The stats don't lie: Blues v Crusaders

Ali Williams in action for the Blues. Photo / Getty Images

It was billed as the game of the round, and it certainly lived up to it. With no less than 22 past and present All Blacks taking the field the level of execution by all players was nothing less than sublime at times.

There were only eight handling errors in the entire game, which was played at a pace and intensity befitting a Super play-off match rather than an opening round. The closeness of the final score (24-22) was matched by the evenly shared possession stats and the final penalty count - 10 conceded by the Blues, nine by the Crusaders.

In the battle of the locks, the Crusaders duo of Brad Thorn and Sam Whitelock just edged out their counterparts Anthony Boric and Ali Williams. While both Whitelock and Williams won 3/3 on their own throw, Boric lost 2/3 of his. Thorn won the single throw that went his way.

Both lineouts ran with a 70 percent success rate with Crusader George Whitelock the only player to win ball on the opposition's throw, snaffling two off the Blues. Keven Mealamu had an immaculate night with all 14 of his throws deemed straight, while Corey Flynn was pinged for two not-straight from his 10 attempts.

With McCaw absent from this game there was much interest in how Matt Todd and Daniel Braid would square up. With both sets of forwards working hard to secure ruck ball there were few chances for either to win ball at the breakdown, and there were no clean steals won all game. Both were made to work on defence, Todd making 11 tackles and missing just one, while Braid pulled off all eight of his attempts.

Both teams were called upon to defend for long periods in the game, the Blues suceeding with 86 percent of their tackles and the Crusaders with 85% - however, the Crusaders had to make 33 more tackles than the Blues.

There were linebreaks aplenty, the Blues edging the Crusaders by eight to four. Rene Ranger and Jarrod Payne starred for the Blues with two clean breaks apiece, with Ranger's first break culminating in a try to Benson Stanley. Robbie Fruean's only clear linebreak of the game resulted in the Crusaders' second try to Andy Ellis.

It wasn't a night for the goal kickers with Dan Carter succeeding with only 4/8, and Stephen Brett worse again with just 3/8 attempts. Lachie Munro, who replaced Brett late in the game, was unsuccessful with his sole penalty attempt.

This was the only game involving New Zealand sides this weekend that saw no yellow cards. Both teams conceded half their penalties at the breakdown, while the Blues also conceded four penalties for offside play.

IN OTHER NZ GAMES:

Penalties conceded: Chiefs 8 (1 yellow card), Hurricanes 13 (2 yellow, 1 red), Highlanders 12 (1 yellow).

Goal kicking: Stephen Donald 66 percent, Aaron Cruden 60 percent, Lima Sopoaga 33 percent.

Lineouts: Chiefs 63 percent, Hurricanes 87 percent, Highlanders 50 percent.

Top jumpers: Victor Vito 5/5, Chris Lowrey 3/3, James Broadhurst 2/2, Jason Eaton 1/1, Liam Messam 2/3.

Linebreaks: Tim Nanai-Williams 3, Aaron Cruden 1, Jimmy Cowan 1, Tyson Keats 1, Kade Poki 1, Shaun Treeby 1.

- Herald online