Crusaders dominate Blues in Super Rugby Pacific semi-final

Leicester Faingaanuku of the Crusaders is tackled by Finlay Christie of the Blues.
Photo: Photosport

The injury-hit defending champion Crusaders could add another trophy to the cabinet next week and send their coach off a winner.

Christchurch has been a fortress for the Crusaders in playoff rugby, the last time they lost a knockout game there was in 1998, and Friday night was no different.

The Crusaders continued their dominance over their northern rivals with a 52-15 defeat of the Blues in the first Super Rugby Pacific semi-final to lock in their spot in next week’s final.

Centre Braydon Ennor opened the scoring early for the home side after they capitalised on a Blues handling error.

All Black Richie Mo’unga extended the lead to 10 points with a successful penalty kick. A period of sustained attack from the Crusaders lead to a second try via winger Leicester Fainga’anuku before 13 minutes passed.

The Blues ability to hold on to the ball continued to elude them as the Crusaders continued to capitalise with an 18-0 lead after the first 20 minutes.

Beauden Barrett scored the Blues’ first points from a penalty before the momentum returned to the Crusaders and fullback Will Jordan added to their try tally courtesy of some slick passing.

Blues number 8 Hoskins Sotutu was sin binned just before the break for interfering with an opposition line out drive close the the line and the Crusaders made the most of the advantage and crashed over for Codie Taylor to add the fourth try of the game and 32-3 half-time lead.

Fainga’anuku scored his second try early in the second half as the Crusaders kept the pressure on the visitors.

Barrett scored the Blues’ first try but failed to convert it leaving the Auckland side a long way adrift from the 11-time champions.

Fergus Burke, who was put in space by Mo’unga, scored the Crusaders second and final try of the half.

Caleb Clarke scored a consolation try for the Blues after the hooter but the result was really set up by the Crusaders strong first half where the Blues struggled to get in the game.

The Crusaders are now one win away from a seventh straight title. They will play the winner of the Chiefs and Brumbies semi-final on Saturday.

Crusaders captain Scott Barrett believed they wanted to keep their season alive for those players and coach Scott Robertson who would be leaving the franchise at the end of the season.

“I guess it’s never comfortable when you’ve got a backline of threats and some power in the Blues like they’ve got,” Scott Barrett told Sky Sport post-match.

“We had a good week of preparation and a few nerves during the week which is only natural I guess in pressure footy and it was awesome effort from the boys tonight.”

“We were well aware of what they were going to front up with and we knew we had to start really well and I thought we did that and from there we shut their game down, repeated efforts on [defense] and that’s possibly what’s going to be required next week as well.”