'I might be the most hated person in Christchurch': Crusaders star Bryn Hall opens up on Josh McKay's try-saving tackle
Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall is just thankful his side were able to come away with a 32-22 victory over the Highlanders in Christchurch on Sunday to clinch the Super Rugby Aotearoa title.
Thankful because had his teammates not rallied together to overturn the 17-13 half-time deficit at Orangetheory Stadium, he would have been responsible for letting a prime try-scoring, a potentially title-winning, opportunity go to waste.
It was inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half when Hall was put into wide open space by teammate Will Jordan following a scintillating burst through the Highlanders’ defence by Richie Mo’unga.
With the tryline in sight, Hall simply had to reach the in-goal area from 20 metres out and dot the ball down to give his side a one-point advantage and potentially swing the momentum of the game.
Highlanders wing Josh McKay had other ideas, though, with the renowned speedster hunting down the 28-year-old from about 10 metres away to swat the ball out of his hands from behind and deny the Crusaders a certain try.
Hall’s immediate reaction to his blundered try spoke volumes of how important McKay’s defensive heroics could have been on the outcome of the game.
Two days after eventually securing the win, he still can’t get over the fact he wasn’t able to score what looked a guaranteed five points.
“Even now, just thinking about it, it’s amazing how Josh did that. One in one hundred,” Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod of his try that could have been.
“I seriously thought I might be the most hated person in Christchurch at that time, and just thought ‘If I don’t get the result here, I could seriously be in a lot of trouble down here in Christchurch’.
“But, thankfully, the boys got the job done and we were fortunate enough to get the result on yesterday [Sunday] evening.”
TRY SAVER OF THE SEASON?
You tell us? ✅ or 🙅🏽
🎥: @skysportnz 🏃🏽♂️: @Highlanders Josh McKay pic.twitter.com/vVbMzViiJn
— Super Rugby NZ (@SuperRugbyNZ) August 9, 2020
That didn’t stop Hall from describing the incident, after which he was immediately subbed off, as “the worst thing ever”.
“Will [Jordan] gave me the pass inside, and when I was running, I knew that he [McKay] was coming for me, that he was turning around and came back,” Hall recalled.
“If it was wet, I was probably going to dive early, but just thought I wasn’t going to get there, so I was just getting ready to reach out, and just the worst thing ever happened in my life.
“Just felt it come out of my hand, and my reaction just told it all. Just in a dark hole and just wanted to stay down there, but thankfully the boys got the result in the end.”
Despite the missed opportunity and a Michael Collins try shortly afterwards, the Crusaders fought back from a 22-13 deficit to score three tries and 19 unanswered points in the in the final 20 minutes to lock away their fourth straight Super Rugby crown.
Since moving down south from the Blues in 2017, Hall has been part of every one of those title-winning campaigns under the guidance of head coach Scott Robertson.
Now, he is among the most successful Super Rugby players of all-time, a notion of which he says he would have laughed at someone for suggesting prior to his arrival in Christchurch.
“I remember first coming down here, and one [title] was an amazing experience, and to have an opportunity to win a fourth one, it’s pretty special,” Hall told RugbyPass.
“If you were to ask me five years ago ‘Would I have the opportunity to have these championships?’, [I] probably would have laughed at you.
“Very fortunate and very lucky and very happy to have our crowd there and to put in a performance that they deserved, especially with us losing to the Hurricanes previously.
“We enjoyed last [Sunday] night, but we know we’ve got a massive encounter with Jippa [James Parsons] and the Blues boys, who have a sell-out at Eden Park which will be a fantastic occasion.”
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With that top-of-the-table clash in mind, Hall revealed the post-match celebrations after the win against the Highlanders were more reserved than previous title successes.
“We celebrated with all our friends and family that came in the changing room, and we had a few lemonades and celebrated the success of winning,” he said.
“We had a few together as a group, and that’s pretty much it. We had a day off today and then we’re back into it.
“We did celebrate, it was an awesome achievement, it was a really tough competition like Jip knows, but, again, we’ve got a job to do come Sunday in Auckland.”
Listen to the full episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below
Comments on RugbyPass
Starts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
2 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
2 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
87 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to comments