THE FORMIDABLE CANTERBURY Crusaders stormed into the Super 15 semi-finals with a 38-9 payback victory against the Queensland Reds in the opening finals qualifier in Christchurch.
In a stunning performance, the Crusaders scored four tries — two in each half — as they stepped up their drive for an eighth Super crown and shattered the Reds hopes of a second.
They made no secret in the build up to the game they were still hurting from their 18-13 final defeat to the Reds two years ago and their determination for revenge was evident from the start.
Their all-All Blacks forward pack gained dominance early in the set piece, holes were found in the Reds midfield and a blitz opening had the Crusaders up 10-0 within 10 minutes.
“A great start from our boys. It set the tone really early and it continued on from there,” said captain Kieran Read.
He said the Crusaders had “a bit of dominance up front” and “were able to get over the advantage line and get quick ball. Certainly areas you have to get right … (but) we’ve got to be careful because every time we’ve had a good win we’ve probably lapsed the next week.”
The expected showdown between fly-halves and likely Test rivals Daniel Carter and Quade Cooper was a non-event.
Carter was the maestro conductor who dictated the direction of the frantic-paced Crusaders game, while Cooper was content to play a distributor’s role and seldom took on the gain line.
It has been 14 years since the Reds last won in Christchurch and their chances of arresting that losing streak looked remote from the opening minute.
The Crusaders kicked off, regained possession, drew a penalty and Carter had three points on the board while the packed stadium of around 20,000 was still being seated.
Centre Ryan Crotty then exposed the Reds’ weak midfield defence when he carved his way through for the opening try.
Carter converted and added two further penalties before scoring the Crusaders second try when Sam Whitelock had made huge ground through the Reds’ worrisome middle channel.
Cooper, who landed two first half penalties, kicked a third soon after the break to narrow the gap to 21-9 sparking an immediate response from the Crusaders when Tom Marshall scored off a move engineered by forwards Wyatt Crockett and Matt Todd.
YouTube credit: BdumHQ
With 20 minutes remaining, and leading 28-9, the Crusaders unleashed Richie McCaw, returning after a seven-month break to a huge roar from the partisan home crowds.
With his first touch of the ball McCaw sparked the move which resulted in Crotty’s second try which Carter converted for a match haul of 20 points.
Tom Taylor kicked the Crusaders fourth penalty to close out the scoring.
The second qualifier between the ACT Brumbies and Central Cheetahs will be played in Canberra on Sunday.
The lowest ranked winner of the qualifiers will play the Waikato Chiefs next week in one semi-final and the winner of the other qualifier will play the Northern Bulls.
Who backs Delaney tho’ ? For such a small & beautiful country we accept a very low standard & we pay the wrong people way too much.
Delaney is a gormless plank,put into the FAI by his ticket tout father
Far from gormless.
Figure out how he can be removed from office, who has to agree to it and who pays their wages.
Nothing gormless about that.
Ah who cares, Trap is still manager. Just have to get used to it till he’s gone. COYBIG !!
Too little too late, both Delaney and Trapp are stuck in a greed warp, unconscionably high salaries and selling Irish soccer short. Under their stewardship, a cancer is taking hold of Irish football that is going to end up setting us back decades.
To appease fans, the big news is that Trapp is attending a match in England today – says it all that this is news. Delaney should go for giving this has been a new long term unaffordable contract before the Euros and Trapp should have been fired. Upcoming friendlys should be boycotted. €150,000 pa is more than enough to pay the FAI head.
Thats even too much for Delaney to be honest,he shouldn’t be there,look at the state if the irish league!!
Sick of the same news recycled by the press everyday about Trap , he’s the manager so let’s move on and back him up during the qualifiers because if we don’t do that we’ve no chance of getting to the world cup.
Trap and Delaney are symbolic of FG and Labour. Only concerned about bondholder payments to themselves.
What?
We hava gooda mentality and a gooda team.
If only.
That Delaney fella is some ass clown, he should have stepped down after the 33rd country comment after the French match, 450k a year for making comments like that. But sure why step down if your signing your own checks. His stupid head suits Irish soccer in fairness, annoying!!
Wolfgang do u read your comments before you post them??
No, why do u?
Sports administration at the highest level in any sport is all political and John Delaney is the consumate politician. No matter how you do the sums we cannot afford for Trap to go with bankrupting the FAI finanacially, so you might as well get used to having Trap until the end of the road for us at WC 2014 however soon it comes to an end for us.
look at the head of tardelli looks like he is hiding something from trap..I smell a rat!
Lol looks like he’s just farted and Trap’s just got wind of it!
LOL. Spot on Mac.
How much do the Irish government contribute toward the FAI either in direct subsidies or in tax breaks, allowances, advertising on pitches, employment grants, ticket purchases, the list goes on. Transparency please as their are people hungry in Ireland while Delaney is bleeding the system for pension and expenses plus his salary. How much will his pension cost as I think he will live to be 100 in spite of us all.
Trap should join Fianna Fail
So John delay gets paid 360000 a year , amount cut in fai grant aid to local clubs last year 370k , how are we still paying so much for such bad leadership and organisation?? A symbol of everything that’s wrong with country at the moment..