Rugby: Emotional win for Crusaders

Adam Whitelock, Sonny Bill Williams and Matt Todd of the Crusaders observe a minute of silence for victims of the Pike River Mine disaster and the Christchurch earthquake. Photo / Getty Images

Crusaders 33 Waratahs 18

He might be short of the finished product, but beleaguered Crusaders fans were last night happy with centre Robbie Fruean just the way he is.

A two-try burst by Fruean late in the first half took the home side from a precarious position against the high-flying Waratahs to one of dominance.

SUPER 15 STANDINGS

In an side laden with internationals, it was two players yet to play for their country - Fruean and flanker Matt Todd - and a forgotten All Black, George Whitelock, who were most instrumental in setting up a gutsy victory.

Graham Henry was in the crowd wearing a Crusaders jersey. Fruean and Todd will hope he was armed with a pen and notebook too.

"It was quite emotional," Fruean said of the buildup to the match.

The giant centre, who is conservatively listed as 104kg, has been unable to live at his flat since the February 22 quake. His inconveniences are minor.

"I really felt for the families who lost loved ones in the Pike River mine and the earthquake. It's a tough time but I wanted to embrace the moment and play not only for myself but for them and for my family."

In front of a packed Trafalgar Park crowd of 10,500, the Crusaders finally kick-started their Super 15 campaign.

They might have missed several opportunities for a bonus point, but captain Kieran Read was proud of the heart his team had showed, saying there was "no other option" but to win.

"It's hard to put it into words ... The pride we showed was awesome, especially to come back from [the Waratahs'] good start. The heart and pride really reflected what everyone has been doing down in our region," Read said.

It was not until Fruean belied his blockhouse size with the agility of a danseur to pounce on a Waratahs pass that the home team - playing in West Coast red and white in tribute to the 29 lost in the Pike River mining disaster - got even a toe-hold in the match, let alone dominance.

Just minutes later, on the back of some brilliant work by the gradually dominant Crusaders pack, he again crossed, Dan Carter converting from out wide in a flawless night of goalkicking.

The former Wellingtonian owed much of that try to Sonny Bill Williams' final pass, but he returned the favour early in the second half. It was Fruean's break, bouncing off four Waratahs defenders, that created a broken defensive line through which Williams charged.

Fruean said it had taken Williams a while to settle. "Once he did [get comfortable] we could see what he could do and it's amazing for the team."

Playing his first match for the Crusaders and his first game of rugby since the test against Wales in November, Williams opened the match with a succession of ill-directed passes.

In contrast, the comparatively undersized Waratahs midfield duo of Tom Carter and Rob Horne looked slick.

It was no surprise when Carter scored the game's first try. When halfback Luke Burgess finished a sweeping move after 20 minutes, it was only Daniel Halangahu's woefully inaccurate boot that was preventing a sizeable deficit. Instead, the scoreboard told the Crusaders they were well in it - a point rammed home by Fruean.

For the Crusaders, their first win, while the Waratahs will face the same old questions about their ability to deal with physical forward packs.

It would not shock, however, if these two sides were to meet again very late in this competition.