Highlanders v Crusaders: Five takeaways as Will Jordan ‘shows his class’ in visitors’ ‘clinical’ victory in Dunedin
Crusaders full-back Will Jordan and Highlanders outside back Timoci Tavatavanawai.
Following the Crusaders’ 43-10 triumph over the Highlanders in their Super Rugby Pacific clash at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday, Planet Rugby picks out five takeaways from the thrilling action.
The top line
The Crusaders showed once again why they are serious contenders for the Super Rugby Pacific title this year as they delivered a clinical performance en route to this triumph.
The men from Christchurch showed they meant business from the outset and despite losing starting fly-half Taha Kemara to what looked like a serious injury early on, they soon took control of proceedings as they raced into a 14-0 lead courtesy of two well-taken Will Jordan tries.
The visitors continued to dominate as the half progressed and held a deserved 21-0 lead at half-time after Codie Taylor also crossed the whitewash.
The second half was a different matter as the Highlanders were more competitive and we had to wait until the 24th minute until the Crusaders extended their lead courtesy of a Rivez Reihana penalty.
Five minutes later, the Highlanders finally opened their account courtesy of a Jonah Lowe try but the Crusaders struck back shortly afterwards when Corey Kellow crossed the whitewash in spectacular fashion.
Chay Fihaki and Veveni Lasaqa then traded tries in the game’s closing stages before Taylor sealed an emphatic win for the Crusaders when he crossed for his second five-pointer after the full-time hooter had sounded.
Will Jordan shows his class
The All Blacks flyer showed why he is rated as the world’s best full-back as he delivered an outstanding all-round display which played a big part in the Crusaders’ victory.
The 27-year-old was in the thick of the action from the outset and gave the men from Christchurch an early advantage when he went over for his two tries in quick succession during the early stages of this match.
Jordan opened the scoring as early as the 10th minute when he ran onto a pass from Reihana on the Highlanders’ 10-metre line before showing a superb turn of speed which took him past three defenders on his way over the try-line.
Five minutes later, Jordan launched an attack down the left-hand touchline and traded passes with Macca Springer before he cantered in for his second five-pointer.
Although he did not cross the whitewash again, Jordan continued to provide headaches to the Highlanders defence as the match progressed and finished with 70 metres gained on attack after making nine runs.
Apart from shining on attack, Jordan was also influential in other areas with his defence excellent throughout while he was also solid under the high ball.
Timoci Tavatavanawai catches the eye again
The Highlanders co-captain has been their star performer throughout this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign and although his side were soundly beaten, he can hold his head high after coming to the fore with another fine all-round display.
Tavatavanawai has impressed at outside centre in his previous matches this year, but with first choice speedsters Jona Nareki and Caleb Tangitau on the sidelines due to injury, the 27-year-old was shifted to the right wing for the clash with the Crusaders.
Despite being further away from the action, Tavatavanawai emptied the tank on attack as he finished with 52 metres gained after making a match-high 19 carries which included eight defenders beaten.
One of those thundering carries left Kellow sprawling on the ground in the second half and the Highlanders stalwart also caught the eye with some big hits in defence.
Despite shining with ball in hand and in the tackle, one of the great strengths of Tavatavanawai’s game is his work at the breakdowns and he put in a huge effort in that department winning a crucial turnover in the second half which takes his tally to 17 breakdown steals for the season.
Overall it was another excellent all-round effort from Tavatavanawai and his fine work should be rewarded with an All Blacks call up later this year.
Crusaders defence paves the way to victory
Although the Crusaders delivered a ruthless attacking performance as they outscored the Highlanders by six tries to two, their defensive efforts should not be underestimated as it was a big reason for their victory.
The Highlanders had most of the possession for long periods during this encounter but they battled to break down a resilient defensive effort from their opponents and at the end of the match it was revealed that the Crusaders had made 218 tackles in this clash compared to the home side’s 118 hits.
That’s a massive difference and although the Highlanders dominated the possession stakes (58%), the visitors deserve plenty of credit for showing patience on defence and they eventually reaped the rewards.
In the first half, Super Rugby’s most successful team were reduced to 14 men when All Blacks hooker Taylor was yellow carded in the 16th minute but despite being under the cosh inside their 22 for long periods, the Crusaders’ defence held firm and the Highlanders could not exploit their numerical advantage.
It was a similar story during the latter stages of the opening period when the Highlanders were camped inside the visitors’ 22 but they could not breach their defensive line and a crucial breakdown steal from Taylor on Highlanders number eight Will Stodart meant the teams changed sides at half-time with the Crusaders holding a comfortable 21-0 lead.
That theme continued into the second half and despite the hosts showing more urgency with ball in hand, they had to wait until the third quarter before scoring their opening points courtesy of Lowe’s try.
More questions than answers for the Highlanders
The home side had the bulk of the possession and territory but had little to show for their efforts and their head coach Jamie Joseph will be scratching his head after his side’s performance against the Hurricanes.
Apart from Tavatavanawai, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Lowe were the only players who really tested the Crusaders’ defence with some strong carries but those were few and far between and the rest of their team-mates will have to do some introspection if they want to advance to the play-offs.
The Highlanders forwards came off second best in most of the collisions while their starting half-backs Cameron Millar and Folau Fakatava had little influence on the game.
What will be a concern for Joseph is the fact that his side had most of the possession but they battled to break down the Crusaders’ defence and scored all their points in the final quarter.
This result leaves the Highlanders in second last position in the standings with 17 points amassed from 10 matches played and although they are just four points adrift of the play-off berths, they will have to show considerable improvement in their remaining four league matches if they want to achieve that goal.
Photo credit: James Foy/Speed Media AU/Iconsportswire
