Super XV Big Match Review - Chiefs 28 - 19 Crusaders

There’s a theory that once you’ve tasted success, your appetite and drive to succeed actually diminishes – the logic being that it loses some of its mystique because you know it’s attainable.  I think this is a load of garbage.  I seem to be constantly on a diet in order to maintain my fine chassis of a physique (I have low standards) and I can categorically say that if I hadn’t tasted chocolate, a quarter pounder with cheese or a Harvey’s Best Bitter (try it, it’s superb), I wouldn’t give a flying fig about not eating them; I wouldn’t have cravings because I wouldn’t know what I’m missing.

That’s why I think that it’s the teams who have won before and have been, or have realised they might be, denied since their victory.  One you’ve tasted the smooth, malty and deep-hopped flavour of success (sorry, that’s the Harvey’s again), you never want anything else.  It explains why Leicester, Leinster and, in fact, the Crusaders have all been so dominant at various points over the last 10 years.  And on Friday night, we not only had two sides who had tasted success previously (the Crusaders 5 years ago, the Chiefs last year) and were desperate to get their hands back onto the trophy, but we also had the added bonus of two sides who can both, on their day, play ‘Total Rugby’.

The game started as you would have expected it to between these 2 sides – explosively.  After a well struck penalty from Tom Taylor got the visitors on the board, the hosts struck straight back in the 10^th minute – although it wasn’t in the free-flowing, enterprising form we’re used to from the Chiefs.  Instead, perhaps inspired by their defensive shut out of Wellington last weekend, the hosts grabbed a 5 pointer through pressure, with Aaron Cruden getting one up on his All Blacks rival to charge down Dan Carter’s laboured clearance, regather the ball score.  A simple conversion made the score 7-3, before the Crusaders made their own statement.

Long gone are the days of a Canterbury side throwing the ball about with reckless abandon – this is an intelligent side that recognises that whilst they may not have the out and out firepower anymore, they do have some smart rugby players and some damned good forwards.  With Kieran Read leading the way, the visitors charged their way towards the hosts’ line, and eventually impressive openside flanker Matt Todd powered his way over from close range.  Taylor added the extras to give the men in red a 3 point advantage after 20 minutes.

It didn’t last long though – 3 minutes in fact.  Firstly Cruden added a penalty for an offside before lightning struck for a second time in the not-so-lightening-quick form of Chiefs captain Craig Clarke, who got a sizeable paw to Tom Marshall’s clearance kick and touched the ball down just before it went dead.  Although Cruden missed the tricky conversion and Taylor nudged over another penalty on the cusp of half time, the hosts held a slender lead at the break.

That seemed to spur the visitors on, who must surely have known that this is becoming make or break time in terms of their championship ambitions.  The powerful pack was rumbling well with the Whitelock brothers particularly impressing, and 2 penalties from Taylor in the first 10 minutes gave the Crusaders a 4 point advantage, swiftly reduced to one with another successful attempt from Cruden.

The hosts finally woke up in the second period with 15 minutes to go and started pounding at the visitors’ line, but this Crusaders’ defence has been tough to breach all season and a combination of tough tackling a sloppy handling kept the reigning Champions out before Charlie Ngatai was denied a score by the TMO, citing obstruction by centre Bunde Aki as the reason.  Was that the chance to remain top of the Super Rugby standings gone?  Not quite. 

This had been a real arm-wrestle and, as you would expect, had a couple of extra twists in store for the 22’000 fans in Waikato Stadium.  With 10 minutes remaining, Bunde Aki made amends for his earlier transgression by hitting a great line to go over for the score following Lelia Masaga’s powerful charge.  Cruden added the conversion before, cruelly, knocking over another penalty on 80 minutes to deny the Crusaders even a losing bonus point in a match that they had fought tooth and nail for.

But such is the nature of the beast.  The Crusaders leave with nothing, and the Chiefs have everything.  Well, not everything – they have a Super Rugby title to chase down.  And boy do they look hungry for it.

 

What else was happening across Super Rugby last weekend?

Rebels 24 – 22 Waratahs:  The Rebels claimed a historic and surprise win against the inform Waratahs with a dramatic victory in Melbourne.  Tom English scored both early and late in the game to seal the win whilst that man Israel Folau scored again for the NSW side with an interception.

Blues 13 – 20 Brumbies:  The Brumbies overcame a powerful Blues fightback to claim a critical win in Auckland.  The visitors raced away to an early lead thanks to a try from Nic White but the hosts clawed their way back into things, with the impressive Rene Ranger going over for a 5 pointer.

Force 19 – 18 Highlanders:  The Highlanders cemented their status as the league's most disappointing side with a loss to fellow strugglers the Force in Perth.  The Force scored the only try of the game in first half through Sias Ebersohn, whilst the visitors could only get their points from the boots of Hayden Thomas and Colin Slade.

Kings 22 – 34 Cheetahs:  The Kings were comfortably beaten at home by rivals the Cheetahs, despite a late effort from substitute Nicolas Vergallo.  The visitors were rampant though, clocking up four tries from Johann Sadie (2), Petrus van Zyl and Willie Le Roux.

Stormers 20 – 15 Reds:  Jean De Villiers' try was the difference in an incredibly tight game at Newlands.  The captain went over early in the second half, whilst the rest of the hosts' points came courtesy of Joe Pietersen.  Quade Cooper kicked all 15 of the Reds' points.

Sharks 16 – 18 Bulls:  A late Morne Steyn penalty sealed a dramatic win for the Bulls in Durban.  The Sharks scored the only try of the game through Charl Mcleod, with Pat Lambie kicking 11 points, but the boot of Steyn was enough to seal an away win for the South African conference leaders.