LIVE: Crusaders score at half-time to build an impressive Blues lead | 1 NEWS

The first half of the books and the crusaders make a masterclass. The defense brings the Blues to a halt and they use their limited chances to convert the big time to the other end. It's going to take something special to send Kaino away from here. We will be back soon with the second half.

CRU TRY! The Crusaders finish half in style. Drummond escapes from the back of the scrum and one step back to his left puts in the Blues' backfield in their 22m. He is face to face with Gatland, is tackled but arrives in Tamanivalu who dives under the posts.

The ball comes out from the top and Pulu shoots it midfield but there's a shot. To make matters worse, two phases later, the Blues are penalized for being offside. Once again, they do not manage to convert in the 22m of the crusaders. Crusaders kick and find an alignment midway.

Perofeta leaves his defender to fight his way through half of the Crusaders. He went down but the Blues are recycling him quickly. bring him back to the midfield. They search the left wing with a cross kick, but he sails on the full. Ref returns for advantage for offside. The Blues use it to kick and it's an alignment of Blues at 10m from the Crusaders line.

The Crusaders bring the ball back into half of the Blues, but once again they handle the ball. There is a shot on the right wing and it gives a scrum to the Blues just inside their own half.

BLU TRIALS! The Blues finally arrive on the dashboard, but would you believe that it's because of an interception. Not their own ball. Nanai skips a Dagg pass on the left wing and streaks halfway to score in the left corner. Dagg's pass was not bad. Just read by Nanai.

Once again, the Blues are denied because the Crusaders get a business figure close to their line. They are looking to eliminate it, but that stops half way after Todd can not shoot in a wide pass. The Blues are fighting mid-race but you have to credit Crusader defense tonight. The Blues have had a lot of ball and territory, but they can not get anything out of it.

The Blues have another chance to attack after the Crusaders were penalized for a tackle at the top of Perofeta. The shot gives them an alignment at 10m from the line.

CRU TRYING! Bright, flat passes place Bridge in space on the left wing with 5m to go and it is in it. Jeez it's going to hurt the Blues. 21 phases and they could not collect points. The Crusaders leave with seven points on a third of this possession

The Blues are closer to 22m Crusaders thanks to a beautiful rise of Duffie in the right wing. The blues try to get muscle from there and after 15 phases, their 5m runs. After 21 phases the Blues try to go off but Sam Whitelock intercepts him. He finds support and Crotty gives the benefit. The Blues recover but the Crusaders are everywhere in the ball and force to hit. The crusaders throw themselves on the 22 meters of the Blues.

A strong defense of the Blues stops the Crusaders in their race and causes a penalty for not releasing the ball. The crusaders had eight phases there but ended up going back. The Blues take the penalty and kick. Their alignment is 35m from the Crusader line.

Some melee rebounds lead to a penalty for the Crusaders while the Blues collapse. The crusaders kick and get an alignment on the 22m Blues

The Blues can not make a withdrawal and they are penalized for not releasing. A great chance is to beg. However, the kick of Mo 'unga does not find any contact so the Blues bring him back halfway. They move the ball to the right and Nanai is hit by Bridge and loses the ball in the process. No advantage, the Crusaders attack at mid-race

Blues with a chance to attack after getting a penalty for offside. They refuse all three offers and give a kick to the touch. The 10m alignment of the Crusaders line is approaching

The Blues are building pressure halfway through seven phases before trying to find space on the left. However, Tamanivalu attempts an interception and strikes her to stop him. No advantage, the Blues mingle halfway.

CRU TRY! The fast hands of Crusaders allow Crotty to put Goodhue in the space and he is too close to the line to stop. Dive to score early in this game. Not the beginning that the Bleus wanted

Worrisome signs for the Blues while Tamanivalu jostles through 3 tackles on the right wing while the Crusaders spend their 22m in Blues. He brings him back to Goodhue, he joins Taufua. Taufua is down 5m. Crusaders try to recycle quickly to the left but it's loose. The Ref returns for an offside advantage and it's a scrum of the Crusaders at 5m from the Blues line

We are in Christchurch via the boot of Mo 'unga

The Blues want to say goodbye to Jerome Kaino with a win against Super Rugby when the curtain will fall on their forgettable Super Rugby campaign.

Coach Tana Umaga's men will try to end a run without a win Kiwi opponents will face the crowned champions at Christchurch tonight

They may have to rely on complacency from hosts, who are the best qualified for the finals after winning their last 11 games.

Umaga thinks his 35-year-old Kaino players have been raised by his men, whose 139th match for the Blues is the last before he leaves for Toulouse.

"This match is very important." Umaga said. 24] "We are going into a cauldron in Christchurch but we have to go there with our eyes wide open and also gain confidence in the game last week."

The 42-24 loss to the Hurricanes was their 11th, leaving the former Super Rugby powers on the verge of equaling their second worst season record.

The worst was a 3-13 comeback in 2015, the last season under John Kirwan before Umaga started his unflattering term.

The only departure change of the Blues This week is at the lock, where Ben Nee-Nee replaces Matiaha Martin, injured.

The Crusaders made six changes to the team that beat the Highlanders 45-22.

Only one member of their All-All Black team Captain Sam Whitelock remains on the spot while Israel Dagg returns to the back-end post just after his fourth appearance in a wounded season.

Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Seta Tamanivalu, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo's Unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Kie Run Read, 7 Matt Todd, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Sam Whitelock (c), 4 Quinten Strange, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Andrew Makalio, 1 Tim Perry

Replacements: 16 Sam Anderson-Heather, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Donald Brighouse, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Manasa Mataele

Blues: 15 Matt Duffie, 14 Melani Nanai, 13 Michael Collins, 12 Rieko Ioane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Stephen Perofeta , 9 Augustine Pulu (c), 8 Akira Ioane, 7 Blake Gibson, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ben Nee-Nee, 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 Matt Mussels, 1 Alex Hodgman [19659035] Replacements: 16 Ross Wright, 17 Pauliasi Manu, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Jacob Pierce, 20 Murphy Taramai, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Bryn Gatland, 23 Tamati Tua