Crusaders player ratings: ‘Sensational’ Johnny McNicholl shines with overlooked All Blacks forwards to outclass the Blues
Johnny McNicholl and an inset of Christian Lio-Willie.
Following the Crusaders’ 52-31 victory over the Blues, here’s how we rated Rob Penney’s men in the Super Rugby Pacific Qualifying Final in Christchurch.
Crusaders player ratings v Blues
15 Johnny McNicholl: 35 years young and has filled the void of Will Jordan superbly. He scored three stunning tries today but was excellent in everything he did. Solid under the high ball, threatening with ball in hand, ran great support lines and even made a clutch cover tackle on the hour mark. Form is temporary, class is permanent, and McNicholl is all class. 9
14 Chay Fihaki: Sharp, sharp finish on the hour mark and he made good decisions in the build-up to Reece’s early try. He had very few opportunities with ball in hand all game but fared well under the high ball and defensively. 6
13 Dallas McLeod: One of several players who didn’t make it past the first quarter. The midfielder played a part in Reece’s try and put in a decent overall shift before he was forced off with an injury. 6
12 David Havili (c): A proper captain’s knock. Solid in defence, excellent in attack and had real standout moments at telling times that took the game out of the Blues’ reach. He sensationally set-up McNicholl’s second try and brilliantly held up Anton Segner in the 51st minute. He also crossed for a try. 8
11 Sevu Reece: Scored his 74th try in Super Rugby ahead of his departure to Perpignan but overall, it was a solid performance from the winger under the high ball. He assisted Fihaki’s try with a very average pass but it worked. 6
10 Taha Kemara: Ran an incredibly accurate and ruthless attack that ripped the Blues‘ defence to shreds. While he was on the pitch, the Crusaders averaged 4.4 points per entry into the Blues’ 22, and he played a pivotal role in that success rate, organising the attack and striking himself. He kicked well off the tee, missing just one shot at goal, and his open play kicking was of a high standard too. His combination with Havili will be crucial for the Crusaders going forward, as proven again today. He departed proceedings with his team boasting a 26-point buffer and played a big part in that lead. 7
9 Noah Hotham: Played a good supporting role for Kemara in what was a strong performance from the All Blacks scrum-half. He went about his work with little fuss and errors while kicking reasonably well from the rucks. Made way for Kyle Preston early in the second half when the Crusaders were comfortably in front. 6
The forwards
8 Christian Lio-Willie: A head knock interrupted what was a special performance from the Crusaders back-rower who will be hoping to get a call from Dave Rennie in the coming weeks. His first 50-odd minutes on the park included an exquisite Sonny Bill Williams-esque offload for McNicholl to slice through the Aucklanders’ defence, and his handling was equally impressive for Kemara’s score. He muscled up when carrying to the line too and pitched in with 15 tackles. He returned in the final quarter of the match and continued his fine form to see the ‘Saders over the line. 8
7 Leicester Fainga’anuku: Less blockbuster than some of his other performances on the side of the scrum but no less important. He made a massive carry and offload in the build-up to Havili’s try. Competed well on the deck and enjoyed another strong outing on the whole. 7
6 Ethan Blackadder: A classy 63 minutes from the All Blacks back-rower who has been in brilliant form since his return from injury. He combined stunningly with Lio-Willie to set-up one of McNicholl’s try. He denied AJ Lam a score with some sensational defence and gained even more ground for the Crusaders soon after ripping possession off the Blues. Led the tackle count when he was on the park, finishing with 24 and is bound to come into the All Blacks conversation again this year and rightly so. 8
5 Jamie Hannah: A gorgeous offload led to the Crusaders’ first try of the game and a superb Pita Ahki tackle denied him the chance to repeat the feat. He showed his athleticism with some great carries in the tram lines but got stuck into the grunt work in the middle of the park too. 7
4 Antonio Shalfoon: Some excellent lineout play from the lock who troubled the Blues’ set-piece, made his tackles and carried strongly. Very much a job done and done well kind of shift from the 28-year-old. 6
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3 George Bower: A real asset for the Canterbury club with his ability to switch between loosehead and tighthead prop. He performed solidly in the latter today, with the scrums not having a major influence on the game, which is a real feather in his cap considering he went up against Ofa Tu’ungafasi. Returned in the last 13 minutes to finish the game out at loosehead. 7
2 Codie Taylor: Tipped as a potential All Blacks skipper, Taylor had somewhat of an uncharacteristic performance with a few wayward lineout throws and a few handling errors. Still, it wasn’t all bad as he had strong carries throughout his shift and was mammoth on defence. 5
1 Finlay Brewis: The scrum honours were even for the hour that Brewis was on the park. The loosehead prop held his own against Marcel Renata and put in a massive defensive shift, making 18 tackles. He can hold his head high for his efforts. 7
Replacements: The Blues improved in the latter stages of the game and much of that had to do with the Crusaders being so far ahead but also because the impact from the bench was rather average. Braydon Ennor impressed as did Kyle Preston but Penney will demand better in the semi-final. 5