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An unauthorized history of the Crusaders vs Hurricanes rivalry

By Jamie Wall
Tana and Mehrts (Photo: Getty Images)

To get ready for the weekend’s big Super Rugby showdown, Jamie Wall takes a look back at some of the best (and worst) Crusaders vs Hurricanes moments over the years.

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The most successful side in Super Rugby history, the seven-time champion Crusaders, meet the defending champion Hurricanes at AMI Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday night. The Hurricanes’ first and only Super Rugby championship came last year after 21 long seasons of trying, but the record between the two sides isn’t as one-sided as you might think. Overall it stands at 17-10 in favour of the red-and-blacks, with two matches having been drawn.

We’re not here to crunch the numbers, though – we’re here to revisit some amusing anecdotes from years gone by:

Humble beginnings

Weird to think that the two current Super Rugby heavyweights were actually totally useless in the competition’s first season. The Crusaders won their first ever encounter 36-13, but that was only one of two total W’s they picked up on their way to a last-place finish. The Canes weren’t much better, scraping together just one more win. One reason for the craptastic debut Crusader season was a season-ending injury to All Blacks first five Andrew Mehrtens, so the Crusaders had to rely on the likes of Graeme Dempster, Andy Miller and Greg Coffey at 10. Even having a Barrett on the books in those days couldn’t help the then-hapless Hurricanes, though.

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Magic Mal

In 1999 Mehrts was back to his finger-pointing best, but found himself marking a true specimen of rugby’s bygone era against the Hurricanes. Mal Arnold, who looked like he’d just washed up off a surf beach but somehow didn’t get a tan, came off the bench to slam home a last-play sideline conversion to give the Hurricanes an unlikely 18-all draw at Lancaster Park. The cult hero would get a start later in the season against the Highlanders at Athletic Park. After his earlier heroics, it seemed an early conversion from under the posts would be a formality, but Arnold inexplicably shanked it into the upright. He soon disappeared back into rugby obscurity.

‘We’re not playing tiddlywinks mate!’

Possibly the most famous referee-skipper interaction in Super Rugby history was the one between Tana Umaga and Peter Marshall which included the famous ‘we’re not playing tiddlywinks’ line. Those immortal words were spoken after a seemingly innocuous hit by Umaga on the All Blacks’ first five. A few years later, in 2011, Andrew Hore found himself baffled by Chris Pollock’s similar ruling against Ma’a Nonu – but that one at least was a bit more clear-cut.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lDUSoR8ZK8

The fog final

Anyone see this game? Unless you were at ground level at Lancaster Park on the 27th May 2006, the answer will be a resounding no. Heavy sea fog rolled over Christchurch about half an hour before kickoff of the highly anticipated Super 14 final, meaning that visibility was zero for everyone except the players for pretty much the entire game. The Crusaders allegedly won, with Casey Laulala scoring the crucial try in a 19-12 scoreline.

The undercover operative

They’re bloody tricky, those Crusaders. But clever backline moves and scrum-based skullduggery are nothing compared to sending Mark Hammett north to run the Hurricanes into the ground as coach in 2011. Four horrible seasons followed as the ex-Crusader managed to jettison All Blacks Ma’a Nonu, Andrew Hore and Piri Weepu. Then he left and the Canes have made two consecutive finals. Coincidence?

Same old Crusaders…

Andy Ellis probably didn’t realise he was cheating here, as a kick into touch fielded by Conrad Smith initially is hurled back into play by the halfback. Of course, that shouldn’t be allowed. But considering it happened right in front of the ref and linesman and they were too dumb to spot it, fair play to the Crusaders for taking their chances.

https://youtu.be/xk1Fh43Ur48?t=59s

The ambush at AMI

The most exciting part of Hurricanes’ improbable 2016 Super Rugby victory came in the last weekend of the regular season. Needing a bonus point win and a stack of other results to go their way, the Canes beat the Crusaders by a record margin and everything else fell into place. If any of Matt Todd’s family is reading, sorry, this was the game where Willis Halaholo basically tore the flanker’s heart out and ate it in front of him.


Check out our new Match Centre commentary and live stats for Crusaders vs Hurricanes. (This is a new feature – if you spot any hiccups, please let us know so we can improve the experience.)
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J
Jon 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

28 Go to comments
A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

28 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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