Super Rugby Pacific: Crusaders crowned champions after victory over Blues in final

The Crusaders were crowned inaugural Super Rugby Pacific champions after sealing a 21-7 victory over the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, the Christchurch-based franchise were the dominant side for most of this match and they outscored the home side by two tries to one with Bryn Hall and Sevu Reece crossing the whitewash for the victors. Their other points came courtesy of a conversion two penalties and a drop-goal from Richie Mo’unga.

For the Blues, Finlay Christie scored a try and Stephen Perofeta succeeded with a conversion.

Despite slippery underfoot conditions as a result of earlier rains, the Crusaders did most of the attacking during the opening 20 minutes, but were thwarted short of the Blues tryline on a couple of occasions.

In the second minute, Leicester Fainga’anuku found himself in space close to the Blues’ try-line but he was bundled into touch by Mark Telea and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

10 minutes later, Fainga’anuku and Jack Goodhue traded passes down the left-hand flank before the latter offloaded to Codie Taylor deep inside Blues’ territory but, once again, Telea spared the blushes of the home side with another excellent cover tackle at the corner flag.

Soon after, the Crusaders took the lead when Mo’unga dropped into the pocket and landed his snap-shot from midway between the Blues’ 22 and their 10-metre line. The visitors continued to have the bulk of the possession as the Blues’ struggled to build momentum with their lineout play putrid as they lost several balls at the set-piece.

The Crusaders continued to dominate and a minute later Fainga’anuku showed great strength to shrug off the combined efforts of Christie, Alex Hodgman and Tom Robinson to cross the whitewash