Braydon Ennor of the Crusaders celebrates his try with Leicester Fainga'anuku. Photo / Photosport
Braydon Ennor of the Crusaders celebrates his try with Leicester Fainga'anuku. Photo / Photosport
Crusaders 52
Blues 15
Clearly, we should have known better.
Billed as a battle to savour, as the Blues’ best chance to storm the impenetrable Christchurch fortress, Friday’s semifinal instead served to underline all the reasons the Crusaders remain unbeaten at home through 29 playoff games.
Leon MacDonald’s Blues tenurecame to a crippling, crushing end as his side were brutally bullied by Scott Robertson’s injury-ravaged Crusaders team that reminded everyone exactly why they are six-time defending champions.
In this mood, it’s difficult to foresee anyone, even the in-form Chiefs, stopping the red-and-black empire.
MacDonald’s five years in Auckland has, in many ways, transformed the Blues from a perennially underachieving juggernaut to consistent contenders. Yet there’s no escaping the last two significant occasions – last year’s final and this semifinal – delivered major flops.
After a decidedly patchy regular season the Blues pushed the theory they were timing their run for the playoffs. Such a suggestion always seemed far-fetched. It now seems fanciful.
Blues captain Dalton Papali’i gave his all but this six-tries-to-two result was grim for Rieko Ioane’s 100th match.
The Crusaders celebrate a try to Codie Taylor. Photo / Photosport
Given their dominance of the Blues – 18 wins from their last 19 encounters – you could question whether this rivalry held genuine relevance. The attitude, emotion and passion from the Crusaders signalled just how much they still savour beating on the Blues.
With eight All Blacks sidelined, and 48 players used this season, the Crusaders appeared vulnerable. From the opening exchanges they immediately put that notion to bed. Led by a ferocious intent to dominate the collisions and contest the breakdown the Crusaders completely rattled the Blues to leave them no easy possession, and no way back.
The Blues were never in the physical fight. MacDonald’s men had no answers. Not until it was all too little, too late.
For good measure the Crusaders elected to play the final minute with 14 men.
Trailing 18-0 after 25 minutes the Blues opted to kick a penalty in a bid for a sense of relief from the relentless onslaught.
By halftime, with the Crusaders leading 32-3 after four tries, the contest was long gone for the Blues.
This was the Crusaders at their swarming, smothering, untouchable best. There has certainly been no more clinical 40 minutes this season.
Such was the defensive and combative pressure the Crusaders applied the Blues were forced into consistent errors. These came all over the park – from their handling to passing and attempted lineout drives. In the first half the slow-motion nightmare went from bad to worse.
Mark Telea has been a lethal weapon for the Blues this season but such was the Crusaders counter-ruck pressure even he was rendered a non-event.
While the Crusaders were accurate, fluid, confident, the Blues looked lost. As scoreboard pressure mounted indecision took hold. Attempting to play well behind the advantage line, their attacking option taking was poor.
Braydon Ennor of the Crusaders celebrates his try with Leicester Fainga'anuku. Photo / Photosport
On the back foot the Blues were frequently exposed with bad defensive reads. Richie Mo’unga enjoyed a dream ride which allowed the All Blacks playmaker to increasingly pick the visitors apart – first through his kicking, then a skip ball that laid on the opening try. Mo’unga posed a running threat, too, by making busts and setting up Fergus Burke for the final nail.
The Crusaders forward pack, missing Sam Whitelock, Ethan Blackadder, Joe Moody, Fletcher Newell and Cullen Grace among others – set the tone by squeezing the life from the Blues. Prop Tamaiti Williams took another step towards his maiden All Blacks call-up but, wider out, Leicester Fainga’anuku was everywhere.
The soon-to-be-recalled All Blacks wing claimed two tries – his second and 13th of the season was a 40-metre thing of beauty. Fainga’anuku also stole breakdown turnovers and hit hard on defence to highlight what a loss he will be at the end of this year when he departs to France in his 23-year-old prime.
While Robertson gets the chance to lead the Crusaders to a fairytale finale – against the winner of the Chiefs and Brumbies semifinal in Hamilton on Saturday night – the Blues farewell MacDonald, Tom Robinson, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Beauden Barrett, who at this stage has signed a one-year deal in Japan next year, on a sombre note.
It doesn’t get much worse than conceding a half century in a semifinal.
This was a bad night for the Blues as they were outclassed, out-thought, outmuscled. Against the Crusaders, though, it is far from a one-off with this the third loss this season alone.
With one victory in Christchurch in the last two decades this is merely the latest chapter in a long and painful history.
The Crusaders march on. After this supreme show of force, whoever they face next week will be under no illusions about the confronting challenge.
