The Crusaders overcame the loss of injured flyhalf Daniel Carter and the sin-binning of number eight Mose Tuiali’i to beat Wellington 20-13 in a Super 14 clash on Friday.
The Crusaders chalked up their seventh straight win of the season to extend their lead at the top of the standings to 12 points at the halfway stage of the competition, but had to work hard for their victory.
Canterbury appeared to have the match under control when they led 17-3 at half-time following early tries by hooker Corey Flynn and lock Ali Williams.
But the Hurricanes fought back gamely in the second half with hooker Andrew Hore scoring a late try after Tuiali’i was yellow-carded for repeated infringements.
The Crusaders had already been under pressure when Carter, who had kicked two conversions and two penalties, was carried from the field in pain after badly twisting his knee while making a tackle on Hurricanes replacement Tane Tu’ipulotu.
But the six-times Super champions regained their composure, defending strongly to close out the match.
”That second half, the ball just never seemed to stop. There was tap and goes, all sorts. But we managed to hang in there and get away with the win,” Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said in a televised interview.
”We knew we had to start well. Coming off the bye, we knew they’d be fizzed up to start. That first try did knock the puff out of them a wee bit, perhaps.”
The Hurricanes earned a bonus point for finishing within seven points to stay in touch with the top four.
”It was always going to be tough, especially with all the hype and talk about it,” Wellington skipper Rodney So’oialo said.
”The Crusaders didn’t disappoint us at all. They’re the best team out there and they certainly proved that tonight. It’s pretty hard to give the Crusaders any lead.” — Reuters