Crusaders v Blues: Five takeaways as ‘ruthless’ champions, inspired by All Blacks snubs, punish ‘truly terrible tackle’ to extend insane record
Crusaders captain David Havili and an inset of the dangerous tackle.
Following the Crusaders’ 52-31 Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final victory over the Blues, here are our five takeaways from the clash in Christchurch.
The top Line
The Crusaders‘ insane record of never losing a home play-off match in the history of Super Rugby continued on Saturday as they breezed to an eight-try, 21-point victory over their old foes.
While the ‘Saders were a class above the visitors today, it was the Blues who started the match brightest, expertly exiting their 22, winning the ensuing lineout and forcing an error from Johnny McNicholl to earn an attacking lineout inside the Crusaders’ half. A smart strike move from the lineout saw Sam Nock sprint through for the opening try as the Blues raced into a 7-0 point lead.
The Crusaders replied seven minutes later as Sevu Reece hit back for the hosts, with the turning point in the encounter coming in the 18th minute when Blues number eight Malachi Wrampling thundered into Leicester Fainga’anuku. His contact was dangerous and was duly punished with a yellow card that was upgraded to a 20-minute red, and during that period, the Blues unravelled.
McNicholl continued his stunning season in red and black, scoring shortly after Wrampling was sin-binned and while Anton Segner got one back for the visitors, the Crusaders ruthlessly ripped through the Blues’ defence, scoring three tries before the break through captain David Havili, winger Chay Fihaki and fly-half Taha Kemara. By the time the Blues were restored to 15 men, they were trailing 33-14 and that’s how things remained until the break.
The hosts were first to strike in the second half as McNicholl completed his brace after nine minutes as the Crusaders went 26 points clear. McNicholl completed his hat-trick after Xavi Taele hit back for the Blues, and while Payton Spencer and Caleb Clarke scored either side of
Manumaua Letiu’s five-pointer, the Aucklanders never really threatened a comeback in the second stanza.
Costly 20 minutes
The Blues were making a good fist of becoming the first team to ever beat the Crusaders in a Super Rugby knockout match in Christchurch as they traded blow for blow in the opening 20 minutes. However, Wrampling undid all his hard work and that of his teammates with a truly terrible tackle attempt on Fainga’anuku.
Fainga’anuku has been in tremendous form upon his return to the Crusaders after his spell in France and has been a revelation on the side of the scrum. So it is understandable that Wrampling realised the threat that he posed in the Blues’ 22 and wanted to put in a good shot on the All Black, but his execution let him down.
He had a clear line of sight on the Crusaders’ hybrid and more than enough time to adjust his body height, but he didn’t. Instead, he was upright and thundered his shoulder directly into Fainga’anuku’s head, providing a perfect example of what constitutes a red card for a dangerous tackle. Nic Berry followed protocol by issuing a yellow card and sending the incident for a review, and the swiftness of the foul play review officer’s verdict proves just how clear-cut the call was.
Well that should be the end of Malachi Wrampling-Alec’s game. #CRUvBLU pic.twitter.com/4qYYWfua3J
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) June 6, 2026
At the time of the incident, the scores were level at seven points apiece, but by the time the 20-minute sin-binning period elapsed and the Blues were able to bring Hoskins Sotutu on as a replacement, Vern Cotter’s men were trailing 33-14. Wrampling’s actions resulted in a 19-point swing in the Crusaders’ favour, and when facing a club that has won 32 consecutive home play-off matches, a visiting team simply cannot afford that.
The defeat doesn’t fall solely on his shoulders but his actions were incredibly detrimental to their cause.
Crusaders’ ruthlessness and defensive prowess
The Crusaders are always a different beast in Christchurch and showed it today, leading for 74% (60 minutes) of this encounter despite the Blues’ strong start. Rob Penney’s men did so despite the Blues dominating possession (60%), which meant that they were asked to make 269 tackles and completed 240.
They were incredibly disciplined, conceding just three penalties all game, compared to the Aucklanders’ eight, and while their defensive efforts were seriously impressive, their attack was what put the final nail in the Blues’ coffin.
The Crusaders entered the Blues’ 22 on 12 occasions and averaged 4.3 points per entry over the 80 minutes, with the likes of Fainga’anuku, Havili, Kemara, Lio-Willie and McNicholl starring with ball in hand and causing all kinds of havoc for the Blues’ defence. It was ruthless and accurate from the ‘Saders who managed to score at will, particularly on turnover ball.
It was a proper professional performance from the defending champions, a statement of intent in reply to the sensational Hurricanes.
Lacklustre Blues missed Beauden Barrett
Beauden Barrett’s form has been hotly debated this season but there is no two ways about it, the Blues missed the All Blacks veteran who was sidelined with a quad strain.
In his absence, Vern Cotter clearly instructed the Aucklanders to play much of their rugby off nine and it worked well when Nock was on the park but they needed a strong tactical and game management presence in the number 10 jumper during the 20-minute red card period and simply didn’t have it in Stephen Perofeta.
Perofeta is a wonderfully talented player but he has never really distinguished himself as an out-and-out fly-half or full-back, which has limited his chances with the All Blacks and ultimately impacted the Blues today.
One has to wonder how differently things could have panned out for the Aucklanders had Barrett been running the show. For long periods of this match, the Blues were one-dimensional with ball in hand, simply going through the phases in tight and lacking any incision. Their opening try was a result of their excellent kicking game, but unfortunately, they didn’t lean into it enough despite some shaky takes from the likes of Reece and Fihaki. In fact, they kicked just once more (18 times) than the Crusaders did all game despite their possession dominance.
Looking ahead
The absurd lucky losers format means that Cotter’s men will now make the trip to Wellington to face the Hurricanes in the semi-final after the Chiefs got the job done over Queensland. Meanwhile, the Crusaders head to Hamilton to take on the Chiefs as four New Zealand teams remain standing.
The ‘Saders will be a threat to the Chiefs with several All Blacks hitting fantastic late-season form. Havili was mesmeric in the midfield today and is staking a serious bid to return to the black jersey, with the same true for the tireless Ethan Blackadder and the bullish Lio-Willie. Fainga’anuku has been superb all season while George Bower has impressed too. Then there is McNicholl who has filled Will Jordan’s void sensationally.
The Crusaders can never be written off when it comes to a title charge, and things are coming together quite nicely as they chase a record-extending 14th championship – 16th if you include Super Rugby Aotearoa.