That was more like it from the Crusaders.
After last week’s decidedly shaky effort at home against the Brumbies, the Red and Blacks got their Super Rugby Trans-Tasman show well and truly back on track in the clash of the champions against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium.
Inspired by a three-try masterclass from All Blacks No 10 Richie Mo’unga, Scott Robertson’s men unleashed the full gamut of their attacking skills to thump the Queenslanders 63-28, nine tries to four, to complete a perfect 10-0 start for the New Zealand sides through the first two rounds of this hybrid competition.
And if there was a clash that graphically illustrated the imbalance that exists between the five Super Rugby franchises that sit each side of the Tasman, it was this one.
The Reds had recently claimed the Super Rugby Australia crown; the Crusaders had followed up a hat-trick of fully-fledged Super Rugby championships with two straight triumphs in the Covid-era Aotearoa competition. It was the best of the best down under, and from minute one there was only ever one team in it.
The Crusaders had three tries in the opening quarter of an hour, as they made clear their intent to lay down a marker on the back of that unconvincing 31-29 first-up win over the Brumbies in Christchurch. They led 28-7 at the half and never let up till the end as they ran in a further five meat pies over a scintillating second 40.
It was the Crusaders’ ninth straight victory over the Reds (and their 20th in the last 23), their biggest ever score against the Queenslanders and was the Red and Blacks’ 10th victory in the last 11 on the road against Aussie opposition. The defeat snapped a run of 11 straight wins at home by Brad Thorn’s side.
Mo’unga was simply brilliant in an exhilarating return to top form. He had two tries in the first half, another after the break and sparked a dialled-in Crusaders attack with his delicious mixture of speed, skill and attacking instinct.
Others weren’t far off his standard. Ethan Blackadder and Cullen Grace were excellent in the loose, Sam Whitelock continues to live up to his own high standards in the second row and the front row set a splendid platform at scrum time, and around the breakdown.
In the backs Leicester Fainga’anuku did not miss a beat in his shift back to the wing, Sevu Reece was outstanding on the other flank with a statement performance and David Havili just kept up his relentless excellence in 2021 with yet another quality display.
The Crusaders did not take long to ease into this contest, with three tries in the first 15 minutes. Mo’unga punished the Reds for dropped ball in the wrong part of the field, Reece finished a surging 75-metre attack that featured classy contributions from Blackadder and Mo’unga and Grace had the third when he ran 38 metres to the line on the back of a Havili intercept and Whetu Douglas offload.
Mo’unga had his second in the 28th minute to make it 28-0 when he turned on the gas to turn an unpromising pass into a gilt-edged opportunity, though the Reds at least finished on a positive note when halfback Tate McDermott scooted over between the posts from a tapped penalty.
The point-a-minute pace continued after the break, too. Reece had his second (via Havili’s pinpoint crosskick) and Mo’unga his first ever hat-trick, with a piece of individual brilliance from 30m out, and when a penalty try was awarded for a collapsed maul (and Fraser McReight sinbinned) it was 49-7 at the three-quarter mark.
The Reds then had their best spell as No 8 Harry Wilson scored a dazzling individual effort from nigh on 50m, then put Suliasi Vunivalu away with an outrageous no-look back-pass, as the home side crept back to 49-21.
But the momentum change was temporary. Replacement prop Tamaiti Williams powered over from close and Codie Taylor was put across by Manasa Mataele as the Crusaders surged past 60. Hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa had the final say with the Reds’ fourth try with time up, but it was the visitors who walked off Suncorp with the smiles on their dials.
It was good to be back.
Crusaders 63 (Richie Mo’unga 3, Sevu Reece 2, Cullen Grace, Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor tries; penalty try; Mo’unga 8 cons), Queensland Reds 28 (Tate McDermott, Harry Wilson, Suliasi Vunivalu, Brandon Paenga-Amosa tries; James O’connor 4 cons). Ht: 28-7.
