The 2023 edition of Super Rugby Pacific has raced on to the semi-final stage as only four teams remain after what has been an epic season.
Fans have been rewarded with two fantastic matchups this weekend, including a replay of last year’s grand final between the Crusaders and Blues.
It is a mouth-watering prospect to see the two powerhouses face off and, with that in mind, Planet Rugby goes back in time to relive the 2022 clash.
Circumstances leading into the final
The situation is completely flipped this season with the Crusaders having finished above the Blues in the regular season despite some wobbles along the way, meaning they enter this weekend’s clash as favourites. The Auckland side will not be pleased with their efforts but have managed to find some form late on and their quarter-final win against the Waratahs was a joy to watch.
Tensions begin to build!
A #SuperRugbyPacific classic will get another chapter on Friday night.#WelcomeToYourSuperStage pic.twitter.com/4iCjiZp0jv
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) June 12, 2023
Last year going into the showpiece event the Blues were on a ridiculous 14-game win streak that included some monstrous victories over some of their rivals. Meanwhile, the men from Christchurch had an average regular season by their standards but managed to find their feet in typical fashion as the play-offs developed.
How the clash played out
All eyes were on a packed out Eden Park as the Blues looked to find a way to claim the Super Rugby title in front of their home fans.
To do that they would have to stop the play-off kings from spoiling their party, but spoil the party the Crusaders did. They targeted the Blues line-out, a facet of the game that had been a strength of theirs throughout the season.
In the first half, the Christchurch side stole a whopping six on the Blues’ throw and nine in total. The pressure on a set-piece that had otherwise been functioning brilliantly threw the Aucklanders completely off and the momentum quickly fell into the hands of the visitors.
The first points came from the boot of Richie Mo’unga who slotted a drop goal in the 13th minute to give the Crusaders an early lead. He was on the scoreboard again with a penalty on the half-hour mark before Bryn Hall scored the game’s first try on the stroke of half-time with the fly-half making no mistake from the tee.
The second period followed in a similar fashion with Mo’unga’s boot adding three more points. The Blues would finally break their duck to score their only try of the clash through scrum-half Finlay Christie in the 59th minute as Stephen Perofeta added the conversion.
The match remained deadlocked until a late Sevu Reece try ensured the Crusaders were out of reach as they toppled the favourites in their backyard to claim the title in impressive fashion.
READ MORE: Loose Pass: When science meets TMOs, the Johnny Sexton problem and drafts
Article courtesy of
Source link
