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An outstanding performance by All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor has ensured that the Crusaders have started the year as they ended the previous one, with a win against the Highlanders.
In front of a crowd of around 15,000 at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Friday, Taylor produced the high-quality 67 minutes that were the basis for his team’s 26-13 victory.
Head down, he was in the middle of a dominant Crusaders scrum. Head high, he was a ball-in-hand threat all night, scoring a brilliant first-half try from a 35-meter break in midfield that showed his pace and helped the Crusaders to a 14-10 lead. at halftime during a game where they never fell behind.
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Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor celebrates the first Super Rugby Aotearoa try of 2021 against the Highlanders on Friday.
For the Highlanders, the performance was a kind of mirror of last year, and the performance disappointed them at key moments.
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Liam Squire was signed for the final 20 minutes and immediately made his presence felt with and without the ball, but his scrum was under pressure for most of the night.
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Crusaders wing Sevu Reece tries to get rid of Aaron Smith at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
They were also denied an attempt after 65 minutes when officers took a hit from replacement half Folau Fakatava, but their inability to make the Crusaders pay when they were under pressure summed up their night.
Sevu Reece, resplendent in fluoride boots so bright they could be seen by NASA’s new Mars rover, was a common thread for the crusaders on the right wing, always making meters after contact with his combination of footwork and footwork. can.
Reece’s strong shot in the 47th minute to give the Crusaders a 19-13 lead was nothing less than he deserved when he crashed off a clever volley from that man Taylor.
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Marino Mikaele-Tu’u is covered by Sevu Reece and Codie Taylor.
Since the Highlanders last won against the Crusaders, in 2017, only once have they managed to get within 10 points of the champions.
The spike lines might have masked the proximity of some of those accessories, but the Crusaders have always had an extra team to ward off their southern rivals.
And so it was again on Friday, when hooker Brodie McAlister scored from a lineout to seal the game at 26-13 with six minutes to go.
Scott Barrett copied a late yellow card for the Crusaders, but it was too little too late for the locals.
The visitors were affected by the late retirement of All Black Will Jordan, who injured his ribs last weekend, with rookie Chay Fihaki handing over the number 15 jersey and former Highlander Josh McKay entering the bench. However, it hardly baffled them.
The game began with a Highlanders haka led by Ash Dixon, a special moment that raised the temperature on a mild Dunedin night.
There was also a lot of sentiment in the early exchanges, as the new Highlanders lock out Jack Regan and Crusaders mainstay Joe Moody squared off after a series.
With the ‘Zoo’ booth packed with students at the end of O Week, the atmosphere under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium was akin to a party.
However, the Crusaders fulfilled the role of intruders to perfection in the first quarter, as they played with a rhythm and breadth that seemed to surprise the Highlanders.
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Highlanders No. 6 Shannon Frizell lunges toward the try line to score in the first half.
However, some things never change. The Crusaders’ early superiority was built on the foundation of a dominant scrum that won two early penalties, with the champions then upsetting the home team with consecutive skillful attempts against Taylor and Bryn Hall after 14 and 16 minutes.
A yellow card to Ethan Blackadder for repeated Crusaders infractions opened the door for the Highlanders and Shannon Frizell crashed into the left corner after 26 minutes.
Ten minutes later, new No 14 Highlanders Connor Garden-Bachop was on the opposite side of the field after a tremendous play on the baseline with Tony Brown’s stamp all over it.
However, Mitch Hunt was unable to convert any of the attempts from wide angles and the Crusaders led 14-10 at halftime.
Crusaders 26 (Codie Taylor, Bryn Hall, Sevu Reece, Brodie McAlister tries, Richie Mo’unga 3 cons) Highlanders 13 (Shannon Frizell, Connor Garden-Bachop Tries, Mitch Hunt’s pen). HT: 14-10
