Nemani Nadolo on the burst for the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images
Nemani Nadolo on the burst for the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images
Sometimes it takes a moment of class to get a team going and last night, once again for the Crusaders, it came from their giant wing Nemani Nadolo.
Not many players in the world would have been able to do what he did for his first-half try, his seventh ofthe season. It came from a very good kick from Dan Carter, his left foot as cultured as ever as he kicked high and across Eden Park for the lurking behemoth.
Blues wing Ben Lam would have been confident of covering it, however, as it seemed to be a little long - probably just out of reach of the Fijian Nadolo. But Nadolo stuck a plate of a left hand out, juggled the ball, re-gathered and scored a try few who saw it will forget.
Nemani Nadolo on the burst for the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images
Carter, of course, converted from the sideline, and the Crusaders were away, starved as they were of early possession and behind by two Ihaia West penalties.
That's the special thing about Nadolo - he is very big and fast, but his micro skills are as good as any player in the world.
His attacking threat can lead to comical moments. In the second half, after a superb turnover by the Crusaders on their line, prop Wyatt Crockett was away, stampeding out of his territory and making a beeline not for the Blues tryline but for Nadolo outside him, hoping desperately to link up with someone slightly bigger and a lot faster than him.
Nadolo is a popular figure because he appears to play the game in the right spirit, too. His run in the second half from a scrum move put replacement loose forward Luke Whitelock over by the posts, but the try was ruled out due to obstruction by Ryan Crotty on Ihaia West. Nadolo's response was to smile as he ran back into position and to shrug his shoulders at the crowd.
The Crusaders' third try came thanks in part to Nadolo's pressure on the Blues rearguard. A 5m scrum was the result, a penalty try the pay-off for the red and blacks.
He's not perfect, of course. Nadolo dropped a Jamison Gibson-Park box kick on halfway in front of the main stand. He responded with more smiles. The game by then was well in the bag, the Crusaders having scored the four tries in a victory they were desperately chasing.
