Waratahs live up to pre-season billing

Thirty missed tackles cost the Crusaders dearly against the Waratahs at Jade Stadium in Christchurch.

Captain Reuben Thorne later lamented that that proved the difference between the sides.

The result should go a long way to burying the hoodoo of the Waratahs' 19-96 loss at the same ground two years ago.

The Waratahs lived up to their pre-season billing as the top Australian Super 12 side and dominated a lacklustre Crusaders in every facet, scoring four tries to one and clinching a deserved bonus point.

The Crusaders produced one of their limpest Super 12 efforts in years - looking anything but four-time champions - and could not even use the strong norwester to their advantage.

Waratahs skipper Chris Whitaker produced a huge under-statement when he said the New South Wales side's result in Christchurch "a couple of years ago wasn't so good".

"So it was good to bury a few demons out there."

The Waratahs pack - bolstered by former Brumbies locks Justin Harrison and Dan Vickerman - put the Crusaders under severe pressure in the set pieces, scrummaging strongly, contesting lineout throws and dominating in the loose through the lively Phil Waugh, David Lyons and Rocky Elsom.

Playing into the wind in the first half, the Waratahs led 17-9 at the interval, and sealed the game in the 57th minute when debutant first five-eighths Tim Donnelly scored a fine try after sustained pressure.

The 30-12 lead proved unassailable, especially with the Crusaders barely firing a shot until the introduction of substitutes Richard McCaw and Andrew Mehrtens.

It was almost a benefit night for the Waratahs' Wallabies fullback, Mat Rogers.

He kicked nine goals from nine attempts in a 28-point personal haul, and he proved a slippery broken-play runner who exploited some slip-shod Crusaders defence.

Daniel Carter, preferred to fellow All Black Ben Blair as the frontline goalkicker for the Crusaders, posted the first points with an early penalty.

The Waratahs seemed set to score the first try when Rogers cleverly put Lote Tuqiri into open space in the Crusaders' 22m, but Crusaders centre Nathan Mauger pulled off a trysaving tackle from behind to cut him down.

Both defences produced goal-line turnovers to deny the attacking team tries in a seesaw first quarter dominated by the galeforce wind.


Carter missed his second penalty attempt. But he made no mistake with his third, from 37m, to give the Crusaders a 6-0 lead.

The Waratahs scored the game's first try in the 26th minute after capitalising on some soft Crusaders defence at two successive rucks.

Second five-eighths Nathan Grey stepped past the flailing arms of three would-be tacklers to score against the goalpost pad, leaving Rogers with an easy conversion for a 7-6 lead.

Rogers followed with a 10-point individual haul, slotting a penalty after a Crusaders scrum infringement and then adding a converted try after Nathan Mauger missed a regulation tackle.

Rogers' try meant the Waratahs rattled on 17 unanswered points before Carter's third penalty made the score 17-9 at halftime.

A 50m penalty from Rogers set the tone for the second half, with the Waratahs totally dominant.

Donnelly's try was the highlight and the Waratahs scored the bonus try clincher, by Milton Thaiday, after a brilliant pass from Donnelly.

McCaw scored a consolation try from a ruck for the Crusaders after Rogers had slotted another penalty from halfway to rub salt into the Crusaders' wounds.

- NZPA

Waratahs 43

Crusaders 19