Saders survive Waratah siege
7 Apr 2006
The Waratahs were within 15m of the Crusaders’ line from the 70th minute until the 83rd, but the champs did not crack and emerged with an epic 17-11 victory in their Vodacom Super 14 clash in Christchurch.
Those who have bemoaned the quality of rugby in the competition should be handed a tape of a masterful 80 minutes, and sent to a quiet room to practise the art of apologising.
A repeat of last year’s final was hyped, and what transpired was a game worthy of a final. The two leading sides in the competition reinforced why the smart money has to be on Sydney or Christchurch laying claim to the inaugural Vodacom Super 14.
Which of the two, however, is still debatable.
A halftime score of 14-3 seemed to answer the question, as the Saders delivered the near perfect 40. Both scores through Chris Jack and Leon MacDonald were works of art, but what was even more remarkable was the fact that Jonny Kaplan did not award the Crusaders a single penalty in the first half.
The Tahs conceded one in the second half, which Dan Carter banged over, but that was it. To triumph in the face of such incredible discipline is perhaps the most glowing tribute the Crusaders could receive.
Equally, it is a testament to the effort of the Tahs. The old cliche that it takes two teams for a great game of footy is applicable, and the Sydney side’s second half performance showed that they are a team genuinely capable of winning the tournament.
By shutting down their errors to virtually zero, the pressure applied was almost unbearable. Morgan Turinui’s try came packaged with a healthy dose of fortune, but in the context of the second half, it was deserved.
Masterful performances from Carter, Richie McCaw (who made 25 tackles in a demonic defensive display) and MacDonald aside, the Saders won this game through grit and composure. Camped on their line, they did not falter and everything the Tahs threw at them was repelled.
When the first scrum of the game comes after 16 minutes, the losing side only concedes a solitary penalty and arguably the world’s top back Carter and forward McCaw are firing, the recipe is for Test and not regional rugby.
The other 12 sides would have watched with envy, but they should be grateful. Eighty minutes of superb rugby later, and new life has been breathed into a tournament starting to go just a little stale.
SCORERS
Crusaders
Tries: Chris Jack and Leon MacDonald
Cons: Dan Carter 2
Pen: Carter
Waratahs
Try: Morgan Turinui
Pens: Peter Hewat 2
By Chris Hewitt
THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER
66 misn: Scotty Hamilton a few centimetres from scoring an epic. Great chip ahead and chase, he leaves Hewat sprawling but the ball just scrapes the line before he touches down, and the TMO rules not try.
58 mins: Tahs are resurgent in the second 40, and are rewarded with a penalty bang in front. Hewat takes the points. (Hewat 2/5)
49 mins: Tahs are overly robust at ruck time. Three easy points for Carter. (Carter 3/3)
46 mins: Tahs back in it! Hewat launches a seemingly harmless kick downfield, but a wicked bounce embarasses MacDonald and good chasing by Morgan Turinui is rewarded. Hewat misses the conversion. (Hewat 1/4)
39 mins: Corey Flynn is pinged for hands in the ruck, giving Hewat his third opportunity to put the Tahs on the board. This time he nails it. (Hewat 1/3)
34 mins: Saders on fire. It’s patience this time. From a 5m scrum, they go right and suck in defenders repeatedly by bashing it up. A change of direction is deadly, and a huge pass left from Carter has the outside backs lining up. It’s Leon MacDonald who scores it. Carter converts. (Carter 2/2)
28 mins: Reuben Thorne is pinged for breaking his bind at scrumtime early, and Hewat again steps up. It’s a shocker, the worst kick of his career. He scoops it and it’s miles short. (Hewat 0/2)
9 mins: Saders pinged at the ruck, Jonathan Kaplan’s decisions here could be crucial. Peter Hewat misses a difficult attempt. (Hewat 0/1)
6 mins: Awesome score by the champs. A frantic beginning sees the skills of both these sides exhibited, as the ball is spread and interchanged without one knock. The Saders are just that much more incisive, and fine angles by virtually the entire team in a multiphase movement stretches the Tahs enough for a switch on the wing to find Chris Jack with no-one in front of him. Carter converts. (Carter 1/1)
3 mins: Aaorn Mauger takes the gap brilliantly, steps and dummies and he’s clear. Well weighted kick ahead bobbles in-goal, and Peter Hewat just outsprints Dan Carter to dot down.
625 Comments
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7 Apr 2006, 13:13 pm
Tahs were to conservative in the first hour. Crusaders should have racked up a better score than they did. don’t say it was good defence by NSW as the saders were making ground every time with the ball in hand
7 Apr 2006, 13:14 pm
Brads I hope u wrong and that the Bulls loose big time !!!!!!!!!!!!
7 Apr 2006, 13:15 pm
Why dont you take **** from a hillbilly?
It might be his lunch.
7 Apr 2006, 13:15 pm
Langman, nice one, but I can go better:
THE WORLD’S SHORTEST FAIRY TALE
Stan and bliksem went to the pub together for a half pint of Castle Light.
THE END
7 Apr 2006, 13:16 pm
n’ blondien en n’ rooikop ry verby Witbank ” Wat stink so?” vrae die blondien, “myne” se die rooikop,
“O’ dankie tog, ek dog dit was myne”
7 Apr 2006, 13:18 pm
What you call a intelligent blonde?
A golden retriever!
7 Apr 2006, 13:21 pm
Why do women fake orgasms?
Because they think we care…
7 Apr 2006, 13:22 pm
A teenager is walking downtown and a girl whispers to him, “*******, five dollars”. He gives her a strange look and keeps walking. Soon another girl does the same thing. Confused, he keeps walking. The first thing out of his mouth when he returned home was “Mom, what’s a *******?”. His mom replies “Five dollars, just like downtown!”.
7 Apr 2006, 13:22 pm
*** boy Troy was walking through the Zoo with his best friend Marcus.
As they went passed the Gorilla’s cage they noticed the gate was open. Troy went inside and looked about and was suddenly grabbed by a giant primate and flung on the ground. The beast ripped off Troy’s clothes, spread his legs and buggered the devil out of him before flinging against the metal bars and striking him unconscious.
Troy was rushed to hospital, treated and discharged.
A week later Marcus visited his friend to see how he was and found him sobbing uncontrollably. Marcus put his arm around Troy and cuddled him close, and said I know it was hard for you, but you have to get over it.
I can’t said Troy, okay he hard and impossible to forget, but what really hurts – no phone calls no letters, it meant nothing to him!
7 Apr 2006, 13:25 pm
Why is a blondes coffin in a tri angle?
As soon as shes on her back her legs open!
7 Apr 2006, 13:27 pm
A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a case of beer, any kind except Schlitz. The bartender says, “What’s wrong with Schlitz, don’t you like it? The man says, “I hate that ****”. Last night I drank a whole case of Schlitz and blew chunks. The bartender says, “You drink a case of any beer you’re going to blow chunks”. You don’t understand said the man, Chunks is my dog.
7 Apr 2006, 13:30 pm
Ek sien Pierre post weer vir n slag onder sy eie naam.
7 Apr 2006, 13:30 pm
Reds. You support NZ, but you are an Afrikaner, right?
7 Apr 2006, 13:33 pm
some really kak jokes on here
7 Apr 2006, 13:34 pm
VANNER MERWE IN AUSTRALIA
Van der Merwe had never been out of South Africa before and was visiting
Bondi Beach, Australia. He spotted a long line of black dots out in the
water and said to an Aussie, who was sitting close by,
“What are all those little black things out there?”
“They’re buoys,” said the Aussie.
“Boys?!” replied Van der Merwe. “What are they doing out there?”
“Holding up the shark nets,” the Aussie told him.
“Foocken great country this!” said the South African, deeply impressed.
“We’d never get away with that at home!”
7 Apr 2006, 13:34 pm
hi Pussycat Yes I’m an Africaner, and yes I support NZ but not a Springbok supporter
7 Apr 2006, 13:35 pm
Stan, I have never posted under any other name. If it don’t say “pierre” at the end, then it ain’t the real deal.
7 Apr 2006, 13:36 pm
Born free!!! As free as the grass grows, as free as wind blows!!!
7 Apr 2006, 13:36 pm
And it works!!! Yipeee….
7 Apr 2006, 13:36 pm
reds, then why don’t you piss off to that ****** little island with its crummy freezing little villages?
7 Apr 2006, 13:36 pm
Reds
So why you still in SA bru you need to then go to Zealand so you can feel at home
7 Apr 2006, 13:37 pm
As SA is a democratic country I can support who ever I want.
7 Apr 2006, 13:38 pm
Reds – who knows and who cares what muddled rages and passions have resulted in your convolute emotional support.
I was just a bit curious and wanted to test my sleuthing prowess. Using loose instead of lose is a dead giveaway. Have never yet met an Afrikaner who would get it right.
7 Apr 2006, 13:38 pm
but why stay in a country that you don’t like……what is the point
7 Apr 2006, 13:40 pm
Steyn I haven’t said I don’t like the country.. I just don’t like their rugby team.
7 Apr 2006, 13:40 pm
Van der Merwe is at the World Cup and he is walking around the city. He walks straight into a fire hydrand and hurts his private parts.
At the hospital the doctor says:Mnr van der Merwe,we have to take off your testicles.
Van der Merwe loses the plot and statrs a mini riot. The doctor runs off and finds a SA doctor to come and calm him down.
The SA doctor says to van der Merwe: Koos, hulle gaan jou ballas afsny.
Van der Merwe sighs deep relief and says: O, Ek dog hulle wou my Test Tickets neem!
7 Apr 2006, 13:40 pm
steyn, it’s obvious. People like reds are aspiring to be something they’re not.
7 Apr 2006, 13:41 pm
Pussycat
Intelligent and attentive as always.
How are you?
The business doing well?
7 Apr 2006, 13:41 pm
Steyn, he doesn’t know. Don’t explore it. You don’t want to lift the lid and let the schizoid out.
7 Apr 2006, 13:41 pm
Pussycat.. u a language teacher?
7 Apr 2006, 13:42 pm
reds,
jy skree vir die AB as hulle teen die bokke speel terwyl jy nog hier in die land woon?
Jou ****** verraaier.
Kyk na Tackler, hy woon in NZ en ondersteun hulle.Ek kan daarmee saamleef.Jy is n joiner en hanskakie.
Die ergste is dat die Kiwis nie jou ondersteuning soek nie. Hulle beskou jou ook as n verraaier.
7 Apr 2006, 13:42 pm
Reds but that is the same you don’t like the team so you don’t like the country….that is how it is……it works that way….i am the same n bull i won;t go and stay in Durdan if i support the bulls buddy i stay where the grass is green
7 Apr 2006, 13:43 pm
Pierre
Similarly incisive and to the point.
You must be a lawyer…
Did you come right with my buddy BTW?
7 Apr 2006, 13:43 pm
Hi David – more busy than business. But hopefully that changes soon and I can get back to my slothful ways!
7 Apr 2006, 13:45 pm
Is this debate worth getting into with this character?
Pussycat
I’m an anachronism then seeing as I’m also Afrikaans and I can like to knowed that us Springbok LOOSE forwards are can liked to LOSE the game for the Bokke in Europe last year….
7 Apr 2006, 13:46 pm
pussykop,
hou op om jouself slim te hou. Die meeste maak spel of tikfoute hier op die site en meestal is dit die engelse.
maar jy is n goeie tikster met n goeie spell check op die rekenaar.
7 Apr 2006, 13:47 pm
Same here.
Keeping busy but not really business.
I’ve decided that being a business owner is better than worshipping the corporate idol and concluded a deal to return to my roots at SMME level.
7 Apr 2006, 13:51 pm
Stan – LOL re your Van joke. That was f&*%$ing funny…
7 Apr 2006, 13:56 pm
So, whats news guys???
7 Apr 2006, 13:58 pm
its actually very old, but still good.
7 Apr 2006, 14:00 pm
Carcass is jou joke Koos of Kobus vd merwe (Fester)
7 Apr 2006, 14:01 pm
Grrrr … hear our cats are finally making there move this weekend to outflank and outwit the other teams and win the S14
)
7 Apr 2006, 14:01 pm
Titans gaan die koppie huis toe bring…
7 Apr 2006, 14:02 pm
*****
I think you’ve got Ed Zachary Disease…
7 Apr 2006, 14:04 pm
Paws
Yip, hopefully!!!!
7 Apr 2006, 14:06 pm
Paws…
You have Ed Zachary Disease as well…
7 Apr 2006, 14:08 pm
suparugby
kon gewees het!LOL
7 Apr 2006, 14:18 pm
Interesting
I have no idea why reds prefers NZ’s national team over the Bokke, but he has drawn a fair bit of flak over it.
What puzzles me is this.
There is general acceptance, or at worst a reluctant resignation that SOME coloured’s and black’s have a deep seated soft spot for NZ rugby teams, and the All Blacks in particular and when the Bokke meet the AB’s the AB’s are their team. Questioning them on this issue is not a done thing.
So why the vitriol because reds happens to be Afrikaans?
What’s the go here?
7 Apr 2006, 14:21 pm
News Grrr, Is that we have a draadsitter who likes the Sharks but hates all our other teams, who supports the AB’s but not the Boks, who thinks he’s male but wishes he was female.
I think he will not be included in the beerdrinkers club.
7 Apr 2006, 14:24 pm
Bluecap
You are spot on there bud…….this what,what has a problem
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