The Canterbury Crusaders launched their Super Rugby title defense with a 43-25 victory over the NSW Waratahs in an entertaining nine-try festival in Nelson, New Zealand, yesterday.
It was the pupil outsmarting the master as the Crusaders scored six tries to three to confirm their status as championship frontrunners again.
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson, bidding to take his side to a fourth consecutive title, was mentored early in his coaching career by now Waratahs coach Rob Penney and obviously learned well as the defending champions raced to a 24-6 lead at halftime.
They received a jolt midway through the second half when 19-year-old Waratahs’ flyer Mark Nawaqanitawase scored twice in three minutes to narrow the gap to 24-18 before the Crusaders finished off with three further tries.
Crusaders captain Scott Barrett said that the game largely went according to plan.
“We wanted to start well, we wanted to set the pace in this competition and we showed plenty of attacking endeavor, but in the first game of the season there were plenty of errors,” he said.
Waratahs leader Rob Simmons was disappointed that his side could not capitalize on opportunities they created.
“They showed us that if you give them a sniff they’re going to come and keep coming,” he said.
The Crusaders showed their wide-ranging counterattacking repertoire, mixing wide passes with close-range off-loads and deft kicks in behind the defense had the visitors scrambling.
Kurtley Beale was a constant threat for the Waratahs, but his chances were few and the one time he did cross the line the try was scrubbed out because of a forward pass.
David Havili, handed the kicking duties for the Crusaders ahead of Richie Mo’unga, traded early penalties with Waratahs flyhalf Will Harrison, but once the early testing exchanges were over, the Crusaders switched to try-scoring mode.
Outside backs Will Jordan, Braydon Ennor and Leicester Faingaanuku scored in the first half, with Faingaanuku running 60m after claiming a precision cross-kick from Mo’unga.
Nawaqanitawase’s second try for the Waratahs after the break was also a 60m effort from an intercept as the Sydneysiders closed within six points with just over 20 minutes remaining.
However, the Crusaders stepped up another gear with Ennor and Jordan scoring their second tries, both finishing long-range attacks while Luke Romano crashed over from close to the line.
Alex Newsome scored the Waratahs third try just before fulltime.
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