CRUSADERS 22
STORMERS 0
KEY POINTS:
The Crusaders left Africa this morning unbeaten for the first time there on a Super 14 tour since 2002, with coach Robbie Deans saying: "I was proud of that performance, it was fantastic, a great effort."
Deans was delighted with the defensive effort of his players at Newlands,
a commitment that kept the Stormers scoreless for the first time in 12 meetings between the teams.
"It was a totally different game to last week," conceded Deans. "The difference was the resilience of the Stormers. They kept coming, whereas the Bulls dropped their heads a little bit last week."
Richie McCaw called it "a hell of a game". The open side admitted his men were pretty sore and that a lot of effort had to go into the performance to keep the Stormers out.
"We realised it would be tough here, it is never easy and I'm proud of the way the guys stuck at it.
"Without doubt it was a big motivation: the thought of leaving Africa unbeaten. The one thing the guys don't enjoy is a long flight after a loss. For those that suffered that loss against the Sharks last year, it was still fresh in their minds."
Clinically, the Crusaders scored 11 points in each half to finish clear winners. Twenty-two to nil and, as an old Irish forward once said, "lucky to get the nil".
At times, it was a masterclass by the New Zealanders in attacking skills. The Stormers were fortunate that their opponents' finishing only seldom matched the quality of their approach work.
The Crusaders foraged hard and relentlessly for the loose ball but it was the variety of their play which caught the eye.
The length of the pass was varied and everything was performed at speed and with confidence. Mose Tuiali'i was a menace, his surges off the back of the line-outs and rucks positively injurious to the home team's composure.
Yet too many of the chances they carved out were squandered, and at least three potential tries were butchered, an uncharacteristic failing for this team.
What the Crusaders also did to huge effect was put pressure on the Stormers' kickers. It meant that the home team wasted so much ball with inaccurate kicks that simply fed the visitors' back three. On a better day, they would have exacted far greater revenge, particularly as the Stormers' chasing was erratic.
The Crusaders managed only a single try in each half, partly because of the Stormers' effectiveness in scrambling defence and some untypical errors by themselves.
But when the Crusaders led 22-0 with more than 20 minutes left, the Stormers proved their spirit, fighting hard and trying everything to break down a well-organised defence. There were moments of dash and thrill but the second line of covering defenders always cut down anyone who had made an initial break.
The Stormers never played with the conviction of their rivals, nor could they make the ball do the work in the same way. They also struggled to cope with a big Crusaders' scrummaging effort, an impressive feature of the win. And for all the pace of Tonderai Chavhanga and the effort of Jean de Villiers, they could not handle the pressure their opponents put on them.
With the job done, Tuiali'i and Casey Laulala were withdrawn with more than 20 minutes left. The Stormers had no choice but to play catch-up rugby and, in truth, they stretched the visitors' defence, probing all over the field.
Vision and commitment denied them, however, testimony to the ferocious pride of this Crusaders' side. As Deans said: "It comes down to pride. A lot of the boys out there were egging each other on and that makes it easier. A challenge faced is a challenge diminished."
McCaw added: "It hurts teams when you stop them once and then stop them again. That is a real psychological blow to the opposition."
