DEFENDING SUPER RUGBY champions Canterbury Crusaders bounced back from a rare loss to down Wellington Hurricanes 32-8 in the New Zealand capital this morning.
Normal service was resumed as the Crusaders scored four tries to one, making amends for a defeat to NSW Waratahs last week that broke a 19-match winning streak.
The Crusaders scoreline included a double for David Havili, who was denied a hat-trick by a forward pass.
All Blacks captain Kieran Read made his first appearance of the season in the number eight shirt for the Crusaders but sat out the second half with an apparent thigh strain.
Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock said his team had a point to prove after last week’s loss.
“We looked at ourselves pretty heavily, our decision-making and how we play,” he said.
“I thought tonight we controlled the ball better and it allowed us to play when we wanted.”
Ronan O’Gara has, this week, been linked with a role in the French national set-up for the upcoming World Cup in Japan later this year meanwhile.
Murray Kinsella and Bernard Jackman look ahead to a huge weekend for the provinces in Europe and Ryan Bailey catches up with Ian Keatley on the latest episode of The42 Rugby Weekly:
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