 9th on the overall log? Its quite confusing, as at this precise moment The Waratahs have a better points difference and equal points to The Reds and they are 9th? I prefer the old logs where you knew where everyone stood.
Posted 12:06 14th April 2012
hayj05 says...
@Bloemboy - The reason they booed the try is because they thought there was a clear knock on in the build up. Had nothing to do with the brilliance of the try.
Even game, anyones game, both teams were a little disappointing in attack. The Stormers defense scares me, they don't give you an inch. Still looking like the leading contenders at this stage. Also big ups to Tom Taylor, ice cold under pressure.
Posted 11:45 14th April 2012
KiwiLad says...
Well done the Saders.
Posted 11:31 14th April 2012
Bokrocker says...
Yellow card madness, killed the last ten minutes of the match completely.Enjoyed the match up to that point because both teams were well matched and it should have ended with both teams fielding all 15 men . Some really poor commentary as well to kill it further. Get the refs more out of the game and give the players the oppertunity to play it as hard as they can.Yellow cards are ruining this sport.
Posted 11:14 14th April 2012