First published on Wellington News: www.wellingtonnews.nz
he Hurricanes head into the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs with questions to answer after being comprehensively beaten 47-14 by the Crusaders at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Friday night.
Already assured of top seeding and a home playoff, the Hurricanes rested several frontline players and fielded a heavily rotated lineup. However, the scale of the defeat will still concern coach Clark Laidlaw as the competition enters its knockout phase.
The visitors briefly looked capable of matching the defending champions after captain Brad Shields crashed over to cancel out an early try from Crusaders winger Sevu Reece, who was celebrating his 100th match for the franchise.
But from there the Crusaders took control.
A devastating counter-attack midway through the first half highlighted the difference between the sides. After absorbing sustained Hurricanes pressure, the Crusaders turned defence into attack through a break from captain David Havili before Noah Hotham finished a sweeping length-of-the-field movement.
Johnny McNicholl added another try soon after, although television replays suggested he may have lost control of the ball while grounding it.
Christian Lio-Willie then crossed before halftime after another dangerous break from Reece, giving the Crusaders a commanding 26-7 lead at the interval.
The Hurricanes struggled to gain momentum throughout the second half as both sides emptied their benches early.
Replacement halfback Jordi Viljoen provided some energy around the breakdown, while prop Pouri Rakete-Stones powered over for the Hurricanes’ second try.
However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished.
The Crusaders continued to find space, with replacement hooker Manumaua Letiu scoring before Kyle Preston and Reece added late tries to complete the rout.
For the Hurricanes, the result does not affect their playoff position, but it does hand the defending champions a significant psychological advantage should the teams meet again later in the finals series.
The Crusaders’ victory lifted them into the top three and strengthened their chances of securing a home qualifying final, depending on other weekend results.
Despite the heavy defeat, the Hurricanes remain one of the competition favourites and will welcome the opportunity to return several key players for next week’s playoff opener.
Scorers
Hurricanes 14 (Brad Shields, Pouri Rakete-Stones tries; Callum Harkin 2 conversions)
Crusaders 47 (Sevu Reece 2, Noah Hotham, Johnny McNicholl, Christian Lio-Willie, Manumaua Letiu, Kyle Preston tries; Taha Kemara 5 conversions, Reece conversion)