Will Jordan scored a crucial double as the Crusaders clinched a record eighth home Super Rugby final after making the Blues pay for ill-discipline in a heart-stopping 21-14 semifinal victory that required an epic defensive stand to preserve their remarkable fortress record.
Key moments
10′ – Mark Tele’a opens the scoring in the corner after AJ Lam’s perfect grubber (0-7)
13′ – Braydon Ennor yellow-carded for head-on-head contact with Hoskins Sotutu
20′ – Rieko Ioane crashes over under the posts for record-breaking 56th Blues try (0-14)
24′ – Tom Christie burrows over for Crusaders after sustained lineout maul pressure (7-14)
27′ – Josh Fusitu’a sin-binned for head-on-head contact with Scott Barrett
37′ – Will Jordan steps and powers over to level scores at half-time (14-14)
70′ – Will Jordan scores decisive try after 13-phase Crusaders assault (21-14)
74′ – Hoskins Sotutu yellow-carded for head clash with Chay Fihaki
80+1′ to 86′ – Blues mount epic 40+ phase assault on Crusaders line before Christian Lio-Willie secures match-winning turnover
The All Blacks fullback proved the difference in a pulsating encounter at Apollo Projects Stadium, scoring the decisive try in the 70th minute before the Crusaders survived an extraordinary 40-phase Blues assault in the final six minutes that will go down as one of the most dramatic finishes in Super Rugby playoff history.
Jordan’s match-winning performance, combined with outstanding breakdown work from Tom Christie, extended the Crusaders’ phenomenal playoff record in Christchurch to 31 wins from 31 matches, setting up an eighth home final against either the Chiefs or Brumbies on 23 June.
Before kick-off, a minute’s silence was observed for former All Black winger Stu Wilson, who passed away earlier this week, adding poignancy to proceedings at the old Addington amphitheatre.
Blues coach Vern Cotter had stoked the fires pre-game by suggesting that “nothing lasts forever” and “one day they’re going to lose” their 30-match home playoffs winning streak. But the wait continues with victory 31 secured, albeit nail-bitingly so.
The defending champions started with real intent and opened the scoring in the 10th minute when AJ Lam’s perfectly weighted grubber kick forced Sevu Reece into an error near his own line. From the resulting 5-metre scrum, the Blues showed their championship pedigree with patient build-up play before Beauden Barrett’s cutout pass found Mark Tele’a, who dived over in the corner despite Reece’s desperate cover defence.
Barrett’s superb sideline conversion made it 7-0, but the Crusaders were immediately reduced to 14 men when Braydon Ennor was sin-binned for head-on-head contact with Sotutu from the restart. Referee James Doleman consulted the TMO before determining the collision merited a yellow card.
The numerical advantage proved crucial as the Blues doubled their lead in the 20th minute. Another scrum provided the platform for a slick passing move that carved open the 14-man Crusaders defence. Tele’a’s short pass found Rieko Ioane, who powered through a gaping hole to score under the posts for his 56th Blues try – breaking Doug Howlett’s long-standing franchise record.
Barrett’s conversion from in front made it 14-0, but the Crusaders’ renowned resilience surfaced immediately. The home side only began to play at 14 points down, earning a penalty in the Blues’ 22 before Antonio Shalfoon won the lineout and Codie Taylor darted from the maul. Several phases later, Tom Christie crashed over near the corner after the Red and Blacks hammered away relentlessly at the Blues line.
Rivez Reihana’s superb sideline conversion brought the crowd to life and cut the deficit to seven points. The momentum swung decisively when Blues prop Josh Fusitu’a was sin-binned for head-on-head contact with Crusaders lock Scott Barrett, who was forced from the field for a Head Injury Assessment with Jamie Hannah taking his place.
With the Blues down to 14 men, the Crusaders seized their opportunity to draw level just before half-time. Will-of-the-wisp Jordan shimmied, stepped and powered over the line as the Crusaders spread the ball wide from another well-executed lineout penalty maul. Jordan’s sharp footwork off his right foot bamboozled defender Patrick Tuipulotu near the posts, allowing the fullback to dive over in Lam’s tackle.
Reihana’s conversion levelled proceedings at 14-14 after a helter-skelter first half featuring two tries apiece, three yellow cards for head-on-head clashes, and three Crusaders HIAs – a stalemate at Test match intensity.
The teams were locked at half-time, but it seemed the Crusaders had more gas in the tank after making fewer first-half tackles (55 to 89 according to statistics).
The second half began as a tense, tactical affair with both sides recognising the magnitude of the moment. The opening seven minutes saw neither team take control, with both sides opting for territorial kicks rather than risking possession.
Two acts around the 53rd minute defined the Crusaders’ victory and deflated the Blues. The home side had conceded a couple of penalties close to their line, but defended like their lives depended on it with a juddering hit on Sotutu forcing the Blues number eight to drop the ball cold. Then the Crusaders’ scrum monstered their opponents to win a relieving penalty – marking the final acts for Taylor and Christie before substitution.
The Crusaders made hard work of it on attack, conceding a couple of turnovers through poor ball security in the tackle tumult. But the Blues’ poor discipline gave the home side vital ascendancy, and they eventually capitalised when Jordan struck again.
The crucial breakthrough arrived in the 70th minute after sustained Crusaders pressure. Multiple lineout and scrum penalties against the Blues mounted pressure on their defence before Jordan put the ball down on the 13th phase of the attack to give the Crusaders a 21-14 lead. Reihana’s conversion extended the advantage to seven points with just over ten minutes remaining.
The drama intensified in the 74th minute when Sotutu was shown a yellow card for a head clash with Crusaders centre Chay Fihaki. The collision appeared accidental as both players changed direction, but the contact to the head warranted a card, reducing the Blues to 14 men when they could least afford it.
However, refusing to surrender their crown without a fight, the Blues mounted one of the most remarkable late assaults in Super Rugby playoff history. From the 80th minute onwards, with time well expired, the defending champions launched wave after wave of attacks at the Crusaders line in a desperate bid to save their season.
What followed was an extraordinary siege lasting over six minutes of added time. The Blues worked their way up the field and kicked for the corner 10 metres out, then spent 40-plus phases attacking the Crusaders line. They showed incredible patience and precision, working through multiple phases as they probed for a gap in the increasingly stretched home defence.
Ioane, Tuipulotu, Josh Beehre and Kurt Eklund all took turns carrying into the heart of the Crusaders pack. The pressure mounted when the Crusaders were penalised at the breakdown, giving the Blues penalty advantage and allowing them to reset their attack.
But in the most dramatic of conclusions, after Tele’a went close to the line in the 86th minute, the ball spilled free. Crusaders number eight Christian Lio-Willie was quickest to react, diving on the loose ball before Reihana booted it dead to spark wild celebrations amongst the home faithful.
Jordan was deservedly named player of the match, his two tries proving the difference in a contest decided by the finest of margins. The fullback’s predatory instincts and ability to find space in the tightest situations proved too much for the Blues to handle.
Christie was equally impressive before his substitution, his work at the breakdown disrupting Blues possession at crucial moments and providing the platform for the Crusaders’ attacks. The openside flanker’s turnovers and relentless pressure proved decisive in a match where marginal gains made all the difference.
Injuries cruelled the Blues throughout the contest, with multiple front-rowers forced off at various moments. This saw hooker Kurt Eklund forced to play prop, which allowed the Crusaders to build scrum pressure at crucial moments.
For the Blues, their late fightback showcased the heart and determination that made them champions, but they will rue missed opportunities and ill-discipline at crucial moments. Despite Barrett’s perfect goal-kicking and Ioane’s record-breaking try, they fell just short of achieving what many thought impossible.
The victory ensures the final will be played at Apollo Projects Stadium – the last game before the Crusaders move to their new stadium. Their record in Christchurch remains unblemished after they were pushed to the absolute limit by a Blues side that refused to go quietly into the night.
