Analysis: In beating the Chiefs, the competition front-runners went to a new level. The Crusaders, however, are in free-fall, writes Patrick McKendry.
Halfway through the Super Rugby Pacific competition it's clear the unbeaten Hurricanes should be considered favourites to secure their second championship and that the Crusaders are unlikely to get anywhere near defending their title.
There was expectation on the Hurricanes to defeat the Chiefs in Wellington last night – but probably more from within than from the outside.
The Chiefs had arrived following a surprise loss to the Crusaders and a bye and with a first-five in Damian McKenzie who is the best in the competition. Confidence was high in the Chiefs' camp and rightly so.
That the home side prevailed 36-23 with a combination of set piece excellence, nous and pure grit – not always qualities associated with a franchise who won their only title back in 2016 – proved they are not only the complete package but also a slightly surprise one under new coach Clark Laidlaw, the former sevens supremo.
Any predictions that the season-ending knee injury for Cam Roigard – the competition's form No. 9 and the Hurricanes' most influential player – will derail the franchise appear wildly off the mark.
TJ Perenara, back this season after a year off with his own injury issues, has responded to the challenge and adds a quality of backline leadership that other New Zealand sides, most notably the faltering Crusaders, would dearly love.
It was Perenara's second-half try which allowed the Hurricanes to come back from a six-point deficit and they never looked like losing from there. In general, their passing and more specifically offloading ability, appears unsurpassed in this competition.
On the other hand, in throwing away a three-point lead with time up on the clock to lose 43-40 to the Waratahs in extra time in Sydney, the Crusaders highlighted their baffling decision making which would have left coach Rob Penney wanting to tear his hair out after what should have been a triumphant return to a place where he was sacked in 2021.
It's not only a lack of backline leadership which is proving so costly, either. The normally tight defence is far too easy to prise apart, and their previously proud defensive mauling record appears to be well in the rearview mirror.
Sevu Reece had two tries in the first nine minutes and was creating havoc on the right but the Crusaders couldn't get the ball to him in the second half. But even the electric Reece was guilty of taking wrong options - including kicking the ball ahead when in a promising position after the break.
It's tempting to dwell on the naivity of replacement first-five Rivez Reihana, who should have allowed the clock to tick down before his late, and successful, conversion attempt of Christian Lio-Willie's try which put the Crusaders ahead 38-37 (Reihana's kick made it 40-37), but just as odd was Johnny McNicholl's decision to get into position for an intercept in the dying moments, only to knock the ball on, conceding a penalty and yellow card.
Had McNicholl, who touched the ball in the act of taking his hand away, used two hands, it would have been a knock-on and game over. Had he caught it, he would have been in under the posts - same result. Instead, despite being in a good position, he went for the worst of all worlds.
Will Harrison's match-tying penalty and match-winning dropped goal handed an extremely entertaining game to the Waratahs, 10 years after their Super Rugby championship victory over the Crusaders in Sydney.
Ethan Blackadder played well on his return from injury and Scott Barrett and Codie Taylor are due back in a fortnight, but, only halfway through, this season already appears to be write-off for the defending champions.
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