Crusaders win clash of heavyweights

Crusaders 17 Waratahs 11

The Crusaders scored two first-half tries and held off a 20-minute onslaught courageously from the Waratahs to win the battle of the Super 14 rugby heavyweights 17-11 in Christchurch tonight.

The homeside defended their line furiously in the last 20 minutes as the Waratahs turned the pressure on their opponents by getting their big men charging for the winner.

But they never quite found the way to the line by bashing ahead, seldom testing the defence on the flanks.

It was a different story in the first half, when they were under pressure themselves.

The home side scored two converted tries, in typical Crusaders' style, six minutes into the game and six minutes from halftime to lead 14-3 at halftime.

They made both look easy with the backline moving the ball quickly along after the forwards turned over possession for the first and applied plenty pressure in the scrum to create space for the second.

First five-eighth Daniel Carter, who kicked both conversions, Rico Gear and Caleb Ralph handled before flanker Richie McCaw turned the ball back in for lock Chris Jack to jog around and score their first try under the posts.

The second came from a scrum, with the speed of the ball transfer against catching out the Waratahs. This time fullback Leon MacDonald finished it off.

In between the Waratahs were under constant pressure when they kept missing first-up tackles and losing possession in the rucks on at least six occasions. The Crusaders line was never under any threat in the first 40 minutes.

Fullback Peter Hewat kicked a penalty, after missing two, in the 39th minute for the Waratahs' only first-half points.

But they scored soon after halftime through centre Morgan Turinui, who chased a speculative kick, scooped up on the bounce, evaded Gear's tackle and touched down.

Carter nailed his third goal kick, a penalty in the 50th minute.

The Crusaders came under real pressure for the first time at the start of the third quarter when their defence was severely tested by a Lote Tuqiri charge. Hewat succeeded with his first shot at goal to close the gap 11-17.

Managing to hold on to the ball to recycle it without turning it over, the Waratahs started dominating both possession and territory.

The outcome was a boring 20 minutes of pick and charge and reset and charge that would have had delighted only the purists.

The Crusaders defence, however, was magnificent holding off the barrage.

"We couldn't get out of our own 22, we got the ball a few times but the Waratahs certainly had us there," Crusaders captain McCaw said of the last quarter.

"We knew at halftime that it would happen."

The Crusaders were, like last week against the Hurricanes, hammered in the penalty count -- 10-1.

"It definitely is," McCaw said when asked if it was one of his team's problems.

"They put you under heaps of pressure when you are defending and then you just give away penalties. They're a good team and never lie down like all Aussies. Tonight we're just happy to get the four points."

McCaw who copped a heavy penalty count last week and was criticised through the week didn't concede any tonight.

The victory meant the Crusaders are back in the lead with 35 points and the Waratahs second with 33 after earning a bonus point.

Crusaders 17 (Chris Jack, Leon MacDonald tries; Daniel Carter pen, 2 con),
Waratahs 11 (Morgan Turinui try; Peter Hewat 2 pen).
HT: 14-3.

- NZPA