Rugby: Powerful Chiefs come of age

Tim Nanai-Williams of the Chiefs passes under pressure from Israel Dagg of the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images

From the Ministry of Moral Victories came the newsflash that the Chiefs front-row, including boom 20-year-old prop Ben Tameifuna, on one occasion bent the Crusaders' all-All Black front row like a paperclip.

More importantly, from the Department of Cold Hard Facts, last night in Napier the Chiefs won just their fifth game in 18 attempts against the Crusaders, announcing themselves as genuine title contenders in the process.

Even accounting for a typically hairy second half, the Chiefs were good for their win against the "home team", giving credence to the belief the franchise has turned the corner.

Wins on the bounce against the Blues and the Crusaders will do that for you.

"We had a very similar game plan [as against the Blues]," said captain Craig Clarke. "We needed to carry direct at times and needed good support on our carriers to get some continuity and go-forward.

"It's natural for our guys to carry first and do the other things later on. We've tried to harness that and have a bit of game sense about us."

Right from the start, they looked ready for anything the vaunted Crusaders could throw at them.

"It was extremely frustrating," Crusaders captain Kieran Read said. "We put a lot of effort into getting ourselves right from last week and for patches there it was great for us, but we couldn't put it together. Too many penalties killed it for us."

The Chiefs got a settler early when Aaron Cruden banged over a handy penalty. His Crusader counterpart Tyler Bleyendaal was given opportunities to reciprocate, fluffing the first one before making amends.

His wasn't the only radar messed up by rain fade. Cruden missed a couple of gimmes before he found his range again, the second a conversion after the Chiefs got the first try through a Liam Messam drive.

It was nothing less than the "visitors" deserved after taking on the Crusaders at their toughest point - challenging them at scrum time and punching holes around the fringes.

It was the Crusaders who fed off scraps, and they were unlucky not to counter with a try to halfback Andy Ellis, who was adjudged by Garratt Williamson to be a fraction offside when he intercepted to score.

It would have been a typical piece of Crusader opportunism, but it would not have been in keeping with the tenor of the match.

More by good luck than good management, the Crusaders turned just 10 points down.

Even as they trotted disconsolately into the McLean Park sheds, they would have known that the Chiefs have been first-half wonders this year - even through pre-season - and second-half disappearing acts.

Playing to type, the Chiefs team that returned at the start of the second half bore no resemblance to the earlier one. They were sloppy and were very quickly behind the posts after Robbie Fruean had capitalised on a Read charge and offload.

Even Sona Taumalolo's try seemed like an anomaly as the Chiefs started to falter.

"In the last couple of games, our second halves have seen a bit of a drop off," said Clarke. "We knew they'd step it up and throw everything at us."

Fight they did. Even as Bleyendaal was able to keep chipping away at the Chiefs' lead in threes, the Chiefs refused to buckle.

They harried the Crusaders into mistakes, and after Cruden nudged them to a five-point lead with 3 mins to go, they held on for dear life.

Will the Crusaders rue not taking this game to the friendlier environs of Timaru instead?

24 Chiefs

Tries: L. Messam, S. Taumalolo
Conversion: A Cruden
Penalties: A. Cruden 4

19 Crusaders

Try: R. Fruean pen con), here
Conversions: T. Bleyendaal
Penalties: T. Bleyendaal 4 Halftime: 16-6.