The previously invincible Crusaders suffered their third consecutive loss when they were beaten 6-0 by the Highlanders in their Super 14 rugby match at Carisbrook in Dunedin on Saturday night.
In a game that too often lacked structure, with consistent errors in handling plaguing both teams, the main talking point of a scoreless first half came when All Blacks captain Richie McCaw limped from the field after 30 minutes.
With New Zealand coach Graham Henry watching anxiously from the stand, McCaw sat out the rest of the match with his right knee heavily strapped and iced.
The Highlanders started strongly, but mistakes at crucial stages – and the customary solid Crusaders defence – meant their early possession advantage was too often wasted.
The return of halfback Jimmy Cowan provided more spark in the Highlanders backline, but the captain was perhaps guilty of trying to do too much in his first game since injuring an elbow three weeks ago in the Super 14 opener against the Brumbies.
The Highlanders pack was also boosted by the return of lock Tom Donnelly, who came on for the final hectic 20 minutes, playing his first game of the season after rupturing the ligaments in his right thumb in pre-season training five weeks ago.
Things improved only marginally in the second spell, as both teams were consistently guilty of errors and poor option-taking although the Highlanders’ scrum looked impressive and kept the Crusaders working hard.
Young Canterbury first five-eighth Colin Slade had the honour of taking the first kick on goal, 35 metres out, right in front of the posts, after a 62nd minute penalty. He missed.
It took an eagle eye from former Northlander Daniel Bowden to finally get points on the board, with a sweetly struck penalty in the 67th minute.
Crusaders openside flanker George Whitelock was sinbinned soon for infringing in the ruck, and the Highlanders’ lead was doubled soon after with another Bowden penalty.
An increasingly desperate Crusaders attack couldn’t break through despite sustained pressure over the closing minutes, the Highlanders defence holding solid to secure the win.
Despite the match being the lowest scoring Super 14 game ever, Cowan was more that satisfied afterwards.
“We had a clear mindset coming into tonight’s game and that was to win, to win at all costs,” he told Sky Sport. “We didn’t care how we got it, and we managed to win 6-0, so we’ll take that.
“It’s been a long time coming for the boys, they’ve really been working hard for the last three or four weeks. It’s pleasing to come away with the four points today, and I’m just delighted.”
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
Jim Beam Devil's Cut
As bourbon ages, a portion of liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation. This is known as the Angel's Share. When the bourbon is taken from the barrel, a certain amount is left trapped within the wood. It's that extracted liquid, and the rich flavours from deep within the barrel that are in Jim Beam's Devil's Cut.
Click here to learn more about Jim Beam's wicked new bourbon.
The Crowd Says (9) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
- Explore:
- Canterbury Crusaders, Crusaders, Highlanders, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
March 8th 2009 @ 8:32am
LeftArmSpinner said | March 8th 2009 @ 8:32am | Report comment
Well, there goes my tipping for this week. But, I cvan live with that if it means, as it does, that the S14 comp is now a much closer run affair. The same can be said of the Bulls Stormers game.
March 8th 2009 @ 8:32am
van der Merwe said | March 8th 2009 @ 8:32am | Report comment
I love the ELVs! Running Rugby!
March 8th 2009 @ 11:07am
pothale said | March 8th 2009 @ 11:07am | Report comment
So do I.
And here I’ve been looking on enviously being told about the high try-scoring competition in SH that us poor folk in the NH can only dream about.
6-0! Wow! it must have been riveting ELV stuff. Where’s all these raining tries we’ve been hearing so much about?
And people thought the Ireland V England game was boring.
March 8th 2009 @ 11:32am
Jerry said | March 8th 2009 @ 11:32am | Report comment
The Ireland England game was boring. So was the Reds Tahs game.
March 8th 2009 @ 7:40pm
sledgeandhammer said | March 8th 2009 @ 7:40pm | Report comment
Thanks Pothole and Van for two more ‘constructive’ ELV comments. For the entirety of the ELV debate, the anti ELV brigade have moaned that the game doesn’t need to be made attractive, that if you don’t appreciate the subtlety of the rolling maul than you don’t know rugby.
Now you claim the ELVs aren’t working on the basis of a games entertainment value. Sheer hypocrisy. Of course the ELVs were not developed to make the game more or less entertaining, in many ways this is up to the players.
The experimental laws were developed to simplify the laws of the game, surely a goal which no rugby supporter could oppose with a straight face. They were also developed to remove the influence of the referee from the game.
Some ELVs may be working, others not. But at the end of the day all rugby supporters will benefit if we make the most of what they do offer the future of the game.
March 8th 2009 @ 8:00pm
Brett McKay said | March 8th 2009 @ 8:00pm | Report comment
Leftie, you’re going to be annoyed with me for saying this, but I’ve picked the card this week!! I just had a feeling about the Highlanders, having watched a couple of their games, and while this game didn’t live up to past performances, it got me over the line…
March 9th 2009 @ 1:10am
pothale said | March 9th 2009 @ 1:10am | Report comment
Sledge – despite your nickname, you don’t seem to recognise some light-hearted ribbing when you see it. There is a funny irony that a scoreline like this would crop up in the S14 involving the top team of the lst five years, and not even posting a score on the board.
I was just taking some people’s justification of all the ELVs – ball-in-hand rugby, raining tries, etc, etc, and holding up a mirror to it. Don’t take it too harshly. I’m for some of the ELVs – but not all of them. And yes I want the maul in its full and proper involvement of the forward pack, reinstated, please. I’m sick of seeing 10 or 11 players waiting to receive the ball when it emerges from the breakdown, every bloody time. Occassionally fine, not all the time.
OK?
March 9th 2009 @ 11:11am
Spiro Zavos said | March 9th 2009 @ 11:11am | Report comment
Brett I wished I had gone along with a similar feeling in my tipping last week. The Highlanders are a better team than they’ve been given credit for. And with Jimmy Cowan back they played very strongly to defeat a disorganised Crusaders side. Cowan’s attacking and defensive play would have got the Highlanders over the line in a couple of their other games too, if he hadn’t been out injured.
The Crusaders look to be gone to me. They have no fluency in their attack. And they seem to be playing a very restricted game. But Todd Blackadder says he isn’t panicking yet. I’d be happier about this complacency if there were signs from the Crusaders that they’ve got a sort of coherent game plan they are actually working towards playing.
March 9th 2009 @ 11:35am
Brett McKay said | March 9th 2009 @ 11:35am | Report comment
Spiro, you’re spot on about the Highlanders, and I was certainly of the opinion that claims of their weakness and likely bottom-end of the table finish didn’t match up with the way they were playing. I even think that despite a lack of crowd at Carisbrook (and what’s all that about?), we may well see a return to the “House of Pain” days. I’m sure the Crusaders won’t be the last team to lose in Dunedin this year..
And no, I’m not game to offer up my tips this coming week – the only way is down now!!