Well-rounded Crusaders the ones to beat
Cutting to the Crusaders bench after Richie Mo’unga had knocked over his fifth penalty to open up an eight-point lead, three figures stood up at the back barking instructions to those on the field. Israel Dagg, Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock.
Without that All Blacks trio boasting over 200 Test caps, the Crusaders had shut down the defending champions off the back of a tactical masterclass, taking them to eleven wins in a row.
No side in New Zealand has a better tight five and how it showed in Christchurch.
Through their quickness off the line in defence they nullified the playmaking ability of Beauden and Jordie Barrett, hassling TJ Perenara at the breakdown to turn clean ball into shovelled passes and all the time forcing the Hurricanes backward in a scramble.
The Hurricanes strike runners who have excelled this year – Vince Aso, Julian Savea and Cory Jane – never saw the ball they have become accustomed to this year, in large part because the Crusaders never allowed the Hurricanes to pounce on the counter-attack.
Without a doubt Dane Coles was missed, both for his aggression and leadership at the heart of that Hurricanes pack, as was Blade Thomson’s niggle in the back row.
But once the Crusaders front row and locks turned the screw after half-time there was no going back, Joe Moody swapping at loosehead prop Wyatt Crockett in an example of their absurd depth to hammer home the win.
No question the Crusaders handled the greasy ball better, although as much as anything that was down to graft. Ryan Crotty set the tone, never the flashiest centre in New Zealand but for work-rate and guts he always stands out and it was the same here with his tackle count and turnover ability.
Beauden Barrett’s arcing runs never got going thanks to the persistent speed in defence of Crotty, Jordan Taufua and the rest.
Warren Gatland will have watched with a smile too, because for the first time this year both Barretts have been kept quiet, and not by ‘The Fox’ or any other gambit.
What it took was speed and intensity around the fringes of the breakdown and dominance at the scrum and the lineout to shut down what little space the AMI Stadium pitch offers up.
How easy that will be for the Lions to re-enact is another matter, but thoughts on the series can wait.
What the Crusaders have done so far in 2017 under a first-time head coach at Super Rugby level in Scott Robertson has almost flown under the radar this season.
We have hailed the impact of George Bridge, Jack Goodhue and David Havili so far, all aged 22 or younger, and now add 20-year-old lock Quinten Strange into the mix after he excelled in an earlier than expected appearance off the bench for Scott Barrett.
Winning of course builds confidence, but the young crop have looked right at home from the off this year and did their ever-improving reputations no harm here. Bridge in particular looks electric when given space.
This was not a night for flair though, as could be told from one try being scored between two sides who had previously racked up 124 in 2017. No, Saturday was about rolling the sleeves up.
One side looked more muscular, quicker and more composed. Fuelling the belief that having had to wait nine years for an eighth title that this at last might be the Crusaders’ year.