The Crusaders were written off by many ahead of the weekend, but they responded with full vengeance by smashing the fourth-placed Rebels 39-0.
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This is an ominous warning for their rivals who may have been expecting an easy win over the seven-time consecutive champions. The Crusaders scored six tries during the match, but they could have easily scored more.
The Rebels were outclassed in every facet of the game, particularly their scrum, which led to Rebels coach Kevin Foote replacing his entire front-row in the 31st minute.
Although plenty of teams have won with just 42% of possession, it was the 29% of territory, which came off the back of a faltering set-piece, that killed the Rebels’ hopes of coming away from Christchurch with anything.
The Rebels gave away 12 penalties to the Crusaders’ three, but most of the penalties came from the scrum.
The absence of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, who suffered a serious foot injury during their recent win over the Highlanders, affected the Rebels’ lineout.
His weight was also missed at the scrum, which led to their defeat in the match. Acting captain Sam Talakai admitted that the team was hurting and fought for everything but the opposition was superior. The loss was a huge reality check for the Rebels, who are aiming for their first-ever finals berth.
They have a tough second half of the season ahead, starting with a home match against the Blues next week. Talakai said that they need to look in the mirror and focus on fixing their issues.
Crusaders skipper Scott Barrett, who returned after a six-week injury break, was thrilled with the team’s performance and said that the boys put in a great effort after some tough talk during the week.
The win was largely due to the exceptional performance of George Bower and Fletcher Newell, who formed a formidable platform. They dominated the Wallabies pair of Matt Gibbon and Talakai, which forced Foote to replace them with Isaac Kailea, Jordan Uelese, and Taniela Tupou towards the end of the first half. Although it worked initially and kept the Crusaders from scoring,
the pressure from Crusaders continued even in the second half, and they eventually scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the match. Barrett praised the forward pack for their impressive performance, especially the scrum and maul. He also mentioned how the team has been learning and growing, despite facing challenges throughout the season.
Who doesn’t love a perfectly placed kick 😍#SuperRugbyPacific #CRUvREB pic.twitter.com/l01qZCiDv7
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) April 26, 2024
