Hurricanes' 34 points end Crusaders' 36-match unbeaten streak at home
They were the last Super Rugby side to defeat the Crusaders in Christchurch four long years ago. Tonight the Hurricanes repeated the dose with a supremely patient and disciplined display to stun the defending champions 34-32 and end their stretch of 36 unbeaten games at home.
TJ Perenara and Ardie Savea were involved in that 2016 victory and they will again savour the night the Hurricanes proved the Crusaders are, indeed, beatable.
The Hurricanes did so with a commitment to the collisions and an undaunted attitude.
Perhaps the Crusaders are starting to feel the pinch of an injury toll that now includes Braydon Ennor, David Havili, Scott Barrett, Cullen Grace and Ethan Blackadder.
Still, a side that has claimed the last three Super Rugby titles does not reach for excuses. They were beaten by a better side on their home patch to throw Super Rugby Aotearoa wide open.
Nothing should detract from the manner in which the Hurricanes stormed Christchurch.
With Beauden Barrett shifting north this season, the Hurricanes have largely flown under the radar. They were supposed to be fighting for best of the rest after losing their first two games of the New Zealand derby season. Since then, though, the unheralded Wellington outfit has found a groove – winning four straight to revive a once flatlining campaign.
This victory will be sweeter than any other this season.
As he does every week, All Blacks playmaker Richie Mo’unga did his best to spark a Crusaders comeback in the second half. The Hurricanes led 21-17 at halftime, and 31-20 midway through the second half, but when Mo’unga has the ball in his hands, anything is possible.
Two pieces of Mo’unga magic almost turned the result. First he produced a solo chip and chase after plucking ball from the air to help set up Quinten Strange’s 69th-minute try that reduced the margin to four points. Mo’unga then made a break and put Sevu Reece in at the corner to give himself a chance to tie the match with a sideline conversion.
That strike proved a step too far, though, and the Hurricanes held on for the final two minutes for a memorable upset.
Jordie Barrett kicked 17 points and dynamic hooker Asafo Aumua produced another impressive performance starting in Dane Coles’ absence.
This was a hugely attritional match that featured seven tries and claimed the in-form Ngani Laumape, who injured his forearm attempting to tackle Joe Moody in the 48th minute and then left the field in a dejected mood after attempting to play on.
Peter Umaga-Jensen, one of the standout figures from centre for the Hurricanes, also departed after scoring in the 62th minute and taking a head knock in the process.
The Hurricanes arrived with intent to get in the face and rattle the Crusaders. On defence the visitors brought relentless linespeed aggression and while they didn’t always get this right, the Crusaders knew they were in a battle from the outset.
Barrett won the fullback duel with his spiral bombs giving opposing fullback Will Jordan a challenging evening.
On attack, the Hurricanes used the width well with forwards and backs linking to create space on the edges where Wes Goosen twice finished sweeping movements. Inside Goosen, Umaga-Jensen picked up where he left off last week by showcasing his strength in contact with brilliantly timed angled bursts from centre.
The Crusaders’ main area of dominance came from their scrum where they took advantage after the Hurricanes lost prop Tyrel Lomax and locks Isaia Walker-Leawere and Vaea Fifita prior to kickoff. Sixteen minutes into the contest fellow Hurricanes prop Fraser Armstrong then departed with shoulder injury.
Mo’unga scored the Crusaders’ first try after a nice tip on pass from Jack Goodhue at first receiver. George Bridge claimed their second following a Reece bust, the All Blacks wing kicking ahead a wide pass and somehow getting to the ball first after the bouncing ball wrong-footed Barrett in-goal.
Other than those two passages, though, the Hurricanes dominated territory and possession and therefore deserved their half time advantage after four lead changes.
The Crusaders started the second spell with a plan to keep the ball in hand. Mo’unga challenged the line much more, attempting to ignite his team, and the Crusaders increased their offloading game.
Opting not to kick the ball away the Crusaders denied the Hurricanes possession for large periods to close within two points.
But unlike so many occasions before, this time it was the visitors who held their composure in Christchurch.
Hurricanes 34 (Wes Goosen 2, Peter Umaga-Jensen tries; Jordie Barrett 2 cons, 5 pens)
Crusaders 32 (Richie Mo’unga, George Bridge, Quinten Strange, Sevu Reece tries; Mo’unga 3 cons, 2 pens)
HT: 21-17
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
81 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to comments