The Crusaders held on to a four point lead to beat end the Waratahs unbeaten at home record as they downed the Sydney siders by 13 points to 17.
The Crusaders scored two tries to the one Waratah try in a match that lacked atmosphere and had little excitement for the fans who had traveled away from the Waratahs regular home of the Sydney Football Stadium to the ANZ Stadium (Olympic Park - Homebush).
The Crusaders led 0-7 at half time and were in control of the match for the duration. The match was the Crusaders first victory in four matches and the Waratahs second defeat in a row.
The clash was a rematch of last year's Super 14 final but last year All Blacks flyhalf Daniel Carter kicked four penalties and a drop goal to give the Crusaders to a 20-12 win over the Waratahs, their seventh title in 13 years.
The Waratahs were coming off a 21-11 defeat by the Brumbies last weekend, while the Crusaders played to a 23-23 draw with the Western Force.
Crusaders captain Read scored the only try of the first half which was converted by flyhalf Stephen Brett, to give the reigning champions a 7-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Leon MacDonald added a try for the Crusaders while Benn Robinson crossed for the home side's only try.
The Waratahs lost 100-match prop Al Baxter to a recurrence of a calf injury in the first half.
Baxter, the Waratahs and Australia's most capped prop, missed last week's loss to the Brumbies with the injury and limped off in the 31st minute of what was supposed to be a celebration of his centenary game for his state.
Waratahs captain Phil Waugh was disappointed with his side's second straight loss.
"If we drop that much ball, we won't win another game this season," Waugh said.
"So we've got a lot of work to do in that area."
Read said he was proud of the Crusaders, who were missing captain Richie McCaw and who had only six players from last year's championship team.
"That was unbelievable, a great effort from us," Read said.
"We needed an 80-minute performance and we stuck at it right to the end."
Waratahs
Tries -Benn Robinson
Penalties -Kurtley Beale,Daniel Halangahu
Conversions -Kurtley Beale
Drop Goals -
Tries -Kieran Read,Leon MacDonald
Penalties -Colin Slade
Conversions -Stephen Brett,Colin Slade
Drop Goals -
Cards - Yellow (44) Isaac Ross
Match Officials
Chris Pollock (NZ),
James Leckie (Aus)
Andrew Lees (Aus),
George Ayoub (Aus)
Teams
Waratahs
1. Benn Robinson , 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau , 3. Al Baxter , 4. Chris Thomson , 5. Will Caldwell , 6. Dean Mumm , 7. Phil Waugh [c] , 8. Wycliff Palu , 9. Luke Burgess , 10. Kurtley Beale , 11. Lote Tuqiri , 12. Tom Carter , 13. Rob Horne , 14. Lachie Turner , 15. Sam Norton-Knight
Reserves: 16. Damien Fitzpatrick , 17. Dan Palmer , 18. Luke Doherty , 19. Ben Mowen , 20. Brett Sheehan , 21. Daniel Halangahu , 22. Timana Tahu
Crusaders
1. Wyatt Crockett,2. Jason Macdonald ,3. Bronson Murray,4. Brad Thorn ,5. Isaac Ross ,6. Kieran Read (Capt),7. George Whitelock,8. Thomas Waldrom ,9. Andrew Ellis,10. Stephen Brett 11. Colin Slade,12. Ryan Crotty ,13. Tim Bateman ,14. Adam Whitelock 15. Leon MacDonald
Reserves : 16. Daniel Perrin , 17. Owen Franks , 18. Michael Paterson , 19. Nasi Manu , 20. Kahn Fotuali’i, 21. Hamish Gard, 22. Blair Cook.
