Super Rugby: Crusaders hammer hurricanes

Back to business for the Crusaders.

Last week's blip in Sydney, where their 19 wins in the final ended with Scott Robertson's worst performance, their first match since the Christchurch terrorist attack, will soon be forgotten.

The sign of any clbady clbad is its ability to put bad performance behind it and react with intent.

The All Blacks rarely, if ever, produce two weeks of trotting time. The crusaders, pursuing three successive titles, are a similar beast.

In Wellington tonight, they ended the undefeated 13-game Hurricanes home run with ease.

The ruthless and clinical manner of this performance once again highlighted the gap between those teams that, prior to this match, were stuck at the top of the Kiwi Conference.

Despite all the talk of rivalry, it was a fizzer.

The Crusaders have already beaten the Hurricanes twice this season after winning 38-22 in Christchurch five weeks ago.

In case of doubt over the dominance of the reds and blacks, Robertson's men also won their last 11 New Zealand derbies.

Many expected the promised power of the Crusaders to prove the difference. It is rather the hurricane's bottom lines and a series of consistent mistakes that have left them falling.

For the most part, the Hurricanes pack has withstood visitors. Their scrum more than resisted, and although they made too many mistakes in the tight match, they generally gave as many benefits as they managed to compete and challenge the split.

While their fat men were standing in the fixed place, the Hurricanes were exposed twice before and they never really recovered.

First and foremost, Bryn Hall and Will Jordan teamed up to catch Ben Lam and Chase Tiatia napping. David Havili then took full advantage of Tiatia to restart the ball in two attempts.

The inaccuracies continued to be attacked by hurricanes, with frequent errors five meters from the crusader line. Matt Todd needed a yellow card – judged by referee Ben O & Keefe as falling into TJ Perenara's back as he attempted a quick tapping – to stay briefly in the competition, immediately hitting the ball. alignment by Ngani Laumape.

After half-time, the Hurricanes lost patience in the face of a fierce defense and, having to run after the match, frequent and frustrating mistakes came too often.

To be on an equal footing with the Crusaders, any camp must be close to the example. The hurricanes were the length of Cook's Strait from this level – Beauden Barrett having an intercept intercepted by Whetukamokamo Douglas, another sign of their struggles for cohesion and trust.

At the end of the second period, when the match was over, the Hurricanes seemed to know nothing about the attack, such was the defensive prowess of the Crusaders.

Crusader captain Kieran Read was hit in the thigh by an innocent tackle from Ben May after 21 minutes and did not return after the break. In his first match for four months, the early release of Read was probably a precaution more than any other source of major concern.

Vaea Fifita, in her 50th match, was notable for the Hurricanes with her appetite for postponement and solid alignment, but in the end, her efforts were in vain.

As the games continued, it became easier for the Crusaders to capitalize. They scored two tries in the second half and pbaded Havili's hat trick for a pbad ahead.

Even in this case, the unilateral nature of the match could not be masked.

One team seems destined to challenge another title. The other is well done.

Crusaders 32 (David Havili 2, Will Jordan, Braydon Ennor tries, Richie Mo's unga 3 cons, 2 pens)
Hurricanes 8 (Ngani Laumape try, pen Jordie Barrett)
Excl. Tax: 17-8