Crusaders 18 Sharks 10
The Crusaders, with a try each to the fat boys up front, inflicted a third straight Super 14 defeat on the Sharks with an 18-10 victory in Christchurch that clinches the title favourites a home semi-final with still two rounds remaining.
There were just three tries in a difficult sort of encounter played, for the most part, in driving rain and fairly chilly temperatures. But with the home team grabbing two of them, and probably in the final accounting playing the percentage game just that little bit better, it was a match that confirmed a couple of teams heading in different directions at the top end of the table.
The win takes the Crusaders to 47 points on the table, for the time being an enormous 11 points clear of their nearest challengers with just two further rounds remaining, and ensured the all-important home semifinal for the red and blacks.
The third-placed Sharks, on the other hand, remain anchored on 32 points as their Australasian sojourn sinks further into despair with a quartet of teams below them capable of leapfrogging them over the remainder of the round.
Greg Somerville and Wyatt Crockett notched the tries -- one in each half -- for Robbie Deans' men, with No 8 Ryan Kankowski confirming his class with a brilliant touchdown late in the first spell to keep the Sharks in a predominanantly tight encounter.
Told the victory had clinched a home semifinal, Crusaders skip Richie McCaw, who shrugged off a late first-half sinbinning to return and lead a solid rearguard effort, revealed the singular sort of focus his men took into the match.
"That's nice," he shrugged, "but playing the Sharks was really hard enough." He also praised the defensive effort from his side as they absorbed some serious pressure from last year's finalists over the run home. "We put soem big hits bin and that's where games are won and lost."
At the end of an excellent opening 40 minutes of football, especially considering the conditions, the Crusaders had battled their way to a 13-10 advantage.
And, really, few of the red and black-clad home faithful could have brokered any argument with such a tight halftime scoreline against a Sharks side who answered the call after an ordinary effort last weekend against the Waratahs in Sydney.
It was never going to be a free-flowing extravaganza, but still it was an entertaining sort of opening stanza as the competition's first and third-placed sides scored a try apiece and showed their pedigree in the process.
After an early Stephen Brett penalty, the home side sprung out to a 10-0 lead on the 17-minute mark when big prop Somerville, whom we're told is another soon to embark the northern gravy train, was eventually awarded the try.
His halfback Andy Ellis had actually created the doubt when he lunged over from a ruck, after a strong Casey Laulala run had set up a ruck on the Sharks' line. But a visit to the TMO confirmed that Ellis hadn't quite clipped the line, though referee Stuart Dickinson had no doubt Somerville had from the resultant phase.
It took nearly a dozen minutes for the Sharks to summon their reply, but it was a beaut when it was unleashed.
When Brett kicked a 22 restart out on the full, the young No 10 was made to contemplate the folly of his ways when the South Africans struck with rare efficiency from the midfield scrum.
That the score went to outstanding No 8 Kankowski, though, should have surprised no one for among a useful Sharks lineup this fellow is possibly the jewel in the crown. And he made it look easy as he detached from the scrum, shook off high tackle attempts from, in order, McCaw, Brett and Laulala and dashed 25 metres on the angle for a brilliant try.
A penalty apiece were then traded before the spell ended with the Sharks well in it, particularly when McCaw was despatched to the sinbin just before hte break after one too many infringement at the tackle area under pressure.
But as the rain tumbled down in the second spell it was the Crusaders whose grip remained the firmest in the slippery conditions.
First they survived the remainder of McCaw's absence unscathed, then showed why they's got the competition's best defence with a series of outstanding stands under the cosh as the Sharks summoned their very best.
Typically, after spending so much time absorrbing, the Crusaders made their opponents pay just before the 75-minute mark when replacement prop Crockett showed excellent skill to pounce on spilt Sharks ball, toe it through three times and then win a tight race with Kankowski for the loose ball in-goal.
At 18-10, that was that. The Crusaders showed once again that in the tight, difficult conditions of wintry rugby they have no peers.
For the Sharks, who must feel as though they're marooned on an Australasian island of despair, it leaves them with plenty to do over the final fortnight to grab another place in the semifinals.
CRUSADERS 18 (Greg Somerville, Wyatt Crockett
tries; Stephen Brett 2 pens, con) bt SHARKS 10
(Ryan Kankowski try; Rory Kockott pen, con) at Christchurch.
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (AUS)
