Slick Saders crush Canes
21 Apr 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on the Crusaders’ emphatic 42-14 victory over the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Ominously for their future opponents, the Crusaders are starting to show glimpses of their best form. They comfortably and clinically negotiated the Stormers last week, and, faced with a vastly inferior opponent in the Canes, they were brutal in their demolition.
The Canes had no rebuttal to the Saders’ physicality, upon which this victory was built. The visitors bossed the gainline and in so doing controlled the flow and tempo of the match. How they used the ball thereafter was an education in itself. Their tactical awareness, decision-making and execution of the chosen action was rarely anything but precise.
Notably the Saders’ key players are settling into their groove. Kieran Read has become increasingly prominent in recent weeks and was excellent this evening. He is getting back to the form that made him one of the world’s best players in 2011. Zac Guilford seems to have closed an alcohol-drenched chapter of his life and is exhibiting the form that explained why so many in the New Zealand rugby fraternity were prepared to endure his wayward spell. Andy Ellis and Tom Taylor are growing as a halfback pair, while Dan Carter – although not in his favoured position – remains a class apart. They have depth no other Kiwi franchise can boast and if injuries don’t befall them, they will be hard to stop going forward.
It was all over by half-time, the Saders having bagged the bonus-point in their 32-7 lead. Their opening try was vintage Saders – Guilford taking an inside pass off the flyhalf and cutting the line at blinding pace before dishing off to Read to score. The Canes were defensively generous with the next score – Carter finishing after an Israel Dagg break – but could do little to halt Robbie Fruean’s run for the third, the midfielder fielding a high kick then sprinting 40m to score. Dagg crossed with half-time looming and even though the Canes scored either side of the break, they never looked like mounting a comeback.
Their first half effort was marked by poor tactical kicking – a method they aren’t comfortable with – and in the second they reverted to an expansive approach which the Saders repelled easily. Dagg would score again going into the final quarter but the Canes’ resolves was already eroded by then and the Saders eased through the closing minutes for a statement win.
118 Comments
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21 Apr 2012, 10:39 am
victor vito is a beast.great try
21 Apr 2012, 10:40 am
crusaders went to SLEEP!!!!!
21 Apr 2012, 10:56 am
When did Joubert turn into such a poor ref?
The two forward passes and clear knock-on were as poor as I have seen in a while? Maybe he is drinking the same water as Brycie…
21 Apr 2012, 10:57 am
Canes are done for !!! Shame
21 Apr 2012, 10:57 am
@Narutokun(Narutokun)-85: Yes I have seen that. The next real episode i think is the 10th of May!
Breakfast is served. Russian wrapped in an omelette with cheese!
21 Apr 2012, 11:01 am
My Comrade Crusaders are givng the world a rugby lesson.
21 Apr 2012, 11:02 am
Keiran Read is class.
tusi pisi is FdP’s halfback partner @ suntory goliath
21 Apr 2012, 11:05 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-102:
Pacing themself. It’s a long competition.
hurricanes running out of steam???
21 Apr 2012, 11:05 am
My comrade your team is playing against one of the weaker sides
Try and not act like your nic
21 Apr 2012, 11:05 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-107: Interesting. I see he is lining up at 15
21 Apr 2012, 11:06 am
this Craig Joubert is a useless ref, namby pamby awe struck Crusaders and AB disciple who cannot discern his inherent bias from his sense of fair judgment, lets certain teams get away with exactly what he blows the opposition up for and gets swayed by his awe struck worship of some so called invincible teams. Did same for Bulls in 2010 and 2011. Kak overrated ref blows the games one way only.
21 Apr 2012, 11:06 am
My comrade your team is playing against one of the weaker sides.
Try and not act like your nic
21 Apr 2012, 11:07 am
These heroic Crusaders will win this competition. Well played Comrade Joubert.
21 Apr 2012, 11:08 am
Joubert is a strange gat kruiper ref, looking for a job at the IRB
21 Apr 2012, 11:09 am
“Oh Kieran, sorry I have to penalise you”
21 Apr 2012, 11:10 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-111: true
21 Apr 2012, 11:11 am
Comrade Craig was deployed to serve.
21 Apr 2012, 11:11 am
@President_Jacob_Zuma(President_Jacob_Zuma)-113:
excuse me but wats up with the leninisms
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