nooooo
The Highlanders ending the half with a flourish as Sopoaga breaks the line and pins his ears back taking play into the Crusaders 22. Ben Smith doing excellent work in supporting the ball carrier gets the well timed pass from his fly half to get a run for the try. Sopoaga showing his class in the build up to that Ben Smith try
The teams sharing the territorial stats but the Crusaders just edging the Highlanders in the possession stats
Again the spell of possession is short for the Highlanders as the kick ahead is gathered by the Crusaders who themselves opt for the kick. Sopoaga manages to gather the ball and manages to find touch under immense pressure from Nandolo
The attack comes to nothing as the Highlanders defense manages to turn over the ball and launch an attack of their own from inside their own half
Some attention now for Ellis who looks like he has taken a bit of knock.Time back on and play is restarted with Ellis kicking the ball out to set up an attacking line out for the Crusaders inside the Highlanders 22
Penalty to the Crusader as the Highlanders adjudged to have been guilty of collapsing the oven, and Slade clears his lines to set up a defensive scrum for his side
The Highlanders with the kick ahead and Nandolo makes a mess of gathering the ball and allows the Highlanders to go on the attack, They spread it wide but the Crusaders defense manage to hold the ball up and win the turn over inside their own 22. Scrum now and the Crusaders having to deal with some defense to get the ball out of the red zone
The Highlanders now awarded a penalty as the Crusaders are caught offside , and with Sopoaga back on to resume the kicking duties , the Highlanders are back to full strength. Sopoaga slots the kick and the Highlanders edge closer to the Crusaders on the score board
The scrum option reaps the required reward as Nandolo breaks two tackles to set up a ruck five meters out and Taufua picks it up and drops himself over the line for the try. Nandolo doing great work to set up that try