The tale of two tries in the Super Rugby final

The Chiefs had the Crusaders’ number for the third time this year, but a remarkable show of fight and never-say-die attitude from Scott Robertson’s side made the most of fortuitous situations given to them.

It was astounding that the Chiefs were in it right to the very end after three yellow cards, playing for nearly 30 minutes of the contest down to 14 men. They shouldn’t have been in the game, but they were.

And when it comes down to it, there are two fortuitous situations that swayed this final in the Crusaders’ favour.

One was a disallowed try for the Chiefs and one was a Crusaders try where play was allowed to go on after a forward pass, but by the book, both should have been scrubbed.

A knock-on, forward pass or offside are all valid reasons for a TMO intervention on a scoring review, but only if they occurred in the immediate two phases of play beforehand.

Damian McKenzie jumping the gun on the deliberately overthrown lineout was able to be called back only because the Chiefs scored directly on that phase.

As soon as the try was scored, referee Ben O’Keeffe had doubts about McKenzie’s starting position and immediately went to his assistants for a discussion before referring judgement to the TMO.

Had the Crusaders’ defence been a little better and lasted more than two phases, the Chiefs likely would have been out to a 25-15 lead and potentially 27-15, without an on-field call over McKenzie happening immediately.

The Chiefs were punished harshly, but rightly so.

The Crusaders on the other hand, benefitted from having an egregious forward pass by Jack Goodhue not picked up by the on-field officials on halfway.

The Crusaders kicked at the next ruck, then the Chiefs had to clear their line into touch, handing the visitors a line out. They then scored from a fantastic set-piece launch play through Richie Mo’unga over two phases.

At that point even if the TMO Brendon Pickerill wanted to go back to the forward pass, he couldn’t, having occurred three phases earlier.

The try was from a different Crusaders’ possession, but it came directly from the decision not to pull up the forward pass, something Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan was rightly unhappy about in his post-match evaluation.

Correct but perhaps overzealous officiating on the Chiefs’ no try was not equalled earlier as the Crusaders received a major slice of luck leading into Mo’unga’s try.

Those two fate-altering plays undoubtedly shaped the outcome of the final. Given the tightness of the result, it cannot be denied it gave the Crusaders help.

However the Chiefs will rue the decision-making in the final quarter where they held a 20-15 lead before Sam Cane’s yellow card.

A passage of attacking play lasting 12 phases inside the Crusaders’ 22 ended up losing ground before Leicester Fainga’anuku snaffled a ruck turnover.

The Crusaders defence was strong and proving so. The Chiefs were clearly running out of puff having spent 20 minutes down a man. The playmakers did not have a read on the situation or respect the Crusaders enough.

There were multiple opportunities to set up for a drop goal and take an eight point buffer but they kept trying to fall into a shape and attack wide.

Scoring plays in finals are limited and when you do finally need the points, the chance to get them might not come.

With 15 minutes to play, it was early enough to take a chance but not late enough for it to be the only one.

A missed drop goal isn’t the end of the world with possession coming back. They didn’t take it or even think about it.

The Chiefs next chance to score, which came when they did need the points down 22-20, came from a 52 metre penalty goal with less than four minutes to go, which McKenzie missed.

The last bizarre Chiefs’ possession came from a botched lineout throw that was knocked-on by Crusaders flanker Dominic Gardiner.

The ball was knocked on roughly 43 metres out from the Crusaders’ try line and O’Keeffe called advantage to the Chiefs, but the home side only went backward from there once jumping on the loose ball, never making it back anywhere near where the ball was fumbled.

O’Keeffe did not stop play and go back for the scrum, judging that the Chiefs had taken advantage despite continually losing ground, eventually back inside their own 22 where they eventually lost possession and the game.

There was still three minutes left at the beginning of that possession and the Chiefs refused to kick and put the Crusaders into a pressure zone where they must clear.

Aside from O’Keeffe’s puzzling call, the game management from the Chiefs was poor, running into the red and black wall for continual losses.

The Crusaders banked on the Chiefs’ losing this game some how through their own doing. Which they did in the end by overplaying at the wrong times and through poor discipline, despite being the better side.

And the Crusaders got a healthy slice of luck too, which is just what they needed.

The Chiefs know they have just been conned out of a title by savvy bunch of Crusaders who played a smarter game on the night.

Which will make the loss all the more painful for them.