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, 13:11 pm
@CSI:Rugby(CSI:Rugby)-332: Sure. Probably time to let the hair down, but I’m not talking conspiracies. Just the way it is mate. Have’nt you noticed?
6 Jul 2012, 13:11 pm
Can this game end already so I can switch the TV at work over to the tennis
6 Jul 2012, 13:12 pm
Keohane is a snow goose?
That is the title of one of my setworks at school
6 Jul 2012, 13:13 pm
Is it a suprise that the ‘Landers looks heaps better and in the game with Aaron Smith on the field? Cowan is a hasbeen or is that a neverwas?
6 Jul 2012, 13:13 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-344: Why not try and understand the simply concept of absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, then you will understand the significance or lack thereof of your point about figures, particularly in this instance.
6 Jul 2012, 13:14 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-354:
Spot on.
I believe Cowan is a neverwas.
6 Jul 2012, 13:14 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-353: No, but those are two of the things he’s into.
6 Jul 2012, 13:15 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-357:
6 Jul 2012, 13:15 pm
that was close as Smith caught it behind him too
6 Jul 2012, 13:16 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-356:
6 Jul 2012, 13:17 pm
I just hope by the time the new deal is discussed SARU would have gotten specialist like us, to look at figures, instead of politically appointees they have, parading as business people. NZ and Aus Rugby must learn to stand on their own, if they can’t, then they should fold, no communism.
6 Jul 2012, 13:18 pm
No ways Kaplan!!!v Doubt if there was daylight but that was a fair contest on the ground
6 Jul 2012, 13:19 pm
FCK!~~ This game is a split image!
6 Jul 2012, 13:20 pm
Or at least the last 5 minutes
6 Jul 2012, 13:20 pm
Never thought I’d say this but GREAT DEFENCE Q. COOPER!
Saved my ‘Bru season with 2 telling tackles
6 Jul 2012, 13:20 pm
Reds win. Trouble for Hurricanes
6 Jul 2012, 13:23 pm
Don’t think Stormers will get that elusive 4 tries just yet.
But next week will be perfectly set up if we take care of Cheetahs, Canes to upset Chiefs if it’s a home game for them and Stormers to finally overcome their try drought vs Rebels.
And Sharks by 5 tonight
6 Jul 2012, 13:28 pm
@wpstormerbok(wpstormerbok)-367:
Lucky you said that. I just realised it’s a Friday night game so need to set my alarm for 5am tomorrow
6 Jul 2012, 13:32 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-349: No we all stretch the laws but you blatantly break them! Thought I made that clear? Off the topic …what’s to become of your beloved Reechee? Cane showed it again tonite. His time has come. With Jerome Kaino gone, a spot at 6 maybe
6 Jul 2012, 13:33 pm
Missed the margin by 1 point, but a good Super15 rugby game nevertheless, Kaplan’s the ultimate referee, pinged the Reds for deliberate cheating few times but they kept trying
6 Jul 2012, 13:36 pm
My hopes on the large payout now resting on Peiper to spin it for the Bulls tonight, the Sharks probably resigned to the swindle because they have raised no concern, Sharks shouldn’t complain afterward.
Bulls by 5 to 8
6 Jul 2012, 13:38 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-371: Sharks to win it. Even without Alberts because they have Frans Steyn. And he have to face Wynand. All white players btw. With special reference to WO
6 Jul 2012, 13:40 pm
Uptheguts, look, your opinion is valid to those who see it the same way as you, I’m sure that there is a kiwi and Oz version of you saying the exact same thing about SA rugby, all I’m saying is, let it go, I’m having cheese and crackers and a bottle of red and enjoying my evening of rugby, its a game, a hobby, it does not have that much of an influence on me that it upsets me. Sure there are bad refs, repeat offenders in the game, but its always been that way. Don’t worry about it. Like I said, its just a game that we all love. I’ll buy you a beer.
6 Jul 2012, 13:42 pm
@CSI:Rugby(CSI:Rugby)-373: So I take it you, as Kiwi don’t have a gripe with SA rugby? If you do, please let’s hear it. I realy wanna know.
6 Jul 2012, 13:53 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-346: And where does that leave us and our rugby? Back in in isolation days? The super rugby competition is tops because it has the clubs of the top three nations playing against each other. It’s the teams that sustain the quality of the competition not the frecking sponsors!
NZ is a far better developed nation than us, per capita they are probably richer than us, their only limiter is population size due to the islands they live on.
In fact South Africa ranked 78th and NZ ranked 29th (GDP per Capita) acording to World Bank.
6 Jul 2012, 13:54 pm
Uptheguts, sorry to disappoint champ, don’t have a gripe with anyones rugby, love the game, don’t care for the theatricals in the media and/or on here. I played the game and it looked after me well, friends all over the world, a South African wife who I met after a game in SA, that’s rugby for me champ. Oh, and a BBQ with chilled beers.
6 Jul 2012, 14:00 pm
@CSI:Rugby(CSI:Rugby)-373: Another thing, if you’re winning, no one gives a **** about the rest. As much as I hate to say it that’s just the way it is I guess, but the SA way of playing is kicking the penalties first and foremost. No reason to think that this will change under HM. Also why we, as Saffas was/still is so upset with Bryce in THAT semi. ALSO WHY the ref becomes so important to all us Saffas. If it true and you can accept our game is geared on penalties, it becomes important that the ref gives us the penalties we deserve. As soon as we don’t get it, we’re done for. It’s not like we’re going to create tries out of nowhere all of a sudden. We’re not built that way. Seen that way, the laws are almost more paramount to a Saffa than a Kiwi, isn’t it? Why? Because a penalty accrues only because a referee sees fit to apply a certain law. Makes sense?
6 Jul 2012, 14:02 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-377: So it’s not whining per se…
6 Jul 2012, 14:10 pm
@CSI:Rugby(CSI:Rugby)-376: Good on you mate! If for love of the game you’ll actualy join me in this “quest” Incompetent refs are spoiling our game mate. The breakdown used to be a free for all and then they felt the need to police it. Inevitably, human nature kicked in and we had to improve our game to produce a better product for the masses out there, therefore refs started to interpret what the laws meant and quite franckly that was the beginning of the end
6 Jul 2012, 14:13 pm
6 Jul 2012, 14:14 pm
best game of the season, pitty it had shite refs. Aussie or nz refs dont have a clue when it comes to rucks and steve walsh doesn’t have a clue about scrums, crocket could have been penalised at every scrum.
6 Jul 2012, 14:25 pm
Liking Xhosakids vibe.
Especially the bit about political appointees.
6 Jul 2012, 14:27 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-335:
flip, i dont even remember anymore, dawn.
i do remember it had something to do with either praising the bulls backline coach or mocking the stormers backline coach and also being mocked by ufo, who called me galileo sarcastically* (in a cape town way).
so the whole nic was something like ‘galileo rates the roundness of a certain unions backline coach’ or something the other.
but there were complaints about ridiculously long nic so i shortened it.
thats the best i can do
@chch(chch)-338:
sure its nice to think,
but by the looks of them i’d sat any of the chiefs, crusaders and bulls would be impossible to beat at home.
not so sure about the stormers and brumbies.
6 Jul 2012, 14:33 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-382:
he is right.
its a sad day when our rugby administrators are as apt at a trough as our government politicos.
being a bok supporter is like being in the middel of an ugly three way ‘*** love party’ sandwhich… we’re getting farked by those filthy cheats on the one side and those filthy trough suits on the other.
let me tell you
double penetration is not for sissies…
6 Jul 2012, 14:43 pm
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-384: How does that even work in the real world?
My biggest fear is crossing swords…
6 Jul 2012, 14:45 pm
@BreakdownBoy(goodstuff)-375: You are looking at this the wrong way, the problem you highlight of “isolation” is poor and just plain scare-mongering, the real downside to us pulling out of this current mess and having our own Premier League, would result in all the top players around the world wanting to sign for Bull, WP, Sharks etc etc, this to the detriment of local talent, just like English Football is suffering for it, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal have virtually no English players, resulting in England being poor.
Be progressive with your thinking not regressive, please
6 Jul 2012, 14:55 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-382: If those pchuks at SARU were business people, Aus and NZ should paying us to play in Super Rugby, not the other way around.
6 Jul 2012, 14:56 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-385:
well i’ve watched enough porn to know though it might look good when a hot german blond or olive skinned brazilian babe is getting the stuffing dp’d out of her.
but imaging that happening to…you….player 23….jan… the supporter…
ja, i know…freaky..very freaky…
and the goons dp’ing are ugly, filthy pigs..
sjoe!
i feel light headed
6 Jul 2012, 14:59 pm
i refuse to be someone’s dp sandwhich bag
i will opt out of this unholy alliance
from here on in its cc only for me
6 Jul 2012, 14:59 pm
fark you saru
and
fark you keewees
6 Jul 2012, 15:00 pm
Indeed Xhosakid.
South Africa in a nutshell sadly.
6 Jul 2012, 15:01 pm
@galileo, roundness, union, coach…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-390:
me thinks you need some more valium, have you run out?
6 Jul 2012, 15:07 pm
China making a night of it.
6 Jul 2012, 15:18 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-344:
The 3 countries split the money 3 ways. Equal share. SA used to get 40%, but a new deal was reached when this stupid conference system came into play.
Xhosakid is quite right to say that NZL should never EVER get close to what SA gets (yet they get the same).
SA should get 50% of the revenue with NZL and Aus taking 25% each. Or at the very least, 45,27.5,27.5 .
Not the Kiwi’s problem though. It’s ours and the greedy fools from SA who no doubt took some under the table payments when the ‘equal split’ deal was reached.
6 Jul 2012, 15:18 pm
I see the Savages are restless…
6 Jul 2012, 15:19 pm
Talk me through the big night you’ve got planned.
6 Jul 2012, 15:20 pm
Just read the the Ryan’s report, very well written and guess what – not a single mentioning of a ref. Just 2 words “contentious try”. And keeping in mind that even taking away that controversial try Crusaders scored 2 points more than the opposition, it’s enough.
That’s a refreshing piece in the middle of wailing chorus.
6 Jul 2012, 15:24 pm
I like Xhosakids idea…
SA Premier League Rugby..
8 Teams… Start it short and sweet, in between SH and NH seasons – round about now and June…
9 week compo – each team plays eachother once… top 4 semis… Then final.
Recruit players from everywhere on auction basis similar to IPL…
Schweet… Fck Sanzar once and for all…
6 Jul 2012, 15:27 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-398:
great idea except very few foreign players would want to live in SA to dangerous, ask Mitch he was seconds away from death
6 Jul 2012, 15:28 pm
Well it won’t involve sitting here on keo with my pielie in the water hoping for a nibble.
There is talk of dinner at HQ
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