Chiefs resist late Saders surge
9 Mar 2012
JON CARDINELLI watched the Chiefs withstand a typical Crusaders fightback to win 24-19 in Napier.
Following a dominant showing in the first half, this was always going to be the Chiefs’ game to lose. After turning in a powerful performance last week against the Blues, they were similarly impressive at the breakdown on this occasion. They were also surprisingly good at the scrum, unsettling an All Blacks front row to the point where the Crusaders conceded penalties and territory all too regularly.
Flank Liam Messam enjoyed an outstanding match at the breakdown, but it was the Chiefs’ collective fire and precision at the coalface that made all the difference. They also used midfielders Sonny Bill Williams and Richard Kahui to take them further beyond the gainline and stretch what was again an uncertain Crusaders defence.
While it was another shaky showing by the Cantabrians, they showed remarkable guts to stay in touch with a rampant Chiefs side. The visitors led by only 10 points at the break, a scoreline that wasn’t reflective of their overwhelming dominance at the collisions as well as the territory.
Credit should go to the Crusaders for hanging in there in the period before half-time, and then fighting back in the second stanza. They never managed to take the lead, but they chipped away at the deficit.
Despite coughing up possession in promising positions, they remained in the Chiefs’ half and finally earned some reward. A telling breakdown turnover was latched on to by Kieran Read, who subsequently found Robbie Fruean for the finish. At 16-13, the Crusaders were within striking distance.
But the Chiefs hit back in impressive fashion, using their rabid forwards to hammer away at the Crusaders defence. Sona Taumalolo emerged from a pile of bodies and the TMO awarded the try to the visitors. It was a strike that gave the Chiefs some breathing room as the game approached the final quarter.
The Crusaders scrum stabilised with the introduction of Wyatt Crockett in the second half and they began to pressure the Chiefs through a more territorial approach. Flyhalf Tyler Bleyendaal held his nerve to kick some important penalties, and it seemed as if the Crusaders were on the verge of an unlikely win.
But more brutal Chiefs defence pressured the Crusaders into errors, and the hosts certainly didn’t help themselves by making a series of unforced mistakes. The Crusaders also had an opportunity to snatch a late win when Read stuck out a hand for an intercept but failed to gather the ball.
On another day he may have secured the pill and dotted down under the posts, but on this occasion the knock-on was fitting – the Crusaders weren’t clinical enough throughout the contest and didn’t deserve to win. Aside from the lapse after half-time, they Chiefs maintained their intensity and accuracy and were rewarded with the big scalp of the Saders.
64 Comments
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9 Mar 2012, 07:26 am
Chiefs will sneak it, crusaders looking very ordinary without Mccheat and Carter.
9 Mar 2012, 07:38 am
What is attendence like?
9 Mar 2012, 07:40 am
Owen Franks and Corey Flynn back in the starting team so they will dominate up front. Guildford also back so they will be dangerous outwide. Crusaders dont lose two in a row.
9 Mar 2012, 07:45 am
make no mistake, seeing the crusaders lose makes me very happy but i dont recall them two losses in a row in ages.
still hope the chiefs bring a good game though.
9 Mar 2012, 07:46 am
going two losses in a row.
9 Mar 2012, 08:05 am
This is the Crusaders vs Chiefs thread, so an all NZ affair
So let me put my cricket comments here…
Here’s how it played out: At about 00h30 SA time (or later) Proteas have lost 2 wickets and Jacques Kallis ( Die Kaap se alles) and Biff are batting. The commentators review the wickets taken.
Ian Smith (bubble guts) lashes out at Alviro Peterson about throwing his wicket away and needing to justify his place in the team. Amla’s dismissal is controversial as it is not conclusive that the catch was taken, but he was given out nevertheless.
Ian Smith says: ‘ What is it with these SA batsmen, they’re looking jittery, they’re not coping well with the situation’
Barry Richards (my hero) says: ‘ I’ll talk to you in a couple of hours, you may be right, if SA can come through this period they will be right on top but at the moment it’s all New Zealand
So I put the TV off … only to wake up this morning Fri PM (NZ time) to see that Graeme Smith has got his 100 and Kallis also about to do so.
This is not the 1st time that Barry Richards’ words were almost prophetic – he is the only SA commentator there with the 20 other Kiwis; he made a similar prediction in that 3rd T20 match when it seemed for all money that the brag-caps have won (hence the series)
Reflect on this: Pride comes before the fall
9 Mar 2012, 08:12 am
Would be great if the Chiefs pulled this through, but I fear the Crusaders will be too good.
9 Mar 2012, 08:24 am
If the Chiefs were playing at home I’d have them to sneak it.
But it’s the Crusaders’ home coming match so to speak, expecting them to do the biz.
9 Mar 2012, 08:49 am
go chiefs…
9 Mar 2012, 08:58 am
tiddlywinks your arse.
9 Mar 2012, 09:00 am
Crusaders to step up a gear in the second half and take it comfortably.
Thus spoke the katman, and so it was.
9 Mar 2012, 09:06 am
loving it…
9 Mar 2012, 09:06 am
build an innings chiefs, build an innings
9 Mar 2012, 09:08 am
I actually think this is the toughest conference. There are 5 good teams, 4 of them are very good (Saders, Blues, Highlanders and Chiefs). The Canes have won on the road already and gave the Stormers a good run for their money.
We don’t have nearly as strong a bunch. We have 3 very good teams and 2 teams that will win some games this year and are capable of upsets, but are unlikely to challenge for the title.
All this while the Reds romp to an easy conference and table topping season.
9 Mar 2012, 09:11 am
Was just about to ask where are the tries! Crusaders whats going on.
9 Mar 2012, 09:12 am
Sky Sports fail no
Coverage..
9 Mar 2012, 09:14 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-14: Agree with you it is the toughest conference to win but the SA conference is by far the most physical conference. The Australian conference…meh.
9 Mar 2012, 09:24 am
hehehe…
what’s this i see…
chiefs converting crusaders…!!
go chiefs…!!
9 Mar 2012, 09:26 am
I always knew, that the Crusaders, without Carter, Sonny Bill and Mcaw. would not be the same. That you cant call a TEAM. To rely so much on three players, is really not a good sign for any side. There are 15 on that field. Not only three. They may still pull this one out of the hat. But this is by far not the same old crusaders side we have come to know.
9 Mar 2012, 09:30 am
this blackadder’s turning out to be a very toofless dragon. wonder how long he’ll keep his job.
9 Mar 2012, 09:31 am
CAPECRUSADER must be pi ssing in his pants….bietjie vir bietjie.
Saders hardly looking the part. They seem intent on farking up my SB.
9 Mar 2012, 09:33 am
SA has enough depth for 4 Super Rugby teams.
2 Play-off places and 2 mid table finishers.
We cannot support a fifth team, let alone a sixth one.
9 Mar 2012, 09:36 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-22:
Or rather, we don’t have the money to support a fifth decent team. If we had, we could load it with all our players now playing in Europe.
9 Mar 2012, 09:38 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-22: Tac I reckon we will always have a wooden spoon contender in SA. Lions might just crawl out of the cellar but the cheetahs are hardly a factor.
Tough given that they are a talented bunch yet they just not getting a full 80min with 110% together
9 Mar 2012, 09:40 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-11: Got them by 4 so they better pull their finger out their overpaid arses
9 Mar 2012, 09:46 am
It is really unfair that the Ausies have such an easy conference. Especially the Reds. It is why the won last year. Had they had some proper competition in their conference, i doubt that they would have gone so far let alone win. I think reverting back to the old format is mostly fair. See the reds make the Semis again, the will finish top of their conference, no doubt.Because they are the best Ausie side. While The NZ conference has really good sides and SA probably the most physical. It needs to change…The It is obviously not the reds fault that the other sides in their conference suck. But its not fair to SA and NZ teams that really need to fight hard, just to survive in this tournament.
9 Mar 2012, 09:49 am
more injuns than chiefs out on the field today, hope they pull off a win.
then for the tahs to sink the highlanders.
9 Mar 2012, 09:50 am
Need the Saders to win 22-16. to get my super bru spot on. 3 penalties or drop goals will do it from here on in. Go Saders
9 Mar 2012, 09:52 am
bye bye saders… bye bye noddy toddy….
9 Mar 2012, 09:52 am
C’mon Chiefs…
9 Mar 2012, 09:53 am
I am so glad I decided I wasn’t putting money on any NZ derbies this year…
9 Mar 2012, 09:54 am
Yes Arizona Taumalolo! Fantasy league points! This guy is a try machine.
9 Mar 2012, 09:56 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-32: Good for fantasy bad for superbru.
9 Mar 2012, 10:01 am
Saders picking up momentum at just the right time.
9 Mar 2012, 10:02 am
Forget Superbru, idiots.
I also picked the Saders on Superbru, but for the sake of our teams we should hope the Saders lose here. It gives the SA teams a better chance to get a one of the top 2 spots.
Shortsighted plonkers, you are.
9 Mar 2012, 10:03 am
saders just dont give up easy…i respect that.
get ya heads out yer aasses chiefs….
9 Mar 2012, 10:07 am
tac….we know that…ja..that’s right…we do..
9 Mar 2012, 10:10 am
How long can a game stay on frigging 75 minutes?
9 Mar 2012, 10:12 am
number 10 gives away the game….nice…
9 Mar 2012, 10:15 am
No Saders you losers
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-35: We get it Tac.
9 Mar 2012, 10:18 am
wrong option switching back in.
good physicallity by the chiefs.
deserved winners but i must say this is a poor crusaders side.
9 Mar 2012, 10:18 am
What game is on next?
9 Mar 2012, 10:19 am
Yeah chiefs…!!!
9 Mar 2012, 10:19 am
Crusaders look really vulnerable so far. This is good.
9 Mar 2012, 10:19 am
so saany bill had a hand in the saders demise..how bout that..
9 Mar 2012, 10:19 am
Well, another nailbitter. Well done Chiefs.
And Crusaders will be back, hasta la vista, baby.
9 Mar 2012, 10:36 am
I called this ‘upset’ yesterday.
I also called for the Cheetahs to win tomorrow.
9 Mar 2012, 10:37 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-14: NZ has the toughest conference, by some distance.
I also have reservations about SA’s claim to have the ‘most physical’ conference.
NZ teams and the ABs have dominated us physically for some years now, bar 2009.
9 Mar 2012, 10:49 am
@willievz(willievz)-48: I think the physical nature that comes out in the derby matches are being alluded to. Our teams literally go out to break one another. I dont think that is happening in the other two conferences.
9 Mar 2012, 10:57 am
Yoh Crusaders!
But Chiefs deserve it, dangerous backline with Kahui, SBW & Smith and of course the elusive Cruden.
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