The Hurricanes have played the Crusaders 38 times in Super Rugby since 1996, the Hurricanes have won 12 matches, lost 23, and drawn three times.
The Hurricanes 12 wins give them a record of winning 32% of their matches against the Crusaders regardless of venue.
- The Crusaders have won their last five Super Rugby games on the bounce against the Hurricanes; the last time they won more in succession against them was a seven-game stretch from 2005 to 2008.
- The Canes have won five of their last six Super Rugby games at home to the Crusaders; however, their sole loss in that span came in their most recent home meeting against them in 2019.
- The Hurricanes will be aiming to avoid back-to-back Super Rugby defeats at home for the first time since Round 4, 2014 after losing 24-15 to the Blues in their most recent game on home turf.
- Jason Holland’s side has lost two of their last three Super Rugby games (W1) and will be out to avoid back-to-back regular-season defeats for the first time since June 2018.
- The Crusaders have won nine of their last 10 Super Rugby games (L1), including their previous four on the bounce; those nine wins have come by an average margin of 23 points per game.
- Scott Robertson’s team have lost two of their last three games in Super Rugby away to fellow New Zealand opponents (W1), scoring an average of just 22 points per game in that stretch.
- The Hurricanes players beat a combined 42 defenders in their last Super Rugby encounter with the Crusaders; only once in the previous decade has any Wellington side beaten more in a single game (43 v Sunwolves in Round 1, 2017).
- The Saders conceded just six first-half tries during the 2020 Super Rugby season, the joint-fewest of any team in the competition.
- Ben Lam (Hurricanes) has crossed for a try in each of his last five Super Rugby games – the longest streak of his career in the competition; he has also bagged four tries in his previous four games against the Crusaders.
- David Havili (Crusaders) made a competition-high 14 offloads throughout the 2020 Super Rugby season; it is as many as he had made throughout the previous 29 games of his career in the competition.
Match detail
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1.00: PEEEEP! Jackson Garden-Bachop gets us underway in New Zealand’s capital. The conditions are dry, but there is a swirling breeze going around Westpac Stadium.
2.00: TRY! The Hurricanes lose their lineout, the Crusaders counter-attack from their half, shifting the ball through the hands before Sevu Reece dives over in the corner. A scintillating start to the game! 0-5
3.00: CONVERSION! Richie Mo’unga slots the sideline conversion. 0-7
5.00: The hurricanes are on the attack, going through the phases after the Crusaders’ lineout.
6.00: Vince Aso, Chase Tiatia and TJ Perenara all combine in an 11-phase attack from inside the home team’s half. The attack comes to nought, but Jason Holland’s men have a penalty.
7.00: PENALTY! Garden-Bachop puts his team on the scoreboard. 3-7
9.00: Perenara’s kick is charged down but, somehow, he ends up with the ball and racing from his 22 to the Saders’ half. The Hurricanes continue the attack, going through the phases.
11.00: The Crusaders win the penalty at the ruck; it allows the visitors to kick to the home team’s 22.
12.00: Codie Taylor, the Crusaders skipper, goes off his feet and is pinged.
14.00: TRY! Scott Robertson’s men are on the charge; they go seven phases, winning a penalty advantage. Taylor beats two defenders before Mo’unga, playing halfback, collects and puts in a grubber behind Ben Lam for Braydon Ennor to dot down in the corner. 3-12
16.00: MISS! Mo’unga’s touchline conversion shaves the left-hand post but is wide. 3-12
17.00: The Canes win a penalty and will take a shot at goal.
19.00: PENALTY! Garden-Bachop doubles his side’s tally and halves the deficit. 6-12
21.00: Garden-Bachop is charged down, but the ball bounces out behind the dead-ball line.
23.00: Dane Coles is having a nightmare with his throwing; that’s the third lost lineout for the hosts, but they do get the scrum about eight metres out.
25.00: Scrum reset.
27.00: Chase Tiatia loses the ball in contact, but the ref was playing advantage after a collapsed scrum by the Crusaders.
29.00: PENALTY! Garden-Bachop knocks over his third goal. 9-12
31.00: DROP-GOAL! Garden-Bachop slots a field-goal to level proceedings. WOW! 12-all
32.00: TRY! The Saders hit back through Jack Goodhue, who combines with Joe Moody to score under the sticks. Tiatia couldn’t take Mo’unga’s quick restart following Garden-Bachop’s drop-kick, allowing Moody to gather and charge into the Hurricanes’ 22. The loosehead took contact but offloaded to the supporting Goodhue. 12-17
33.00: CONVERSION! Mo’unga makes no mistake. 12-19
35.00: The Crusaders continue to give away penalties, which gives the opposition attacking opportunities.
36.00: PENALTY! Garden-Bachop adds another three thanks to some more ill-discipline from the visitors. 15-19
37.00: The Crusaders win a penalty of their own and decide to kick to the corner.
40.00: MISS! Mo’unga shanks his penalty attempt well wide of the posts. 15-19
41.00: The hooter sounds, TJ Perenara looks up, sees nothing on and decides to boot the ball into touch.
The halftime score was Hurricanes 15 Crusaders 19
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Wellington. Tryscorer Braydon Ennor has not returned after straining his hamstring. David Havili is on and Will Jordan moves from fullback to midfield.
43.00: Attacking lineout to the home team after a Mo’unga mistake.
44.00: YELLOW CARD! The Crusaders are struggling with the new laws. Goodhue gets called over for another offside and is sent to the bin. 15-19
44.00: PENALTY! Garden-Bachop makes it a one-point game. 18-19
46.00: The Canes are going to have to score tries if they want to win this game; we’ve all seen how the Crusaders finish Super Rugby games.
48.00: The Crusaders win a penalty and will take a shot at goal.
50.00: PENALTY! Mo’unga knocks over his first goal of the evening. 18-22
54.00: The penalties are mounting at an alarming rate.
55.00: Goodhue is coming back on the pitch. Scott Robertson will be happy with a 3-3 draw during the 10-minute period his team was down a man.
57.00: The Hurricanes concede a penalty for lifting in the tackle. Mo’unga calls for the tee.
58.00: PENALTY! Mo’unga makes no mistake from in front. 18-25
60.00: Another penalty goes against Holland’s side; that’s five in a row. Mo’unga boots the ball to the corner.
61.00: Mistake by the Saders, who lose another lineout, allowing the hosts to get out of jail.
63.00: The penalties continue to mount at every ruck.
64.00: TRY! Ngani Laumape, Vince Aso and Du’Plessis Kirifi all combined to send Asafo Aumua away in the corner. 23-25
65.00: CONVERSION! WOW! Garden-Bachop levels from the sideline. 25-all
67.00: We have a game on our hands.
69.00: TRY! Oh, dear! Calamity! Kobus Van Wyk tries to keep the play alive after collecting a kick behind the backline. Van Wyk throws a loose pass to Ethan Blackadder, who pops to Mo’unga to score. 25-30
71.00: CONVERSION! What a kick by the first-five. 25-32
73.00: It’s all Crusaders at the moment.
75.00: TRY! GAME OVER! Mitchell Drummond finds Havili to seal the deal. 25-37
76.00: CONVERSION! Mo’unga takes his time before adding the extras. 25-39
78.00: It’s been a good first outing by the 10-times champions. They have smashed the Canes despite struggling with the refereeing.
80.00: The Saders want more, kicking a penalty to the corner.
81.00: The siren sounds, Drummond gathers the ball and bangs it into the empty stands.
FULL TIME
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The final score is Hurricanes 25 (15) Crusaders 39 (19)
Scorers
Hurricanes
Tries – Aumua
Pen – Garden-Bachop (5)
Con – Garden-Bachop
Drop – Garden-Bachop
Cards –
Crusaders
Tries – Reece, Ennor, Goodhue, Mo’unga, Havili
Pen – Mo’unga (2)
Con – Mo’unga (4)
Drop –
Cards – Goodhue (Yellow, 44′)
Match Officials
Referee: Brendon Pickerill
Assistant Ref 1: James Doleman
Assistant Ref 2: Ben O’Keeffe
TMO: Mike Fraser
Teams
Hurricanes
15 Chase Tiatia, 14 Wes Goosen, 13 Vince Aso, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 9 TJ Perenara (co-captain), 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 6 Reed Prinsep, 5 Vaea Fifita, 4 James Blackwell, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Dane Coles (co-captain), 1 Fraser Armstrong
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ben May, 18 Alex Fidow, 19 Scott Scrafton, 20 Gareth Evans, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Billy Proctor, 23 Kobus Van Wyk
Crusaders
15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Braydon Ennor, 12 Jack Goodhue, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Whetukamokamo Douglas, 7 Billy Harmon, 6 Cullen Grace, 5 Mitchell Dunshea, 4 Samuel Whitelock, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Codie Taylor (captain), 1 Joe Moody
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 George Bower, 18 Oliver Jager, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Ethan Blackadder, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 David Havili, 23 Leicester Faingaanuku