Blues vs Crusaders
Saturday 19 Mar, 2005 7:35 pm
Eden Park
Auckland
Ref Paddy Obrien

Half time Crusaders 34-0 (yeah baby!!)
Full time Crusaders 41-19 (ohhhhhh yeah!!)
TVNZ play-by-play

Satisfaction! That's the overwhelming feeling that I'm sure Crusaders players, management and Fans alike are feeling at the moment after handing the Blues a total rogering in front of their own fans.

Given the way both sides had handled the Chiefs and Reds in earlier rounds (the Crusaders dispatched both while the Blues should have lost both matchups) a betting man should have had big money on the Crusaders to fillet the Blues like this but I bet not many did.

Matchups between these two teams are always unpredicatable affairs, and often very tight.

There was a lot of talk before the game that the Crusaders (with their all AB starting 15) were the favourites but in these matchups the favourite tag isn't worth much. In the past at least. :-D

I had to laugh at a sign in the crowd before the game that said "Blues players are real men, not just pretty boys". I'm not sure when these particular scales tipped but I guess if you were comparing Carlos "the mongrel" Spencer to Dan "slick" Carter then there is something to the arguement. In any case it's not how you look it's how you play and the red and black machine had it all over their hapless opponents in that area tonight.

All the Crusaders guys went really well tonight, and if All Black places were picked based on tonights performance then there would have been a lot of ex-All Blacks standing under their posts wearing (and feeling) Blue. The only Blues player who would make the ABs on tonights' performance was Joe Rokstar. I know he didn't exactly have a great game but if fit you have to pick him for his wheels as we all know what he can on a decent team. :D

The Crusaders just look sharper and more clinical in every facet than the Blues. Their forward pack monstered them at set play, and the backs cut them up on attack and counter attack. In the first half the Crusaders won most of the Blues lineouts and in the scrums I'm sure I heard a Blues front rower asking Paddy if they could play the same rules as last week, because the Crusaders were "pushing too hard".

Marshall, Mauger and Carter just controlled things so well in the backs and actually set up theri outside backs who made the All Black back three on the Blues look very ordinary. (Again this is why guys like Rokstar, Mils and Dougie will be All Blacks again, on a decent team they are actually quite good players).

It was especially satisfying to see Auckland rejects Rico Gear and Mose Tuiailai playing very well. This was probably the best game I have seen from Mose since last season. He certainly looked good with ball in hand and combining with Thorne and Mccaw made for a great loose forward trio, especially at lineout time.

Meanwhile on the other side of the field nothing really went right. There set pieces were an abomination and too often on attack Carlos just opted for another aimless up and under instead of trying to take on the line and set up his outsides. At this stage Mehrts appears to be more likely to be Carter's backup against the Lions than Toffee Pops.

Carlos just seemed rattled more often than not and even set the scene for the dirty stuff that many of the Blues players resorted to as the scoreline widened. I know he's always been a bit of a fiery player but I never considered him dirty, but tonight his ratty mullet seemed to have possessed him as he put in an early late hit on Carter and a cheap sucker punch on Mccaw. What a dork.

He wasn't alone though, with Sam Tuitiptoe, Muhammed Ali Williams and the entire Blues front row all appearing to take the old "if you can't beat em on the score board then beat em up" approach to things pretty quickly after the scoreline opened up. Of course I'm sure there were a few little "look at the scoreboard" responses from Richie and his boys but that's no reason to lose the plot and get all pissy about things. You can be sure it won't do you AB selection chances any good to be the thug who injured other key ABs like Richie or Dan by being over vigorous at the ruck.

With that approach it seemed likely that something was going to give and Ali Williams eventually paid the price and got the red card with 10 minutes to go. Amusingly that was probably the first time he actually was rucking the guy on the ball. Of course he deserved to cool his heels (and probably deserves some more time off) since he definitely rucked Mccaw's head for a start, and his subsequent rucking was certaining a little over-enthusiastic, but he is still a dork. He has a lot of talent but just seems to lose the plot very easily. I thought Troy Flavell had left NZ.

Anyway, enough gloating. It's been 3 years since we beat the Blues and after this game it's been worth the wait. To put 41 unanswered points on any team is outstanding but to do it to the Blues on their home ground is just enough to make a grown man cry with joy! (I can hear Daz weeping from here... :D)

Both teams have a bye next weekend, and you can bet that the Crusaders will be enjoying the break more than the Blues. What a shame...