Saders edge Hamilton epic
6 Jul 2012
RYAN VREDE reports on a compelling spectacle in which the Crusaders survived a late onslaught to win 28-21 against the Chiefs in Hamilton.
This match lacked for nothing, purists and thrill-seekers alike having plenty to satisfy their respective tastes. An excellent advertisement for Super Rugby and a showcase of everything that is great about New Zealand rugby, this match kept you riveted until the very end, where the Saders’ refusal to allow their determined opponents a path to goal was heroic.
Brutal collisions, breathtaking individual and collective skills, appreciable tactical intelligence, resillience and passion, bags of it, this match made you wish the suits at Sanzar would put aside commercial interests and personal aspirations and reduce the number of teams in the tournament, pitting only the strongest teams against each other so that these types of showcases become more commonplace, not rare gems in an otherwise barren landscape.
That fanciful idea aside, the Saders did much to advance their cause for a play-off spot. This was always going to be the measure of their credentials and establish whether they are genuine contenders or just posturing pretenders. There can be no question now that they have all the attributes of champions. If they realise that goal it will have to be through a number of away wins like this one, but you wouldn’t bet against them.
Chiefs flyhalf Aaron Cruden nearly got his side off to the perfect start when he broke free early in the match, only to be scragged short of the tryline. The youngster’s transition from a talented but raw pivot into a truly world-class one is progressing nicely. Experience will refine him, but he is already a formidable opponent and indispensable asset to his franchise.
He got the scoreboard going with a penalty, but the Saders dominated for a large period thereafter, feeding off numerous Chiefs errors. The hosts look back at that passage as being decisive to the outcome.
Dan Carter banked a penalty to level the scores and soon thereafter converted a Kieran Read try in which they kept the ball alive brilliantly through multiple phases. Cruden responded with a penalty, but Carter’s experience told when he dropped a goal to keep the Saders ahead.
The visitors stretched their lead to 14 points when Andy Ellis broke blind and put in a delicate grubber which rebounded off a Chiefs player into the path of Luke Ramano. The second rower scooped the loose ball up and drove over the chalk, Carter adding the extras.
But the Chiefs refused to be steamrolled, and rebounded from the Saders’ flurry with a counter of their own, Brodie Retallick powering over from close range. Cruden’s conversion was the last score of the half, the Saders leading 20-16.
There was an unrelenting urgency and intensity about both sides after the break, Ellis scoring a contentious try but the Chiefs again coming up with a telling rebuttal – Sonny Bill Williams negotiating the attention of four defenders and, clutching the ball in one hand, he reached desperately over a mass of bodies to score.
The Chiefs had opportunities to cut into the Saders’ lead, but a combination of poor decision making in good positions, a misfiring lineout and inspiring scrambling on defence denied them. They would also have hoped for a strong bench to galvanise them, and although you could not fault those players’ effort, the Saders’ mettle under pressure came to the fore to deny their determined opponents.
There was a golden opportunity with the siren having sounded, the Chiefs having created a two-man overlap. But Williams failed to pass the ball, instead going in search of his second. The play broke down and referee Steve Walsh ended a captivating contest.
574 Comments
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6 Jul 2012, 11:50 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-248:
if a sa team wins this comp
they win it in spite of the australasian deceit and trickery.
what’s your take on the tmo try decision?
6 Jul 2012, 11:51 am
Galileo, have beer mate, relax, join a club and play the game, to much whining, its not healthy.
6 Jul 2012, 11:51 am
Stormers need 4 tries and a win by more than 6 points to top the total log!
Go boitjies!!!!!
6 Jul 2012, 11:52 am
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-251:
The one tonight in the Chiefs v Saders game?
6 Jul 2012, 11:53 am
@253
Backdoorboy
It’s not gonna happen
As you were.
6 Jul 2012, 11:54 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-190: Exactly my point, you play rugby in your back gardens and expect the same money us, who have invested in proper infrastructure, until you build 40 000 plus Stadia, you guys should get a 3rd of the money, which i equal to your 3rd worth contribution to the pot
6 Jul 2012, 11:55 am
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-251:
TMO called it,thats it.
I have seen a South African TMO break all the rules and call something he was not even asked.
But thats ok isnt it.
6 Jul 2012, 11:55 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-246: come on Hurricane…why rise to the bait with the bleating…actually, most of us are often happy. especially after watching a great game like this. I ignore the repeated claims of cheating from my country men…none of it can be proven and it all boils down to personal opinion…rather discuss the rugger without having to deal with silly accusations…
6 Jul 2012, 11:55 am
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-250: If you actually new anything about rugby you would of seen sbw crawling trying to get over the line, should of been a penalty awarded to the crusaders.
6 Jul 2012, 11:56 am
One down – now go SHAAAAAAAARKSSSSS!!!!! Go Francois Steyn – the greatest centre to have donned the green and gold. Dooooooo eeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!
6 Jul 2012, 11:56 am
Walsh deserves to serve a prison sentence in Siberia
6 Jul 2012, 11:56 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-244: @Hurricane(Hurricane)-246: You fuckers are a blight on the game. I have no problem giving credit where its due mate. None whatsoever. The Crusaders is a champion team. Their record speaks for itself. But the Crusaders of the last 2 seasons?
A ref is not there to pick sides or interpret the laws. His sole mandate is to make sure players play within the laws. And the laws are clearcut. There are no conjecture. Just enforce the damn laws. How difficult can it be
6 Jul 2012, 11:58 am
@RDOT(RDOT)-258:
Yep, good call.
6 Jul 2012, 12:00 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-262:
Now there is the problem.
” The Laws are clearcut ”
No they are not. The laws are the damn problem here.
Rugby has the most rules that any game. That on its own asks much more of a rugby ref compared
to a football ref. People should stop blaming the players and the refs but start looking at what the game has become.
6 Jul 2012, 12:01 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-255: Ah, the gutter mouthed sharks fan, how’s it feel down there in the gutter this morning?
6 Jul 2012, 12:02 pm
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-251:
My opinion was here @chch(chch)-194:
6 Jul 2012, 12:02 pm
@chch(chch)-254:
yes
6 Jul 2012, 12:03 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-256:
I think you have no idea in the population differences do you?
6 Jul 2012, 12:05 pm
@SteveWarren(SteveWarren)-259:
was he held?
besides, there were countless cynical infringments leading up to it.
6 Jul 2012, 12:05 pm
Well now.
This tourny is getting interesting. Or is the ultimate winner already decided?
I couldn’t watch this game, but I cannot see anyone beating the Crusaders if I were to believe Vrede’s insight and use of superlatives:
“Brutal collisions, breathtaking individual and collective skills, appreciable tactical intelligence, resillience and passion, bags of it”
6 Jul 2012, 12:08 pm
@chch(chch)-266:
yip, agreed its to fast for good decisions to be made. maybe more power to the tmo to intervene?
and yes, absolutely farcical decision by the tmo.
6 Jul 2012, 12:08 pm
I am living the good life well,thanks Backdoorboy.
Got your featherboa ready for tomorrow?
Feckin backspitter.
6 Jul 2012, 12:10 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-264: So, you need a good memory to be a ref but you don’t need to be rocket scientist mate. I agree we have a lot of laws but most of them are pretty clear as to what is allowed or not. What constitutes a ruck and the laws that governs that phase of play isn’t quite the conundrum they are made out to be. 2 players over the top of a tackled player means no hands and staying on your feet… on both sides. Think about it mate, there’s no conjecture. No ambiguity. It’s you fckers demanding a more open, free flowing game that made refs to think about letting the game “flow”. Honest question…since when was it up to the ref to make the game flow?
6 Jul 2012, 12:11 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-262:
too true
but try not to use offensive foul language
dawn does not like it
6 Jul 2012, 12:12 pm
@willievz(willievz)-270:
I would agree with that though …. he just left out the hugely increased number of mistakes and penalties given away.
Still great to watch sometimes but damn frustrating other times. They are just like every other team now
6 Jul 2012, 12:13 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-273:
the joke here is they cry for it to be free flowing and open but play entirely to kill momentum willfully when its not going their way.
farce much…
6 Jul 2012, 12:14 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-272:
Fuckoff
6 Jul 2012, 12:16 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-256: You’d be an idiot to build a 40000 stadium for a 20000 crowd. NZ’s stadiums were perfectly adequate for a world cup, so they’re fine for NZ. Remember, Super Rugby/3N is played at NIGHT in NZ in midwinter, when it’s cold and wet. Only the hardest of hardcore fans bother going to a game rather than watch it on TV with the heater on and your warm bed only minutes and a toothbrush away once the final whistle blows. Games in SA are played in the warm daytime and in cities which have a population almost equal to the entirety of NZ. You really ought to fill a 100 000 seater every week. 20000 in NZ is more than adequate.
6 Jul 2012, 12:16 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-273:
Us fkers?
What is your problem?
Rugby has too many laws. Its really easy sitting in your armchair with the remote control and all the angles isnt it?
I myself would hate to be a ref. One crucial wrong call or a miss and you are a called a cheat and you life is threatened by a whole country.
6 Jul 2012, 12:19 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-272: @Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-272: Yo “Fern is not a stud, he is merely a chop”, that was funny, had to look up what a “featherboa” was, feel like less of a man now that I do, funny that you know so much about these things.
6 Jul 2012, 12:21 pm
Is the Highlanders thread shut?
6 Jul 2012, 12:22 pm
@BreakdownBoy(goodstuff)-280:
lol
6 Jul 2012, 12:22 pm
Hurricane, can both our teams still make playoffs?
6 Jul 2012, 12:22 pm
Free flowing game that only NZ teams play?
6 Jul 2012, 12:25 pm
@chch(chch)-283: With the right refs, most certainly.
6 Jul 2012, 12:25 pm
Good for my Superbru.
Bad for the Sharks. And Bulls.
6 Jul 2012, 12:26 pm
@chch(chch)-283: Don’t know what team you support, but the #6 spot is between the canes, sharks and reds/landers (depending who wins today).
6 Jul 2012, 12:27 pm
@chch(chch)-283:
Trying to have a look but for some reason the super15 site is taking so long to load anything up.
I hate waiting
6 Jul 2012, 12:27 pm
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-276: Sad thing is, or good thing depending of your point of view, they have perfected the game of getting quick ball when they want but slows down opposition ball. This they do thru “aggressively rucking/counter rucking” and going off their feet because of it. How many times have you heard a ref scream ‘NO #whatever number#, leave it. You’re off your feet” (And this is all teams, not just the AB’s), only to watch the offending player make a half assed attempt at getting away from the ball. The thing is…he already succeeded in what he was trying to achieve, ie slow ball for the opposition without penalty.
6 Jul 2012, 12:27 pm
@chch(chch)-281: Looks like it. Poor Reds kid.
6 Jul 2012, 12:28 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-285:
lol
We know what team wont be there
6 Jul 2012, 12:28 pm
@BreakdownBoy(goodstuff)-287:
From Christchurch as per my thread name. Crusaders
6 Jul 2012, 12:29 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-272:
Living the good life?
On the internet?
Trolling Capetonians?
That’s the good life?
Because it’s all you seem to do. Man I need to stay in more, I’m jealous.
6 Jul 2012, 12:29 pm
@BreakdownBoy(goodstuff)-253:
I think a bonus point win will do it. They would have won more games I think and that and not points difference is now the rule…
6 Jul 2012, 12:30 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-268: I know exactly whats the population difference , so why not accept the hand God dealt you with that small population of yours and let us benefit for ours, the fact that you guys are smaller should also equal your share of the spoils, simply really.
6 Jul 2012, 12:30 pm
In any case we don’t believe in bonus points. Its for the weaker teams to stay in touch. Teams losing five games and then expecting to lead the conference. Pathetic really…
6 Jul 2012, 12:31 pm
Does anyone have a list of the teams that do not play each other this season?
This new competition is a farce. The missing match is something they don’t like to publicise.
6 Jul 2012, 12:32 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-293:
Howzit Jock
6 Jul 2012, 12:32 pm
@BreakdownBoy(goodstuff)-287: Yes. I hope its Sharks. If they win tonight and the Reds lose now they will be closer to that number 6 spot.
Stormers need to push now for the bonus point tomorrow so that they can go top!
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-289: When the New Zealanders counter ruck, most of the time they go off their feet. I dont know if I am interpreting the rules wrong or the refs cant see it but isnt that a penalty?
6 Jul 2012, 12:33 pm
@chch(chch)-297: All I know is that the Stormers havent played the top NZ and AUS team.
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