Crusaders banking on finals experience

Fullback Leon MacDonald says there will be no surprises for his Crusaders teammates on Saturday. Ross Land / Getty Images

Crusaders 35
Bulls 15

Expect the Crusaders to lean hard on the accumulated wisdom of seven Super finals as they count down to this weekend's hugely anticipated showdown with the Hurricanes.

Having put away the Bulls with a performance which contained plenty of Crusader hallmarks - fierce defence, tactical acumen, grinding the opposition down, taking their opponents' best shots and not yielding, all backed by the gift of seizing their opportunities - their sights now turn to the Hurricanes, who are preparing for their first Super final.

"It helps having experience in finals," Crusaders fullback Leon MacDonald said. "Most of the guys have been here before and know what to expect. There'll be no surprises."

MacDonald is not disrespecting the Hurricanes, far from it. It's just that preparing for finals is old hat for the competition's most successful franchise.

"The Hurricanes have a lot of gamebreakers right across the field and obviously their confidence is really high after beating the Waratahs two times in two weeks. Some of their big players are really stepping up.

"It's going to be a big week, a big buildup and it's just important we try and stay calm and don't treat it too differently."

The last time the teams met, in the capital on April 1, it was no place for fools. The Crusaders deservedly won, 20-11, but the game was fractious.

It is best remembered for Hurricanes prop Neemia Tialata putting a stranglehold more at home in WWF on Crusaders captain Richie McCaw which, surprisingly, did not lead to a trip to rugby HQ and the judicial panel.

McCaw played down any lingering ill-feeling between the teams, although his body language on Saturday night rather suggested he wished the question had not been raised.

"There's no more [niggle] than against any other team," he said. "The Highlanders are always a pretty physical battle. They've got some big hitters."

The Crusaders ensured Saturday night's final would be in their own back yard a couple of minutes after halftime. A lengthy rumble through 17 phases ended with lock Chris Jack plunging across in the right corner.

The Bulls had scored cleverly through Bryan Habana on halftime to have the South Africans only eight points behind and still right in the hunt. Jack's try was a crushing blow.

As McCaw put it: "you could actually see their heads drop a bit". And like a shark with the scent of blood in the water, that's all the Crusaders needed.

In a game played at hectic tempo and with enough injuries to have both team's medical staff requiring a good night's sleep, they had too many arrows in their quiver for a Bulls team long on determination but short on attacking variations.

In the backs MacDonald, Aaron Mauger, Casey Laulala and Rico Gear - whose two tries showed his finishing abilities are spot on with the All Black test programme looming - were in strong form. Jack, Reuben Thorne and McCaw were dominant, follow-me figures in the pack.

Indeed, the entire pack could bask in a strong night's work, and for all the importance of Jack's try, six minutes before halftime there was a moment as significant in all respects except on the scoreboard.

The Bulls forwards had begun the match in muscular manner at the set pieces, which has always been the core of their success.

But at a scrum about 40m out from the Bulls' line, the Crusaders pack put on a mighty shove, sending the big Bulls men backwards. It was a telling statement of intent. That won the Crusaders the feed at the resulting scrum and a minute later Daniel Carter drop kicked the goal which put them out to 16-3.

"We've got a chance to make something of the whole campaign," Crusaders coach Robbie Deans said.

And he scotched any notion his team will, or should, start favourites. History is irrelevant. "The whistle will go, the game will start and it'll be 80 minutes, and we'll have a result."

Talk about playing with a straight bat.