Blues bash Saders

Blues bash Saders

1 Mar 2013

Rene Ranger rocked in the Blues fabulous win against the Crusaders.

The Blues scored five unanswered tries in a 34-15 win and Ranger was influential in attack and especially in defence.

The hosts, who scored a bonus-point win against the Hurricanes in Wellington a week ago, had the bonus point for four tries within the hour.

The new coaching staff of John Kirwan, Mick Byrne and Graeme Henry have made an immediate impact and turned a decade of home team Blues into a night of bliss.

The Blues led 20-12 at halftime and Dan Carter reduced the deficit to five points early in the second half, but that was the last of the Crusaders threat as the Blues combined brutal defence with clinical finishing to dominate the match and the result.

Carter’s goalkicking and Matt Todd’s tireless efforts at the breakdown were the only positives for the visitors, who played like a team who hadn’t had a competitive match for some time. This was the Crusaders tournament opener and they were shocking.

Israel Dagg, playing on the wing, had a night to forget and so did most of his teammates as the Blues physicality in defence forced mistake after mistake. The Crusaders made 12 handling errors compared to the four of the Blues.

The home team promised to give it a full crack on attack, as they did against the Canes a week ago, but it has been their desire on defence that has defined the two bonus-point wins in the last fortnight.

Ali Williams was inspirational as captain, Chris Noakes was composed at flyhalf, Ranger was ruthless in everything he did and the back three were lethal with ball in hand.

The Crusaders were too lateral on attack, the running lines of the support runner was poor and physically they were never in the contest in the collisions.

Dagg controversially was denied a try by a TMO ruling that would have made the score 27-20 with 10 minutes to go but the Blues immediately scored a seven pointer from 80 metres as the scoreboard reflected the on-field superiority of the hosts.

Piri Weepu, good in most aspects, succeeded with only two from six strikes, which gives an indication of just how messy it got for the Crusaders. Had Weepu been more accurate the scoreline could have been closer to 50 than 30.

By Mark Keohane


377 Comments

Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 » Show All

  • 51.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:56 am

    Penalty Blues. Cmon Weepu…

  • 52.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:56 am

    These Aucklanders have some big boys in there team.

  • 53.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:57 am

    @BrumbiesBoy-39: so says the JoziBrumbie…irony is but a metal to him.

    :mrgreen:

  • 54.skopdiekan: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:58 am

    All Black selectors are almost as thick as S.A. selectors having a player of Rene Rangers quality and you don’t pick him and send him off to France. Thicker than thick dumber than dumb.

  • 55.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:58 am

    Blues back in front 8-6

  • 56.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:58 am

    @Transformation-53:
    :-)

  • 57.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:59 am

    @Hurricane-52: too many PIs if you ask Tacitus & Hondo… :-)

  • 58.BrumbiesBoy: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:59 am

    @Transformation-53: And it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out who I’ll be supporting when the Capesaders play your Kinks.

  • 59.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:59 am

    Try Halai cmon blues

  • 60.nortierd: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 08:59 am

    Blues on fire

  • 61.The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:00 am

    My my my….where are the the Blues bashers? :) Oh you beautyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

    Too bad Dagg wood, you protest too much :)

    Halai……

  • 62.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:00 am

    Yesssssss

  • 63.Te Rangatira: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:00 am

    Yess…………………..

  • 64.Sharks_are_gonna_get_you: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:00 am

    Good try Blues.

  • 65.grant10: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:00 am

    this is how rugby should be played….respect.

  • 66.grant10: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:01 am

    Bulls better gird the loins for the Auckland trip….

  • 67.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:01 am

    http://www.vipboxsports.me/sports/rugby.html

  • 68.Sharks_are_gonna_get_you: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:01 am

    @Te Rangatira-63: I got the Blues by 7, hopefully they can keep up the good play.

  • 69.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:02 am

    @grant10-66:

    Yip a hiding looms

  • 70.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:02 am

    13-6 to blues, maybe give Noakes a kick now.

  • 71.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:02 am

    Frank Halai is a beast.

  • 72.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:02 am

    Harlequin Blues!

  • 73.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:03 am

    What are they playing on? Carpet? It looks amazing! Pity the Village Idiots cannot grow grass in the Miserable Stadium!

  • 74.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:04 am

    Bad miss by the touch judge there it was a clear knock by blues. Fairs fair.

  • 75.Te Rangatira: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:04 am

    @Sharks_are_gonna_get_you-68:
    Good pick…Blues on to something good at the moment…Good luck

  • 76.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:05 am

    Try Halai wooooohooooo

  • 77.Te Rangatira: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:06 am

    Too Good……Blues

  • 78.Sharks_are_gonna_get_you: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:06 am

    great try BLUES, THEY REALLY PLAYING GOOD RUGGA THIS YEAR.

  • 79.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:06 am

    In North China during the winter we have to die the grass green so that it does not look like straw, or is it hay?

  • 80.Sharks_are_gonna_get_you: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:06 am

    oops caps.

  • 81.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:06 am

    GH the messiah strikes again.

  • 82.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:07 am

    Can u believe it Weepu Converts from the sideline. Great kick to the corner for the halai try by Noakes.

  • 83.Sharks_are_gonna_get_you: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:07 am

    @AiDoc-79: Dye

  • 84.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:07 am

    The Sin City fly half is as good as the Highlanders have.

  • 85.Lang Giel: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    Pollock and 2 assistants can’t spot a knock. These New Zealand officials are the unbelievably poor. … or crooked.

  • 86.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    @Sharks_are_gonna_get_you-83:
    Whoops. Tah!

  • 87.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    Wow Blues are on fire. Should of got Halai for my team. Remember seeing for the 7′s team and thought he is wasted in 7′s.

  • 88.skopdiekan: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    Blues F’ng up the NZ franchise champions like they’re novices. 3 tries to zip and less than 30 mins in

  • 89.RL: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    Saders are missing McCheat big time.

  • 90.Guns: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    Crusaders 18 another tank at 21years.

    Blues found their form again or Ranger just back on his cycle? ;)

  • 91.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:08 am

    @Lang Giel-85:

    Do you have to

  • 92.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:09 am

    20-9 Blues Lead

  • 93.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:09 am

    Yes the grass already looks like it died. Lol.

  • 94.Sharks_are_gonna_get_you: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:10 am

    @AiDoc-93: :lol:

  • 95.grant10: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:11 am

    bulls better not miss 1 st time tackles against these Blues…..or its goodnite nurse

  • 96.AiDoc: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:11 am

    @NZINCHINA-81:
    Shouldn’t you be at work? Its only 1510 BJ time.

  • 97.viewer: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:11 am

    Go my ‘Saders in this, the 18th crusade!

    Some changes have been made following a review of the 2012 season, one of which is the addition of the former AB & canterbury stalwart & NZ’s best inside centre of recent times, aaron mauger, to the coaching team.
    Some fresh faces have been added to the squad, primarily drawn from the dominant ITM cup team.
    I’d like to see a return to the less direct & visually appealing style of play of the early to mid 2000′s. The rapid rise of ryan crotty to me symbolised a slight departure from the famous & characteristic dynamic style of play. The 2002 SR final left an indelible impression on one’s memory after all

  • 98.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:12 am

    @AiDoc-96:

    I work here and there and never when the Blues are playing

  • 99.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:13 am

    GH out thinking Slackadder.

  • 100.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    1 Mar 2013, 09:14 am

    20-12 to Blues… Enthusiasm is contagious amongst the young Blues back line. Keep the score board ticking over boys.

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