Western Force 37 Crusaders 15
In a historic Super Rugby Pacific upset, the Western Force has dramatically turned the competition on its head by thumping the reigning champion Crusaders 37-15 in Perth. The bonus-point victory not only reignited the Force’s own finals hopes but also plunged the fallen Crusaders giants to the embarrassing depths of last place on the ladder.
Coming into the match at HBF Park, few could have predicted this mother of all boilovers. Despite a 1-6 start, the Crusaders remain the most successful club in Super Rugby history with a staggering 12 titles. In contrast, the Force had won just once themselves prior to this famous night.
However, the struggling Kiwi powerhouse was brought crashing back to earth in extraordinary fashion by a fired-up Force side spearheaded by former Wallaby star Kurtley Beale on debut. Beale’s influence was evident as the home side raced out to a 16-5 halftime lead through tries to Chase Tiatia and Tom Horton.
The Crusaders could not take advantage of their numerical superiority even when flanker Carlo Tizzano was sin-binned for 10 minutes in the first half, leaving the Force a man down. Discipline again proved their Achilles heel, conceding five Donaldson penalty goals as Crusaders infringements mounted.
By that stage, the Force had made a staggering 207 tackles to just 60 by the Crusaders – a reflection of the sheer defensive commitment that has long deserted the champions this season.
When George Bell and Sevu Reece – who became the Crusaders’ all-time leading try-scorer with his 53rd five-pointer – did cross early in the second stanza to make it 22-15, it seemed the usual Crusaders revival was on. But the Force simply would not be denied their moment.
Further tries to Sam Carter and Tizzano blew the game open before the Force fittingly had the final say with a last-minute bonus-point try as they reminded the Crusaders that, in Perth at least, they have long been the prime ambushers of big-name scalps.
“To be honest, I’m not worried about the ladder, we start winning games, we will put ourselves in position. Yes, it’s unique, no team has probably done it from here, but I’ve still got full faith, full trust in our team,” said a defiant but rattled Crusaders captain, Tom Christie, afterwards.
While the 12-time champions may retain faint finals hopes, given they are only six points outside the top eight, their body language reflected that of a team shocked by their remarkable fall from grace.
In a season stacked with disappointing performances, this one took the cake as the worst of all for the Crusaders. Poor discipline, bad defensive reads, a faltering lineout, loose carries, questionable decision-making, an overly lateral attack, an ongoing inability to exit their territory efficiently – the list went on.
Most telling was the Force’s two rolling maul tries – a rarity against the Crusaders in years gone by. At the other end, the Crusaders fluffed a routine lineout just 5m out, the sort of chance they would have punished with brutal efficiency in their glory years.
As for the Force, their first win over the Crusaders in over a decade could prove the catalyst for an unlikely playoff push after their previous record of 1- 7. Coach Simon Cron will be plotting that path, buoyed by the knowledge that his side has taken down the biggest scalp of all.
“It’s a testament to the self-belief and never-say-die attitude in our squad,” beamed Force captain Nic White after their statement victory.
Those same attributes have clearly deserted the once-mighty Crusaders, who now incredibly find themselves propping up the rest of the Super Rugby Pacific competition in a season that has officially hit rock bottom.
