Crusaders 33 Hurricanes 22
CHRISTCHURCH The Robbie Deans era will last one more week after the Crusaders outgunned the Hurricanes 33-22 in a lopsided Super 14 semi-final in Christchurch.
The final scoreline didn't reflect a match completely dominated by the home side which will result in them hosting the final next Saturday and give them a shot at a seventh Super rugby title.
It would be the fifth for coach Deans before leaving to begin a four-year tenure as Wallabies coach.
His team conceded the first try inside two minutes but from then there was no doubt about who would prevail as the Crusaders played with a verve and accuracy a world apart from last weekend's 26-14 loss to the Highlanders.
They dominated the breakdown, held nearly every pass and kicked and chased superbly.
On the rare occasion they didn't have possession they suffocated the Hurricanes of room, forcing the visitors to defend all evening, almost entirely inside their own half.
Tries under the crossbar either side of half-time to fullback Leon MacDonald sealed the result and it was a testament to the Hurricanes' desperation that there was just one more, to flanker Kieran Read, while they crossed for two of their own in the dying moments.
Crusaders five-eighth Daniel Carter kicked 18 points in a seven-from-seven goalkicking display.
It continued the Crusaders' Super rugby play-off dominance over the Hurricanes, having now beaten them in the three semi-finals and one final in which they have met - all in Christchurch.
There were two black marks on the evening for the hosts.
They will almost certainly be without veteran hooker Corey Flynn for the final after he left the game in the 12th minute with a suspected broken arm.
And the game was watched by a disappointingly-small crowd of 18,000 at the 26,000-capacity AMI Stadium.
The Hurricanes dearly missed the leadership of injured captain Rodney So'oialo, the industrious All Blacks No 8 ruled out with a rib injury 24 hours before kick-off.
Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said it was never easy to play the Hurricanes but his side had capitalised on its chances.
"We knew if we put the pressure on and scored early in the second half we would do the business," he said.
The Crusaders' kicking game had been on song unlike the last couple of games. Hurricanes hooker Andrew Hore, who stood in for So'oialo, said the team had expended a lot of energy on defence in the first half and had not used the little ball they got wisely. "The late tries showed what we could do if we got the ball."
CRUSADERS 33 (Leon MacDonald 2, Kieran Read tries; Dan Carter 3 con 4 pen) beat HURRICANES 22 (Zac Guildford, Jeremy Thrush, Neemia Tialata tries; Jimmy Gopperth 2 con; Piri Weepu pen; Jerry Collins con)
