Crusaders off to winning start

It was more of the same from the Crusaders whose watertight defence and cool efficiency saw them beat the Highlanders 38-15 in their Super 14 match in Christchurch tonight.  

Last year's Super 12 champions opened their 2006 campaign with a four-try bonus point victory over a tryless Highlanders who had just five penalty goals to show for their night's work at Jade Stadium.  

Despite competing strongly in the forwards and having more possession overall, the Highlanders were punished by turnovers and shut down by a red and black wall in a messy early season encounter.  

Crusaders first five-eighth Daniel Carter also nailed seven of his eight kicks at goal for an 18-point haul.  

The defining moment came in the 59th minute when Crusaders fullback Leon MacDonald was sinbinned by referee Lyndon Bray for an early tackle on prop Clarke Dermody with the score 21-12. 

Highlanders captain Anton Oliver demanded a penalty try, with Dermody just 5m from the goalline after smart leadup work from Nick Evans set up a seemingly certain try.  

But a Ben Blair penalty was all the Highlanders had to show for the next 10 minutes, while the Crusaders pounced to score the crucial try when halfback Kevin Senio flipped a neat inside pass to wing Rico Gear to make it 28-15 with 15 minutes left.  

"That was a penalty try -- I can't see how it wasn't," Oliver told Sky Television.  

"That would have been a key moment in the game, but for whatever reason Lyndon didn't call it."

The Highlanders were forced into catchup rugby in the final 10 minutes and it gifted the Crusaders the bonus point try two minutes from time.  

A wide Carl Hayman pass on his own 22m was intercepted by replacement Casey Laulala who strolled in under the posts.  

"We just kept making mistakes, we were a shade off our game and put ourselves under pressure with dropped passes. We looked a bit anxious and the quality of the Crusaders players absorbed that," Oliver said.  

The Crusaders led 18-9 after an even first half where missed tackles and handling errors cost the visitors.  

The hosts scored the first try in the 15th minute after Carter and Blair traded early penalties.  

It came from an Otago turnover, with dynamic No 8 Mose Tuiali'i rampaging upfield and brushing off an attempted tackle from his All Blacks teammate Evans, then unloading to Reuben Thorne who dashed 15m to score.  

A penalty each from Blair and Evans, and another to Carter, made it 13-9 before the hosts struck a crucial blow six minutes out from the break.  

Caleb Ralph made good ground on a cutback before Senio, in his debut for the Crusaders, darted down the blindside from a ruck to score.  

The third quarter was an arm wrestle with the Highlanders hammering at the Crusaders' defence, before the key moment when MacDonald was sinbinned.  

Crusaders captain Richie McCaw was satisfied enough.  

"It probably wasn't that pretty out there. It felt a bit stop-start and we didn't get our game together, but we're certainly happy to come away with five points," McCaw said.  

- NZPA  

Scores:
Crusaders 38 (Reuben Thorne, Kevin Senio, Rico Gear, Casey Laulala tries; Daniel Carter 4 pen, 3 con) Highlanders 15 (Ben Blair 4 pen, Nick Evans pen).
Halftime: 18-9.

- NZPA