The Crusaders are into the Super Rugby Pacific final after a dominant display at home that left the Blues bumbling in arguably their worst performance of the year.
The visitors never looked like threatening – mistakes were plentiful and the home side made the most of every opportunity. All told, it was a 52-15 demolition.
It continued a record run for the Crusaders who now have a 29-0 win record at home in play-off matches.
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The Blues, meanwhile, remain winless in away semi-final appearances, 0-3.
“Well, I think quite conclusively, I don’t think this is how many expected this game to play out,” Stan Sport commentator and ex-All Black Justin Marshall said.
“It was expected it was going to be a real fight, a war of attrition, right to the final whistle. However, it was anything but.
“The Crusaders dominated this contest from the opening whistle and they never looked like a side that would get beaten on the night at any stage.”
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The Blues almost immediately gave away possession with an early knock-on, which gave the Crusaders a chance to execute a 50:22.
Off the back of that line-out, Braydon Ennor scored to make it 7-0.
Fainga’anuka scores 12th try of the season
A penalty followed a little over five minutes later and made it 10-0 which quickly became 15-0 when Leicester Fainga’aunuku scored, courtesy of a blistering run by Will Jordan.
In the first quarter, the Blues made five handling errors and only improved marginally as the half time break approached.
Two penalties apiece took the score out to 18-3 before Jordan scored one of his own, finding a gap in the Blues defence after a lengthy phase play on the try line, the score 25-3.
Fantastic Fainga’anuka makes it 13
Not helping their error-prone start was ill-discipline and the yellow was drawn in the 38th minute when Hoskins Sotutu entered the maul from the side.
The Crusaders pounced almost immediately as Cody Taylor drove over the line off the back of another line-out maul – the score 32-3 at the break, four tries to none.
After scoring his 12th try of the season earlier, Fainga’anuka made it 13 with arguably his best of the year in the 48th minute.
Off the back of a line-out on halfway, the winger burst through multiple Blues defenders.
Barrett finally break through for Blues
Finally, after 58 minutes, Beuaden Barrett scored the first Blues try – but that went unconverted, the score 39-8.
Another penalty followed and then in the 71st minute Richie Mo’unga enjoyed a blistering run before offloading it to Fergus Blakes, who scored in the corner.
With the conversion, that made it 49-8. Another penalty followed to rack up the half-century, making it 52-8.
A consolation try came at the death when Caleb Clarke put the pill down in the corner at full-time – the final score 52-15.
The Crusaders will wait to see the result of the other semi-final, which will decide where the final is held.
Should the Chiefs beat the Brumbies, the Chiefs will host the final. However, if the Brumbies get up, it’ll be the Crusaders that host the decider.
The Chiefs host the Brumbies in Hamilton on Saturday with coverage live and ad-free on Stan Sport from 4:30pm.
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