Crusaders crucify fading Blues

Crusaders 39 Blues 10

It is two years ago since Carlos Spencer silenced Jade with an impossible piece of brilliance and for a moment, just a false moment, it looked as if the Blues might invoke the 2004 spirit of Spencer in 2006.

The Blues scored a sizzling try in the first two minutes to remind us all of Spencer's 2004 hi-jinks - but that was pretty much all the spirit of Spencer the Blues could invoke as the Crusaders waged a typical war of attrition to grind them out of the game and finish with a flourish of their own with two tries to arch-raider Richie McCaw.

And yet, even with this imposing scoreline, it could be said that the Crusaders were not yet at their imposing best. Faced with some early Blues brilliance, they knuckled down and did the basics so well that they forced the Blues into giving away penalties and Carter kicked the goals while McCaw, Greg Somerville, Chris Jack and others stormed the Blues drawbridge.

It all seemed a long way from vintage Spencer, whose 2004 pass across his own posts started a memorable Blues movement back then. He backed up a Joe Rokocoko thrust and burst under the Crusaders posts to score. Of course, he didn't - flummoxing the crowd and all watching on TV as he went on a bit of a nature ramble out to the corner post, mocking his most bitter detractors.

He forced the ball in the extremity of the corner, making a certain gesture involving a digit to the crowd as he did so - and then kicked the sideline conversion to deny the Crusaders a bonus point. It was a rare joke on the southern rivals and a moment of pure creative intuition that typified the erratic genius of Spencer.

The moment that recalled this came after an ominously good Blues scrum after 1m 56s. Rua Tipoki tiptoed past Cameron McIntyre at second-five and Anthony Tuitavake cut left and right and delivered a pinpoint pass to give Doug Howlett a 25m run for his 51st Super rugby try.

The Blues scrum was a considerable weapon early. However, the Crusaders re-arranged and made some good hay of their own when Greg Somerville changed sides and quietened Woodcock down a bit at scrum-time.

That opening flourish sparked the Crusaders into life and they put together a series of good-looking raids with Leon MacDonald igniting matters from the back. One of the reasons that Mils Muliaina may come into serious consideration for the All Black centre role is that MacDonald is playing so well and he made several forays which greatly worried the Blues.

Winger Scott Hamilton and McIntyre combined in one thrust near the Blues line which saw the ball bobble forward and Hamilton seemingly score - the Jade crowd gave referee Paul Honiss the bird - but the scrum might just as well have been given for the forward pass as for the non-existent knock-on the crowd complained of.

In fact, the Crusaders were making Blues-like fumbles at key moments and vital transfers. But they slowly, painstakingly, wrested back the initiative in terms of territory and possession and forced the Blues into mistakes - some of them deliberate, according to Honiss, which was why Joe Rokocoko had to go to the sin bin after what seemed a harsh tackled ball call.

The killer blow came in the 56th minute when a Crusaders kick was not cleared by the Blues and replacement Johnny Leo'o forced his way over after a series of Crusaders forward raids from ruck and maul on the Blues line - and the Blues spent the rest of the match pinned in their own half.

All this talk of Spencer should not detract from the fact that the Blues and first-five Tasesa Lavea looked a lot better and, even though it was a loss, there was a sense of restored confidence in much they did.

Lavea is nowhere near as bad as some of his overly critical critics suggest and he ran matters well enough last night until the Crusaders forwards took over. Still, the Blues could surely do with a touch of genius in the halves to ignite them right now, especially with Luke McAlister taking his Weetbix through a straw these days.

In a night redolent with Spencerism, it was impossible to watch the Blues and not surmise how much this Blues administration must curse the frost that developed in the relationship between Spencer and the previous Blues coaches. Especially as Spencer is now being lauded as one of the best players in the world for his deeds at Northampton (by the same Brits who used to diss him) - and he has a bit of a PhD (with Honours in gasoline) when it comes to igniting.

As for the Crusaders, they are not yet at their best. Seven finals in 10 years of Super 12 and five wins in those seven finals and they are not yet really cooking with gas. Gulp.

Crusaders 39 (R. McCaw 2 ,J. Leo'o, tries; D. Carter 2 cons, 6 pens; C. McIntyre con).

Blues 10 (D. Howlett, try, I. Nacewa con, pen).

-HERALD ON SUNDAY