Following the 21-14 victory over the Blues to progress Super Rugby Pacific Final, here’s how we rated the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Crusaders player ratings
15 Will Jordan: Of course he scored a brace even if his second was a very out-of-character score, doing a forward’s job. One of the Crusaders’ backs who really threatened the Blues’ defence and was safe as ever at the back. Has hardly missed a beat since returning from injury, an imperious talent. 8
14 Chay Fihaki: One of the busiest Crusaders’ backs. Gained over 30 metres with the ball in hand, popped up in the midfield to challenge the Blues’ defence and was solid defensively. 6
13 Braydon Ennor: Hardly saw the ball in attack and was yellow carded for a clumsy tackle. 5
12 David Havili (c): A captain’s knock on defence as he stifled the Blues’ attack on multiple occasions. He kicked well out of hand too and showed off his wide-ranging skillset. A key cog in the Crusaders’ backline, and they will hope he is fit for the final. 7
11 Sevu Reece: The ball didn’t come his way much on attack, but Reece was decent enough in the air and chased the high bombs well. An average performance, but not really his fault. 5
10 Rivez Reihana: The fly-half carried the ball to the line quite a lot, which meant that the Crusaders struggled to get much width on attack. A few wayward kicks out of hand too, but overall, it was a solid enough performance from the first-five who nailed his shots at goal and steered the Crusaders over the line. 7
9 Noah Hotham: He improved as the game progressed but was error-ridden and coughed up good attacking positions. He did pitch in with a try assist but not his finest outing this season. 4
Dominant pack
8 Christian Lio-Willie: What it a season it has been for the number eight who is surely in the mix for an All Blacks call-up. Brutally effective with ball in hand and relentless in defence. Brilliantly won the last turnover to put the final nail in the Blues’ coffin. 8
7 Tom Christie: Played his part in a brilliant Crusaders’ back-row during his 54-minute shift, which included a try, 10 tackles and a turnover. Did what was required of him and did it well. 7
6 Ethan Blackadder: The kind of warrior you’d happily go to war with. When fit, he always gives his all and does so in a world-class manner. Brilliant in every facet of the game and is bound to earn a recall to the All Blacks squad for his efforts. Led the charge defensively and was really effective at the breakdown and with the ball in hand. 9
5 Antonio Shalfoon: A solid performer for the Crusaders in the second row, and his work-rate was much the same again today. Tidy without being brilliant. 6
4 Scott Barrett: Never really has a poor game despite the backlash earlier in the season. He has shone in recent matches and today was much the same, with a tidy and aggressive shift while he ran the lineout well too. 7
3 Fletcher Newell: Set the tone with a dominant scrummaging performance against the in-form Joshua Fuitu’a. Lively in the loose too. 8
2 Codie Taylor: Shows no signs of slowing down as he enters what should be the twilight of his career. Another classy shift from the veteran who was sharp at the set-pieces and brutally effective in the loose. The All Blacks hooker shifted a gear after a solid outing last week. 8
1 George Bower: Impressed in the absence of Tamaiti Williams, producing an importantly solid scrummaging performance, including an incredibly dominant final scrum, while weighing in with a turnover and 10 tackles. 7
Replacements: Cullen Grace picked up from where Christie left off with an abrasive shift off the bench, while the front-row kept the pressure on the visitors at scrum time. The bench proved pivotal in shutting out the Blues at the death to seal the victory and dethrone the defending champions. 8