Crusaders get their season underway with a 13 point victory

Crusaders get their season underway with a 13 point victory

The defending champions Crusaders are too strong for the Highlanders as the Crusaders win it by 13 points.

The Crusaders proved they are once again a very strong side and their defence shut down their opposition and the Highlanders couldn't break through. The home side finish off with a loss and they will have to bounce back next week. Crusaders go to 1-0 and proved they are once again the favourites to win this competition 

The 26-13 away win over their South Island rivals the Highlanders in the opening round. Two tries saw the Crusaders race out to a 14-0 lead, but they then picked up a yellow card 22 minutes in.

The away side are first on the scoreboard as Codie Taylor ran through a gap in the defence and he has enough pace to get into the in-goal and dive between the posts to score off a wonderful pass from Sam Whitelock. 



The away side scored another stellar five-pointer and it came from a nice move to the right and then kickback in field from Sevu Reece bounced beautifully for Bryn Hall and he grabbed it and dives over the line to score


Blackadder was sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes and the Highlanders capitalised on their numerical advantage with a try to get on the scoreboard and ran in a second ten minutes later just before the break to trail 10-14 at halftime.

The pressure finally paid off for the home side as the scrum win saw them spread the ball to the wing and Frizell steps back on the inside and plants it down in the in-goal to score a deserved try.

The second was even better after a lovely set play from the Highlanders saw them get on the outside of the defence and Garden-Bachop was in support on the wing and his speed gets him into the in-goal and score a great try.

An early second-half Highlanders penalty reduced the deficit to just a single point at 14-13.

Five minutes later the Crusaders had their third try to give themselves some breathing room at 19-13, which it remained heading into the final quarter. The TMO stayed with the referee's decision and the try is given as Sevu Reece's dive into the corner was a brilliant one and he stayedin the field of play and plants it down.



The Crusaders missed a penalty attempt 63 minutes in to make it a two-score ball game. The Highlanders then piled on the pressure but were kept out by some outstanding Crusaders defence.

The Crusaders sealed the victory with their fourth try after 72 minutes and despite picking up a late yellow card, prevented the Highlanders a chance at snatching a losing bonus point.

Our Top Performers

The Crusaders came out on top against the Crusaders as they flexed their muscles! They performed in a way we've come to expect from them and got the best possible start to their season despite a strong Highlanders performance.
 
 
Here are the best performers from their encounter:
 
 
Crusaders:
 
 
 
Codie Taylor
It was a strong performance from the Crusaders hooker as he proved to be an integral part in their set-pieces and territory battle. Taylor showed that he is able to get his speed up when his team needs it and was one of the strongest ball carriers of the match! This became evident when he was able to go over for a try that got his team the first points of the match!
 
 

Leicester Fainga'anuku
 
 
Fainga'anuku showed his skill and clinicism on the wing, making run after run, beating defender after defender. He gained a total of 94 metres throughout the match, the most of anyone on the field!
 
 

Dallas McLoed
Dallas McLoed showed his worth in the backline, playing a key role in toppling the Highlanders defence. He knew exactly how to get the momentum on his side as he spotted the right gaps at the right times and made sure to dodge any sort of obstacle in his way in doing so. 
 
 

Sevu Reece
 
 
What a performance from the right-winger! He shone across the field from the first minute to the last minute, getting five points to his name for his efforts. He was a nuisance to his opponents, proving to be sticky in the tackles and fast with the ball. He didn't allow for many mistakes and capitalised on any problems in the Highlanders defence!
 
 

Sam Whitelock
 
 
He's proven to be extremely powerful in the Crusaders forward-pack and tonight was no different. He was nothing short of being a wall in the Crusaders defence and showed his opponents that he can take a hit. He was also able to get a try assist in, showing that he's not only good in the dirty stuff, but can send the ball through to his teammates in gaps when the opportunity arises.
 

Highlanders:
 
 

Connor Garden-Bachop
 
 
He may not have been on the winning side on the day but that didn't stop him from performing out of his socks! Garden-Bachop not only scored one of the Highlanders' tries but was all over the field today as he fought to get his side back in front. Garden-Bachop continuously made use of any pass he got and failed to concede a turnover in his dangerous runs!
 

Folau Fakatava
 
 
 
Even though he came on as a sub, his impact on the game was no less. Fakatava started to stitch the Highlanders attacks together the moment he came onto the field! Only playing just over 20 minutes, he became an annoyance to the Crusaders, continuously spotting weak points in their defence and allowing his teammates to take advantage of them!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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