Super Rugby: Clinical Crusaders hammer Highlanders with stunning second half surge

Braydon Ennor of the Crusaders scores a try. Photo / Photosport

They tried, lord knows they tried. But after a skilful and valiant first quarter in Christchurch the Highlanders went the same way as so many teams have before at the Crusaders fortress tonight.

In the end it was a resounding victory for the Crusaders which has cemented their place at the top of the table. It was their 24th consecutive victory in Christchurch. For the Highlanders, who shot to a 10-point lead before watching as the home side racked up 36 unanswered points, it was their fifth loss in a row.

There would be no fairytale result for Ben Smith on his 150th game for the Highlanders, the fullback having to settle for the game's opening try after two minutes as his only reward. "You can't stop class like that," was skipper Sam Whitelock's succinct summary afterwards.

It was at this point that the Crusaders would have felt like they were in a proper southern derby, but while they gradually got on top in the first half and scored through Braydon Ennor to close the gap, there were never really any signs of the second-half destruction to come. In fact, such was their frustration at being unable to add to Ennor's converted try, that they continued playing after the halftime siren for a full three minutes before the play went dead.

With first-five Richie Mo'unga calling the shots with skill, pace and, a little more surprising for him, physicality, and midfielders Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue providing their usual consistent support acts, the Crusaders ran amok after the break.

They have an underrated fullback in David Havili and in left wing Sevu Reece they have a rising star. His break and pass into space for replacement halfback Mitchell Drummond's try were two pieces of pure quality and he scored one himself on the left with his anticipation.

With a penalty try from an attacking scrum increasing the pressure, and replacement outside back Will Jordan scoring his eighth try of the season to make the bonus point safe for the Crusaders, the defending champions, who saw their clash against the Highlanders in Dunedin cancelled several weeks ago, look as ominous as they ever have under Scott Robertson.

It took them time to subdue the Highlanders, but they would have been confident that they could do so because the men from the deep south, while suffering from some bad luck this season, have not been able to sustain their effort throughout the 80 minutes.

For whatever reason, whether it is a lack of real quality on the bench or a lack of general fitness, they are a first-half team and little more at the moment.

And yet, they again could have done with a little more luck from referee Ben O'Keeffe. In the end the Crusaders gave up 18 penalties to the Highlanders' five.

O'Keeffe had given Crusaders skipper Whitelock a warning halfway through the second half that the red and blacks would lose a player to the sinbin if the trend continued, but the official only reached into his pocket once the fulltime siren went, replacement hooker Ben Funnell the man to leave the pitch early.

Thankfully for the rest of the competition, the Crusaders have a bye next weekend, while the Highlanders host the Blues.

Crusaders 43 (Braydon Ennor, David Havili, Sevu Reece, Mitchell Drummond, Will Jordan tries, penalty try; Richie Mo'unga 3 cons, pen, Mitch Hunt con)
Highlanders 17 (Ben Smith, Josh Ioane tries; Ioane con, pen, Bryn Gatland con)
Halftime: 7-10