Crusaders vs Reds takeaways: Halfpenny disappoints, the verdict on Havili at 10
The Queensland Reds came away with their first win since 1999 by beating the Crusaders 33-28 in a thrilling Super Rugby Pacific match.
The Reds raced out to a 12-0 lead with tries to McReight and young star Tim Ryan, before building a 21-7 lead early in the second half.
The Crusaders mounted a comeback to level proceedings at 21-all but couldn’t make enough plays down the stretch as the Reds created history.
Here are five takeaways from the Crusaders loss to the Reds.
Harry Wilson was phenomenal
The Reds backrow duo of Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson continue to dominate. McReight had two turnovers won inside the first 20 minutes, but praise must go to Wilson for his continued hot form at No.8. He must be the Wallabies front runner at this stage.
The workhorse had 19 carries and 16 tackles in another industrious performance leading from the front, coming up with numerous big plays.
There are moments of class that won’t show on the stat sheet that highlight Wilson’s brilliance. On the Reds’ first try to McReight, Wilson took an offload of the deck to rumble play down inside the five. On the very next phase he ran a dummy line and made a late decision to let the ball sail onward to McReight to crash over.
Wilson sensed the defender coming hard, let the ball go one man wider who had a better chance of scoring.
Before Toomaga-Allen’s try it was a one-handed pick up by Wilson around the 22 that cleaned up a bad throw. The Reds went Wilson carry, McReight carry, Wilson carry, McReight carry all the way inside the five. With penalty advantage, the former Hurricanes prop crashed over.
At 21-all he came up with some individual brilliance, charging down a David Havili exit kick and pouncing on the loose ball to score a critical try to put the Reds up 28-21.
The verdict on Havili at 10
After a nudge from the All Blacks coaching staff, utility David Havili was handed the No.10 jersey against the Reds. Given the state of play by Crusaders’ first fives this year, it was actually a winner.
Havili’s skills shone through, with a beautiful cutout pass scoring the would-be opening try to Cullen Grace if not for a knock-on at the base of the ruck. His pass was crisp and on-target, allowing the Crusaders to run some decent shape for the first time this year. The set-piece plays looked a touch better with Havili pulling the strings.
There was one miscue with Sevu Reece, Havili popped a pass to no-one expecting Reece to be on the outside shoulder, but overall Havili demonstrated some silky playmaking, engaging the line before throwing a pullback pass like a natural.
He showed a booming leg in the backfield, his kicking out-of-hand was reliable, despite the charge down try to Wilson that came from a poor exit set-up.
The move to No.10 looks like it could be a winner for the Crusaders, and the All Blacks where Havili can cover multiple positions in the backline.
Halfpenny a disappointment
The former Welsh fullback didn’t set the world on fire in his first Super Rugby Pacific appearance. Renown as a metronomic goal-kicker, he duffed a sitter of a penalty early in the game from nearly dead in front.
The 35-year-old didn’t have the explosiveness required to make plays. On a first phase shift wide inside the Reds’ 22 early in the game, Halfpenny tried to beat the Reds’ flyer Tim Ryan on the outside instead of giving the ball early to Sevu Reece for a one-on-one with the fullback. Suffice to say Halfpenny didn’t have the gas and was brought down.
The Reds game plan involved lots of attacking kicks in behind into the Crusaders backfield, clearly targetting what they saw as a weakness. A number of these found the turf and only the bounce of the ball prevented tries being scored.
He was subbed after 43 minutes early in the second half.
Levi Aumua starting to look like a star
Aumua had a strong game carrying 17 times for 65 running metres. He beat 12 defenders as his bulldozing runs proved very difficult to handle.
He got the offload game going late in the first half too. He had successfully freed the left edge late in the first half and threw an offload around the corner for reserve hooker George Bell, just as he cut in field to clean. If he held his line he would have been over untouched for a try in the corner.
Another skilful offload moments later put Cullen Grace away down the sideline for a half-chance right on half-time.
His strong carry laid the platform in the Crusaders in the second half, almost scoring himself but getting held up. A shoelace pick-up on a crash line turned into seven when he burst through McReight and Wilson, stayed on his feet and crashed down a metre from the line. Quinten Strange scored on a pick and go on the next phase.
He sent Wallaby-hopeful Josh Flook flying three metres backward on a run midway through the second half.
Tim Ryan’s success part of a sea change for Australian rugby
Australia’s young star winger backed up his Blues’ hat-trick with a double against the Crusaders, including the match-sealing try by latching onto a grubber kick by Josh Flook. The skilful play saw Ryan use speed, brilliant anticipation and handling, and power all in the same move.
Ryan is part of a new breed of Aussie backs where being a natural rugby player is first and foremost.
Too often in the past Australia has valued vanity metrics over guys who are just good rugby players. The loss of Mack Hansen is a perfect example, but it seems there has been a sea change in thinking.
Both Reds’ wingers Mac Grealy and Tim Ryan are on the smaller side, but have proven to be reliable, wily, gritty, smart players. They anticipate play unfolding well and have a knack for making the right play.
On Ryan’s first try, it was Grealy who held the ball a touch longer to perfectly thread it in-between two Crusaders defenders. His timing pretty much made it impossible for the Crusaders to cover Ryan. A pass too early or too late may have bombed the opportunity, but Grealy got it right. It’s plays (and players) like that which have been missing for years in Australian Super sides.
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Comments on RugbyPass
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
2 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
6 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
2 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
6 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
6 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to commentsTruely great player. In social media and opinion pieces he was held up and flogged for the results. People wanted someone to crucify, and he was the captain. He was still an immense presence respected by his peers. His battles with Siya Kolisi belong up with with Collins vs Burger in my opinion. Unlucky to be carded in the final, but I don’t agree that his red card was the defining moment. Not when you look at the dominant performances of the Springboks (PSDT in particular.) I think Cane should be remembered for the spirit and physicality that is special to test rugby.
16 Go to commentsSam was the man until he got injured .
16 Go to comments_Crusaders versus Leinster _at the moment might be a rout! But I would like to see the Blues play Toulouse, the Hurricanes front up against Stade Francais, and the Chiefs go against Toulon.
157 Go to comments