Crusaders 33 Blues 20
The Blues discovered last night that consistent graft and enterprise can all be undone by one reckless act.
Poor old Rudi Wulf won't be feeling a million dollars this morning for it was his brain explosion where he threw a wild pass straight into the hands of Ryan Crotty that
eased the Blues out of a contest they were eminently capable of winning.
He'll probably never watch the replay because he knows that it was one of those acts that changed everything. The Blues were more than alive as the game reached the final quarter. They were a point behind at 16-15 but there was a sense of them being the team in control.
Coach Pat Lam obviously thought so too as he sent on Tom Chamberlain, a genuine openside, to play alongside Serge Lilo. It was a clear sign Lam felt the Crusaders were creaking and that if that his side could up the tempo, they were going to crack their hosts.
But once Crotty scampered over, that was it. The Crusaders snapped out of their mental lull and remembered who they were and where they were.
Dan Carter kicked a penalty shortly after and then it became all about catch-up rugby for the Blues. Great escapes rarely occur in Christchurch and the Blues duly fell to their second defeat of the campaign.
The scoreline ended up being rather harsh, but such is the way of modern rugby, when fatigue sets in, the tries can flow.
The important thing now for the Blues is to recuperate in their bye-week and realize they are on the right track. There is no need to rip up the game plan and start again.
Nor do they need to be thinking about sweeping changes in personnel. One mistake cost them dear and they did much right otherwise.
There was evidence of the Blues having analysed the Crusaders in some depth. The visitors deliberately worked their pick and drive around the fringes and it brought them good yards.
Someone somewhere had obviously seen there was space to exploit around the big men and there was a secondary bonus to be had from charging up the middle - it forced the Crusaders to commit more men to the tackle area.
The only problem for the Blues was that they couldn't sustain the momentum to the end. They lacked patience when they were beginning to break the Crusaders' resistance.
That inability to capitalise on their bruising work was the critical missing piece for the Blues. Without being able to hurt the Crusaders with big punches, the Blues were reliant on the boot of Stephen Brett to play them into territory and take the goal-kicks when they were on offer.
For those who have followed the Blues over the years, it would have been a bittersweet sight. Finally they had the structure they have craved all these years. They were tidy at kick receipt. Their lineout was immaculate and while their scrum creaked, it was still a good enough platform.
Defensively, even when they lost the destructive presence of Benson Stanley after just 10 minutes, the Blues were relentless and organized. Richie McCaw was welcomed back none too gently and Jerome Kaino and Keven Mealamu made several thunderous connections.
Brett gave them territory and they didn't try to force the passes. It was rugby that has rarely been seen from them, but sadly it came at the expense of the natural flair and creativity that has been their hallmark for ever and a day.
It's not that the Blues didn't probe and link - it was just that when they did string together some flowing movement, they usually did so in the wrong part of the field.
It made for a slightly surreal experience. While the Blues were all pragmatic industry, the Crusaders were happy taking more risk.
Frightfully dull last year, they have re-found their confidence to use the width of the field and they were alive to opportunity even it meant running from deep within their own half.
That's largely due to the presence of Carter, who mixed his game expertly. Andy Ellis, too, and Ryan Crotty wanted to look for space and keep the ball in the hands.
Their enterprise was rewarded after 20 minutes when some effective probing led to Carter blasting through a huge hole, popping to Jared Payne on his shoulder who fed back inside to George Whitelock to score.
It was typical Crusaders - create a chance, take the chance. It was also typical that as the game become a stale mate in the second half, they dug in the way only they can.
Crusaders: 33 (G. Whitelock, R. Crotty, R. Fruean tries; D. Carter 4 pens, 3 cons)
Blues: 20 (A. Mathewson try; S. Brett 4 pens, DG).
