Rugby: Crusaders crush the Chiefs

Kieran Read of the Crusaders is tackled by Sam Cane of the Chiefs last night. Photo / Getty Images

Crusaders 25 Chiefs 19

Tight, relentless and assured, the Crusaders were like a careful owner transporting the family pet last night.

Aware the Chiefs were potentially dangerous, likely to spit and scratch if they were given any space, the Crusaders threw them in the cage, slammed the door shut and didn't give a thought to letting them out.

Dan Carter played like a man no longer carrying a burden and made everything happen for the Crusaders.

The ball was barely out of his hands and he orchestrated things cleverly, especially in the second half where he made sure the Crusaders played all their rugby in the right area of the field.

Much of his influence was only possible because of the demolition work going on in front of him.

It took the better part of 30 minutes for the Crusaders to get the physical measure of the Chiefs. But they got it all right - winning most of the collisions and enjoying a dominance in the scrums.

It was a powerful effort from the pack - the second half scrummaging in particular was deadly.

Wyatt Crockett continues to have his detractors, those who won't forget his initial All Black efforts, but he was disruptive and ferocious.

Luke Romano was another to show up well and he made some memorable yards. None more so than the 20 he covered to score the opening try. There was nothing on, the Crusaders drifting without threatening when he hammered onto the ball, bust two tackles and smashed over under the posts.

That was the score that gave the Crusaders daylight. The Chiefs never looked like scoring a try or creating enough pressure to win the requisite penalties they would need to claw their way back from a 19-9 deficit.

They managed one and then scored a try in the last play of the game when it was all wrapped up and beyond them.

That the second half played out more to expectation was something of a relief. The first period had been a little hard to make sense of at times.

There were some genuine surprises. Carter, who hasn't so much as thought about dropping a goal in the last three years, had two attempts in 15 minutes in the first half.

The first was a cracking strike that hit the upright and either he was miffed to have been denied or it was an entirely deliberate strategy to set up for field goals.

Confirmation that it was the latter came in the final 10 minutes when he did land one. It was a smart call - it put the Crusaders 10 points ahead - and an even smarter execution.

He landed it on the run and from an angle that would have deterred every other player on the field from even thinking about it.

Then there was the poor ball retention of Richie McCaw. The All Black skipper was his usual thrusting and energetic self but his hands were a little clumsy - coughing up possession three times in a row at one stage.

Not that Sam Cane, his opposite man would have cared much. The Chiefs youngster played superbly in his first outing at this level and had the bravery and determination to forage at the breakdown. As introductions to Super Rugby go, his couldn't have been tougher and he would appear to have a long future in the game.

As does Ben Afeaki. The longer this season goes on the more the Chiefs tighthead impresses.

He's a rare athlete - a whopping 130kg yet aerobically capable. His old failing of going to ground too early - of not battling to stay on his feet in the carry - seems to be all but cured and he was always available to take the ball and crunch some hard yards.

He showed his true potential when Carter found himself one on one with the giant prop and assumed he'd be able to skip round the mountain.

He did, but Afeaki scrambled back and grabbed the escaping Carter's foot. There would have been international class wings unable to have closed up the ground to make such a desperate lunge.

The Chiefs will cling to the performances of these two youngsters as the defeat effectively killed any slim playoff hopes they may have been harbouring.

Their campaign is over now - their only role is to now influence which of the Blues, Crusaders and Highlanders ends up winning the New Zealand conference.

Crusaders 25 (L. Romano tries; D. Carter con, 5 pens, drop goal)

Chiefs 19 (L. Messam try; S. Donald con, 4 pens).