Relive 1 NEWS' live updates of this afternoon's Super Rugby Aotearoa game between the Blues and Crusaders at Eden Park in Auckland.
FT: BLU 27-43 CRU
Drummond puts it into touch and that will do it! A statement win for the Crusaders at Eden Park.
This was a classic showing of champions versus pretenders. The Crusaders were clinical and ruthless when they needed to be. They made mistakes sure, but they took their chances and Mo'unga was perfect with the boot, kicking nine for nine for the game.
The Blues will rue their ill-discipline. In open play the two sides were pretty even, but it was at the breakdown where the defending Super Rugby champions won the game. The Blues conceded penalty after penalty right in front of their own posts to gift points to the Crusaders in the second half, and were left a man short in the final minutes when Tu'ungafasi was sent to the bin.
There were positives for the home side but they will have a lot to reflect on as they try to keep their title hopes alive over the coming weeks.
That's all from us, enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
78min: BLU 27-43 CRU
CRU TRY! The Blues throw the kitchen sink, but the Crusaders turn the ball over in the ruck again. Fainga'anuku races down the left wing but is brought down by Rieko Ioane. The Crusaders have numbers to the right though and Mo'unga finds Reece wide open! There's no stopping him in that amount of space and he goes over! Mo'unga makes no mistake with the boot once again, that will seal it.
75min: BLU 27-36 CRU
BLU YEL! The Blues sense their chance here and they're smashing their way down the field. But they've been penalised! Ah what a shame. Barrett's down after being hit after the call by Tu'ungafasi. And he's going to be sent to the bin for that. That will make it difficult for the Blues as they desperately try to cull the deficit with just a few minutes remaining.
72min: BLU 27-36 CRU
But the Blues aren't going to give up that easily! They've got numbers out on the right and it's Robinson of all people who bursts down the wing and deep into the 22. He offloads to Sotutu and he's through and over the line! Plummer converts!
70min: BLU 20-36 CRU
CRU TRY! Eklund is having some topsy-turvy game! Off the restart he has flipped Reece out of the ruck after the Blues won a penalty! The decision is reversed and the Crusaders have another chance to extend their advantage. They're going for the jugular here, Mo'unga kicks for touch to give them a lineout just 5m out from the line. This could be the deciding play of the game. They gain an advantage but they won't need it, as they run a switch play, Drummond offloading to Mo'unga off the back of the maul and the All Black dances through to touch down for the try! That could be it! Mo'unga converts his own try, that's eight for eight from the boot and 26 points for the game.
66min: BLU 20-29 CRU
BLU TRY! Eklund makes up for it this time though! The Blues earn another lineout in the danger zone and stay patient as they string together multiple phases, slowly pushing their way towards the line. Heem has a break on the left wing and is brought down just short. The ball finds Eklund and he touches down in the corner! But Black can't convert - that was crucial for the Blues, but they still trail by nine.
62min: BLU 15-29 CRU
All starting to fall apart for the Blues. They earn a lineout in the Crusaders half but Eklund strangely dummies the throw, giving a free kick to the Crusaders.
60min: BLU 15-29 CRU
CRU PEN! Yet another penalty out in front for the Crusaders. The referee tells Tuipolotu any more will result in a card for the Blues. Mo'unga isn't complaining, and he kicks yet another simple penalty over.
57min: BLU 15-26 CRU
The Crusaders are putting the foot down here. Deep in their own half, Mo'unga shifts to Havili who breaks the line and offloads to a rampant Jordan charging through the middle of the park. He spins a long pass out to Reece on the right wing, but he has to dive to collect it. Clarke pushes him into touch but those were dangerous signs from the Crusaders there.
54min: BLU 15-26 CRU
CRU PEN! Deja vu as the Blues concede another right in front. You can't be making these mistakes against the Crusaders. Mo'unga duly takes advantage and once again the Crusaders lead is into double digits.
51min: BLU 15-23 CRU
CRU PEN! The Blues showing their lack of experience here, conceding a penalty right in front just after they got themselves back into the game. Mo'unga lines it up once again and makes no mistake.
47min: BLU 15-20 CRU
BLU TRY! The Blues string a number of offloads together in style down the right wing, and Choat finds himself in some space! He is brought down on the 22 and they have advantage, the ball shifts to the opposite wing to Clarke who bundles through a couple of tacklers, but play is brought back to the mark. Black kicks for touch just a few metres out. The Blues can put the pressure on from here. And they do, their burly forwards pushing the Crusaders further and further back phase upon phase. Finally Eklund, who has just come on, busts through to touch down. Black converts and the Blues are back in it!
42min: BLU 8-20 CRU
CRU PEN! The Crusaders immediately put the pressure on the Blues, Blackadder beating his man to bring his team within the 22. The Crusaders earn an advantage and after a sloppy couple of phases, play is called back to the mark. Mo'unga opts for the shot at goal and the Crusaders push out there lead even further.
40min: BLU 8-17 CRU
We're back and Mo'unga kicks to start the second half. Gibson replaced by Choat after suffering a concussion in the first half.
HT: BLU 8-17 CRU
So the Crusaders shook off some early pressure and a string of penalties to take a handy nine-point lead into the break. Both teams struggled with the penalty count throughout the first half and will be hoping for more free-flowing rugby in the second.
The Crusaders showed why they are the defending Super Rugby champions. They were staunch on defence, absorbing several Blues' attacks that looked destined to be tries, before showing their ruthless ability to strike when the opportunity presented itself.
We'll be back shortly.
40min BLU 8-17 CRU
The Blues have the ball just on the Crusaders side of halfway as the clock ticks down to halftime but they are penalised for not releasing the ball in the ruck. The visitors will have the last play of the half but can't do much with it and Mo'unga kicks it into touch.
36min: BLU 8-17 CRU
The Crusaders run a nice wrap around play from a ruck, giving Mo'unga enough time and space to play a kick through towards the left corner. Jordan is chasing and winning the race, but the ball bounces in to touch just before the line.
32min: BLU 8-17 CRU
CRU TRY! The Crusaders win another penalty and Mo'unga finds touch on the 5m line. They enter a big driving maul from the lineout and the Blues are struggling to keep them out. Taylor has the ball at the back and he touches down as they drive over the line! Mo'unga converts and the Crusaders lead extends.
29min: BLU 8-10 CRU
The game is opening up now! Rieko Ioane finds some space and bursts down field over the halfway line and towards the 22. The ball shifts to his brother Akira who breaks a couple of tackles but his attempted offload falls forward and into the hands of the Crusaders. Hall throws it back to Jordan in the pocket and he chooses to run. And run he does! He's beaten three, four, five tacklers, wow what a run! He passes to Fainga'anuku on the Blues side of halfway who is brought down just outside the 22. What a breathtaking minute of rugby that was!
26min: BLU 8-10 CRU
CRU PEN! The Crusaders are struggling to put anything together in midfield, but they win a penalty after a high tackle from Tuipolutu. Lovely punt downfield from Mo'unga brings them into the red zone. They win the lineout and swing it across the backline with pace. They win another penalty right in front and Mo'unga chooses to take the three points to regain the lead.
20min: BLU 8-7 CRU
BLU TRY! The Crusaders have the ball from the lineout but it's intercepted by Plummer! The Blues quickly counterattack and Heem has plenty of open space ahead of him on the right. They quickly shift it across the backline to the opposite wing, they have numbers, and Gibson touches down in the left corner! But Clarke's final pass to Gibson may have travelled forward and the TMO is brought into play. It's ruled to have gone back out of the hands and the try is awarded! Black can't make the tough conversion so the lead remains one.
17min: BLU 3-7 CRU
Another scrum and another penalty advantage for the Blues! Ruru shifts it wide again, but Rieko Ioane's pass is nearly intercepted by Jordan, but the Crusaders' winger can't hang on to it. The ref goes back to the advantage and the Blues opt to scrum - no surprises there. There's another penalty, but this time it goes the other way! The Crusaders escape!
12min: BLU 3-7 CRU
The Blues look to hit right back! Hall makes a mistake, rolling the ball back from the ruck but then just leaving it there, and Akira Ioane pounces, shifting to his brother Rieko and on to Heem as the Blues move to within a few metres of the line. They knock the ball on but the Crusaders are penalised for being offside. The Blues choose to scrum and they gain another advantage. Ruru swings it out to the backline and Perofeta tries to make a dash for the line before shifting it to Clarke. The Crusaders defence is solid though, and referee Paul Williams calls it back for the penalty. The Blues opt to scrum again and the Crusaders win the penalty! But wait it's been reversed after the Crusaders forwards pushed the Blues players in the aftermath. That's five penalties against the Crusaders already!
10min: BLU 3-7 CRU
CRU TRY! The Crusaders win a penalty in midfield and it's their turn to test out their opponent's defence. Mo'unga kicks for touch to give the visitors a lineout just over 10m out from the line. They have a strong driving maul before Taylor pulls off the back. He is brought to ground but Hall quickly gathers from the ruck and plays a dinky kick through and it looks like Goodhue has got his hand on it ahead of Akira Ioane! They go upstairs and the try is awarded! Great work by Goodhue to ground the ball cleanly. Mo'unga converts right in front.
8min: BLU 3-0 CRU
BLU PEN! The Blues win another penalty and this time Black opts for a shot at goal. Just outside the line of the left-hand upright and he makes no mistake. The crowd erupt!
3min: BLU 0-0 CRU
The Blues start on the front foot, linking a couple of set plays, but a knock on gives the ball to the Crusaders near the halfway line. But the Blues win the penalty from the scrum! A big early statement. Black kicks for touch as the Blues look to open the scoring. The Crusaders push the resulting maul back though, proving any tries will be hard to come by.
3.35pm: KICKOFF
Black gets us underway in front of 25,000 fans at Eden Park!
3pm: PREVIEW
Welcome, welcome, gather round, this could be some viewing.
The stage is set - both the Blues and the Crusaders enter this Super Rugby Aotearoa round four clash unbeaten and whoever wins today will take one step towards claiming the 2021 title.
This game arguably means more to the home side, the Blues chasing their first Super Rugby title since 2003, where they toppled today's opponents in a thrilling final at Eden Park.
That 2003 triumph was their third in seven years, however, disappointment and underwhelming seasons followed, and a generation has now passed since the Blues last tasted champagne.
The home side have not beaten the Crusaders since 2014 either.
But maybe, just maybe, the Auckland franchise have found themselves a side worthy of breaking that title drought this year.
The Blues have looked formidable so far in 2021, notching up big victories against both the Hurricanes and the Highlanders.
Coach Leon MacDonald has selected an experienced and largely unchanged side for today's game.
It has been strengthened with the return of All Black prop Alex Hodgman, and the experienced quartet of lock Josh Goodhue and loose forward Blake Gibson, with midfield leader TJ Faiane and halfback Finlay Christie off the bench.
The other significant change is on the right wing where Mark Telea has been spelled after going off with a head injury last week, with his place taken by the experienced Bryce Heem, who only joined the squad two weeks ago after returning from Europe where he has been a key part of the successes at Worcester and Toulon.
Yet, today's clash with the reigning-champion Crusaders will be the ultimate test.
The South Island side are the epitome of success, holders of ten Super Rugby titles as well as the inaugural Super Rugby Aotearoa crown.
While the likes of Richie McCaw and Dan Carter are long retired, the current crop of Crusaders are certainly no slouches.
Today's starting lineup features eight All Blacks, well balanced between the forwards and backs.
The playmaking of Richie Mo'unga will be crucial to their success, while the spark plugs of Will Jordan and Sevu Reece will test the Blues defence to the core.
Bryn Hall will lead the side out as he marks his 100th Super Rugby appearance, and how fitting that he notches it against his hometown Blues.
Meanwhile, in the forwards, there is a change at loosehead prop with Joe Moody named to start and George Bower moving to the reserves.
Tighthead prop Oliver Jager returns to the side this week, having recovered from the ankle injury he sustained in the Farmlands Cup pre-season game. Jager will join Bower as prop cover on the bench.
There is a positional change in the loose forwards to face the Blues, with Ethan Blackadder re-joining the starting team in the number six jersey, and Sione Havili Talitui moving to the openside after Tom Christie dislocated his shoulder against the Chiefs last weekend.
Cullen Grace also returns to the starting team this week at Number 8.
TEAMS:
Blues: 15 Stephen Perofeta, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Harry Plummer, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Jonathan Ruru; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Blake Gibson, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Luteru Tolai, 1 Alex Hodgman.
Replacements: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Tom Robinson, 21 Adrian Choat, 22 Finlay Christie, 23 TJ Faiane.
Crusaders: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 David Havili, 11 Leicester Fainga'anuku, 10 Richie Mo'unga, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Cullen Grace, 7 Sione Havili Talitui, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Scott Barrett (c), 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Joe Moody.
Replacements: 16. Brodie McAlister, 17 George Bower, 18 Oliver Jager, 19 Mitchell Dunshea, 20 Whetukamokamo Douglas, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Fergus Blake, 23 Dallas McLeod.
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