Last week, the Crusaders secured a historic 44-28 victory over the Sharks in a Super Rugby match at Twickenham, thanks to the inspiration of Dan Carter and Sonny Bill Williams.
Carter scored 22 points, including a try, before leaving the field due to injury in the 62nd minute, while Williams showcased his offloading and carrying talents, giving European fans a glimpse of what to expect at the World Cup. This marked the inaugural Super Rugby match played in the northern hemisphere.
With five tries compared to four from the Sharks, the Crusaders celebrated their fourth win of the season, countering a mini-comeback from the South Africans in the second half, where they reduced a 34-10 deficit to just nine points within half an hour remaining.
However, the Crusaders faced injury setbacks as both Carter and acting captain Keiran Read were unable to finish the game; Read was forced off at halftime due to injury.
A crowd of 35,094 contributed to raising funds for the Christchurch earthquake relief, enjoying a thrilling first half where the Crusaders scored four tries following the Sharks’ initial score by second row Willem Alberts from close range.
Carter and Williams orchestrated most of the Crusaders’ attacking plays, with a Williams offload and a Carter inside ball setting up Sean Maitland for his 17th Super Rugby try.
On 21 minutes, Williams again made an impact by breaking through and assisting Carter to score under the posts, while Israel Dagg capped a flowing move, with Carter’s conversion extending the Crusaders’ lead to 27-10.
Carter’s forwards established dominance in the scrum, allowing Zac Guildford to increase their lead, sidestepping Ryan Kankovski and evading Odwa Ndungane’s tackle to put the team 24 points ahead before the Sharks began to chip away at the deficit.
Fly-half Jacques-Louis Potgieter capitalized on some loose tackling just before halftime, and further tries from Ndungane and Alistair Hargreaves ignited hopes of a remarkable comeback.
After Carter’s exit in the 63rd minute, and with Williams narrowly avoiding a yellow card for a shoulder charge, Maitland’s second try in the 66th minute sealed the game for the Crusaders.
Despite this, the Sharks refused to relent; Keegan Daniel executed a crucial try-saving tackle on George Whitelock two minutes from the end when the flanker was in a clear position to score after a 50-meter run.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder expressed his belief that his team has room for improvement, stating,
“It was a fantastic first half but in the second half it was helter-skelter rugby and I was very nervous watching as a coach. You can ease off mentally when you have the game won, and we didn’t demonstrate the urgency in the second half. I know what we are capable of and we can surpass our performance in the latter half. Continued effort will be essential for us to get better.”
Carter and Williams were pivotal, with Williams excelling in just his fifth Super Rugby match.
“Carter was world class. Williams has adjusted so well to this game – his potential is limitless. He poses a significant threat, and I wouldn’t want to be positioned defensively near him,” Blackadder remarked.
Sharks’ coach John Plumtree acknowledged the Crusaders’ superiority, remarking,
“That Crusaders side serves as the benchmark for this competition. They are incredibly strong in midfield, and if you lose possession, they will punish you severely. Defensively, we were somewhat naive in the opening 20 minutes, allowing them to score 15 relatively easy points, which cannot happen against a team of that caliber. However, I was proud of our response; had we scored again, we could have really challenged them.”
by Buford Balony
