Seven of the last eight Super Rugby games between the NSW Waratahs and Crusaders have been won by the home team on the day, including their last three successive encounters.
The Waratahs have lost a club record 10 consecutive Super Rugby games heading into this fixture; only once in the history of the competition has any Australian team endured a longer losing streak (Rebels – 12 games from April 2011 to March 2012).
- The Crusaders have won nine of their last 10 completed Super Rugby games away from home (L1), with a one-point defeat to the Chiefs in April 2021 (26-25) the only blemish on that record.
- New South Wales have conceded just 11 turnovers per game this Super Rugby Trans-Tasman campaign,
- fewer than any other team in the competition and two per game fewer than third-ranked Crusaders (13).
- Richie Mo’unga has scored a competition-high 42 points this Super Rugby Trans-Tasman season (4 tries, 11 con).
- Mo’unga has scored only four points in his last two Super Rugby games against the Waratahs, but he has, however, provided four assists.
Match detail
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1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway at WIN Stadium, Wollongong.
3.00: Conditions are windy and chilly on the New South Wales coast, but it has not stopped the crowd from packing the grass bank on the far side of the stadium.
6.00: The Waratahs have started well, throwing the ball around as they went from their half into the Crusaders’ 22. The hosts win a lineout on the Saders’ 22 to set up another attack; however, a knock on kills the momentum.
8.00: TRY! Mitchell Drummond opens the scoring after Sevu Reece’s linebreak sent Will Jordan away. Jordan drew the last defender before putting Drummond in for the score. 0-5
10.00: CONVERSION! Richie Mo’unga adds the extras. 0-7
12.00: The Tahs almost hit back after Izaia Perese fended off Dallas McLeod and raced the length of the field. Perese probably should have passed earlier for the try but he held on and took contact. Alex Newsome lost the ball forward and into touch.
14.00: Waratahs win a penalty for hands in the ruck, Ben Donaldson kicks to the corner.
16.00: Lalakai Foketi knocks on near the try line, but after Reece’s break, the hosts win another penalty at the breakdown. Will Harrison calls for the tee.
17.00: PENALTY! Harrison puts the Waratahs on the board. 3-7
18.00: Mo’unga kicks a penalty t about 10 metres out from the Tahs’ line, but Codie Taylor, struggling with the wind, throws wide.
20.00: A needless penalty is given away by Will Harris, who lies all over the ruck and does not roll away; the visitors opt for the scrum on the 22.
22.00: YELLOW CARD! Jack Whetton goes to the bin. Mo’unga, this time, kicks another penalty to the corner. Leicester Fainga’anuku is held up over the line, but Jack Whetton is sent to the bin for cynical play. 3-7
23.00: Codie Taylor loses possession after a quick-tap by Drummond, which is not like the Crusaders, who look a little loose with ball-in-hand.
25.00: The Tahs steal the ball, clear to the 22. Will Jordan clears for the visitors to the 10m. NSW’s good attacking platform leads to a penalty after George Bower and Codie Taylor infringe. Harrison calls for the tee.
26.00: PENALTY! Harrison doubles his side’s tally. 6-7
28.00: Leicester Fainga’anuku drops a sitter near the halfway line, the Crusaders are not on song today, too many unforced errors.
29.00: Michael Alaalatoa is pinged for collapsing the scrum. Donaldson kicks to the 22.
30.00: TRY! Codie Taylor finishes off a sublime counter-attack by the Crusaders, who went 80 metres down the field to score. Almost every Crusaders player touched the ball on the way to the hooker’s try. 6-12
31.00: MISS! Mo’unga’s kick is well wide. 6-12
34.00: Donaldson is off with a groin injury, on comes Mark Nawaqanitawase. Harrison will move to stand-off, Jack Maddocks to fullback, Mark Nawaqanitawase to the right-wing. Whetton is back on the field, too.
36.00: TRY! Sevu Reece takes Dallas McLeod’s quick pass, sells the dummy, and is in for the score. The Saders used quick ball from the ruck, they had too many numbers, and the Tahs ran out of defenders. 6-17
37.00: CONVERSION! Mo’unga splits the uprights. 6-19
38.00: Scott Barrett is given a warning by the ref for repeated infringements; instead of kicking to the corner, Harrison will take a shot.
39.00: PENALTY! Harrison makes no mistake. 9-19
40.00: TRY! Dallas McLeod dances past Jake Gordon to score before the hooter. It was another scintillating attack by the Crusaders, who look to have the game wrapped up at halftime. 9-24
42.00: CONVERSION! Mo’unga converts. 9-26
The halftime score was NSW Waratahs 9 Crusaders 26
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in New South Wales, Australia.
42.00: TRY! Scott Barrett finishes off another sublime attack. Mo’unga started the attack, Taylor continued before the support running lines opened up the home team. 9-31
43.00: CONVERSION! Mo’unga slots the sideline conversion. Game over! 9-33
46.00: The Tahs are still looking for tries, they are playing well, but cannot hold onto the ball.
49.00: Another good turnover by the hosts leads to nothing after Lachlan Swinton’s knock-on.
52.00: TRY! Jack Maddocks scores from a well-timed angled run off the back of the scrum to score next to the posts. 14-33
53.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 16-33
54.00: YELLOW CARD! Oliver Jager is off after not being on the field for a minute. 16-33
54.00: TRY! Izaia Perese slips Reece’s tackle and runs over Leicester Fainga’anuku to score his team’s second try. 21-33
56.00: CONVERSION! Harrison adds the extras. 23-33
58.00: TRY! Leicester Fainga’anuku crashes over from close range. 23-38
60.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 23-40
63.00: A scuffle breaks out between the players, but it’s nothing serious.
64.00: TRY! Hall scores off the back of a driving maul. 23-45
65.00: CONVERSION! Mo’unga adds the two. 23-47
67.00: The Tahs go close, but another error kills the attack.
71.00: Perese is held up over the line, scrum to the Tahs with less than 10 to play.
75.00: TRY! Jordan is over in the corner. 23-52
76.00: CONVERSION! Mo’unga adds another two points. 23-54
77.00: YELLOW CARD! David Havili is in the bin for a deliberate knock-down. 23-54
79.00: YELLOW CARD! Nathan Vella is off. 23-54
80.00: TRY! Alex Newsome scores in the corner. 28-54
81.00: MISS! the kick is wide. 28-54
FULL TIME
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The final score is Waratahs 28 (9) Crusaders 54 (26)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – Maddocks, Perese, Newsome
Pen – Harrison (3)
Con – Harrison (2)
Drop –
Cards – Whetton (Yellow, 22′)
Crusaders
Tries – Drummond, Taylor, Reece, McLeod, Barrett, Fainga’anuku, Hall, Jordan
Pen –
Con – Mo’unga (7)
Drop –
Cards – Jager (Yellow, 54′), Havili (Yellow, 77′), Vella (Yellow, 79′)
Match Officials
Referee: Graham Cooper
Assistant Ref 1: Matt Kellehan
Assistant Ref 2: James Quinn
TMO: James Leckie
Waratahs
15 Will Harrison, 14 Jack Maddocks, 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Lalakai Foketi, 11 Alex Newsome, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Jake Gordon (captain), 8 Will Harris, 7 Jack Dempsey, 6 Lachlan Swinton, 5 Jack Whetton, 4 Jeremy Williams, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 David Porecki, 1 Angus Bell
Replacements: 16 Joe Cotton, 17 Chris Talakai, 18 Darcy Breen, 19 Sam Caird, 20 Carlo Tizzano, 21 Jack Grant, 22 Tepai Moeroa, 23 Mark Nawaqanitawase
Crusaders
15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 12 Dallas McLeod, 11 Manasa Mataele, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Cullen Grace, 7 Sione Havili Talitui, 6 Whetukamokamo Douglas, 5 Scott Barrett (captain), 4 Mitchell Dunshea, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 George Bower
Replacements: 16 Nathan Vella, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Oliver Jager, 19 Samuel Whitelock, 20 Liam Allen, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Fergus Burke, 23 David Havili
