The stats don't lie: Week eight review

When will the Crusaders rich run of form end? Photo / Getty Images

The odds suggest that somewhere along the line in this competition the Crusaders will lose another game, but from the performance they put in against reigning Super champions the Bulls it is going to take a very good side to tip them up from here on.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders got home against the Cheetahs, but the Hurricanes horror season continued as they lost by one point to the Brumbies to take last place in the NZ conference.

SUPER 15 STANDINGS

CRUSADERS v BULLS (27-0)

- The last time the Bulls were held scoreless was in 1999 when the Sharks beat them 29-0, but that was in the days when they were the cellar dwellers of the competition and not back to back Super 14 champions.

- The Crusaders failed to get the bonus point fourth try in this game but this was the fifth consecutive game they have pulled off a set piece move to score a try (Sonny Bill Williams).

- Luckily the Crusaders didn't need the boot of Matt Berquist to win this game, as he only landed four from nine attempts at goal.

- The Bulls had just one attempt at goal all game, when Morne Steyn lined up a penalty in the 37th minute but missed.

- The Bulls had less than 40 percent of possession for most of the game just evening things up in the final 10 minutes and coughed the ball up no less than 20 times with handling errors, 17 of which were knock-ons.

- The Crusaders dominated the breakdown turning the Bulls over eight times at the tackle or by counter-rucking. The Bulls were also penalised eight times at the breakdown as a direct result of pressure put on them by the Crusaders.

- The Crusaders only made four clean linebreaks in this game, but it was their ability to play over the advantage line that created the front foot ball for Israel Dagg and Tom Marshall to score in the second half. Dagg now has five tries to his name and remains in second spot behind Sean Maitland in the top try scorers list this season.

- The Crusaders maintained their winnning ways in Timaru, and the Bulls are still yet to beat the Crusaders on New Zealand soil.

- This win takes the Crusaders to the top of the overall Super points table, followed by the Reds after they dealt the Stormers their first loss of the season.

HIGHLANDERS v CHEETAHS (24-21)

- Adam Thomson scored two tries in this game as the Highlanders withstood a late rally from the Cheetahs in the last five minutes of play after the Highlanders had led 24-14 early in the second half.

- The Highlanders showed it's not just the Crusaders who can score from set piece, with Toby Lynn scoring under the posts from a move originating from a lineout.

- The Highlanders' lineout continued its fine run losing just one of their 12 throws, and stealing one off the Cheetahs

- Colin Slade landed four out of five shots at goal, astray with his first penalty attempt of the game.

- The Highlanders won 5 breakdown turnovers with their counter-rucking abilities.

- Alando Soakai played his 50th Super match.

BRUMBIES v HURRICANES (17-16)

- Both Aaron Cruden and Dan Kirkpatrick were 100 percent with the boot this weekend, but unfortunately three penalties and a conversion (Cruden scored the only try of the game for the Hurricanes) still left them a point behind on the scoreboard.

- The Hurricanes performed well at the breakdown this week, winning turnovers at the tackle seven times.

- However, they also conceded 11 penalties at the breakdown in their total of 16 penalties for the match. They conceded almost three times as many penalties as the Brumbies.

- HERALD ONLINE