Crusaders vs Highlanders
The Crusaders would win the tournament if they beat the Highlanders on Sunday, but would the Dunedin side be able to cause yet another upset in the competition?
The away side came hurtling out of the blocks, as flanker Shannon Frizell burst through the Crusaders’ defence to score in the second minute- 0-7.
The Crusaders responded well, with Sevu Reece sprinting down the touchline and involving Bryn Hall, George Bridge before Richie Mo’unga scored under the posts. 7-7.
The Highlanders continued to dominate though as Josh Ioane converted a penalty and wing Jonah Nareki scored a great intercepted try, although the chase from Reece was close- 7-17.
Crusaders 10 Mo’unga added two penalties before halftime, and the score was 13-17.
After halftime, both teams came close to scoring- including a great effort by Bryn Hall which was superbly denied by ‘Landers wing Josh McKay.
The away side continued to attack though and centre Michael Collins crashed over next to the posts- 13-22. However, the Champions had other ideas. A turnover meant they could work their way upfield and some great attacking saw George Bridge touch down in the corner. Mo’unga converted, restarted and a great offload by lock Luke Romano saw the Crusaders 10 sprint away, pass to fullback Jordan who in turn gave the ball to Bridge, scoring just a minute after his last try. 25-22
The home side’s incredible end to the match finished with Braydon Ennor crashing over for yet another superb try to the Crusaders. FT Crusaders 32-22 Highlanders
This result means the Crusaders win Super Rugby Aotearoa with a week to go- a hugely impressive feat especially with the loss of some key experienced internationals. The Highlanders played one of their best games all competition, and got very close to causing an upset. However, the Champions remain on top in New Zealand in 2020.
