Canterbury continue Auckland�s Blues

The best way to beat the Crusaders (and also the All Blacks for that matter) is to get on top and stay on top; both teams are tough to beat when you are coming from behind. At 10-0 up after 11 minutes, the Auckland Blues had the perfect start but the following 39 points all went to the Crusaders and the Blues had failed with the second part of the equation.

Three times this year Canterbury has come from behind at half time to win: their second half stats are 102 points for, 20 against. They wear their opposition down and then run rampant in the second stanza.

This was the Crusaders most complete performance to date. Their backs were hard running and incisive in particular Leon ‘headcase’ McDonald and Scott Hamilton, who was unlucky to have a spectacular individual try turned down for no apparent reason.

Canterbury kept possession of the ball for long periods in the second half and camped in the Auckland 22. At first the Blues held them out but eventually the pressure told with Ritchie McCaw scoring by touching the ball against the base of the posts ‘ the posts are technically part of the line and on the line is a try.

The move of the night came from a Daniel Carter kick over to his left wing. At first it seemed he had put too much into the kick as it looked like it was sailing out on the full. But the player on the wing was none other than Chris Jack, who athletically leapt high to catch the ball and then gave a purler of a pass inside to allow the momentum to continue down the field. The vision and skills of this team are scary, and they now ominously move into top position on the table: the team that has made 7 finals in the last 8 years look like they are already on the way to their 8^th.

The Refs