Wow, watched the game on tele. The collision zone was epic. Both teams were driving each other back in defense however the difference was the Crusaders were able to absorb that defensive pressure and made inroads when they could whilst the Stormers just cracked under the defensive pressure and handed the ball back to Crusaders.
I agree with stormer2010, the Stormers were playing too much rugby on their half of the field. Whilst when ever Crusaders were inside their 22m they would kick it not necessarily out but down the field to allow the Stormers to attack from the back. They lacked attacking potency. Francois Louw was the man for the Stormers, he made so many turnovers. However they came mostly in the 2nd half when a lot of the damage was already done.
Zac Guilfords try saving tackle on Jaque Fourie was probably the turning point in the game. Even if they did score the try, there was still some work to be done, but you never what could have happen, so thats why I think it was a turning point. Another thing to note is that when points were on offer when the score line was 16-3 in the first half, they went for touch. I think that was a wrong call, they should have gone for the points.
Somewhat a dissapointing end to the Stormers season - I don't think they were completely outplayed, Crusaders created a lot more opportunities to score however they were snuffed by the Stormers defense. Stormers were out passioned.
As for the Crusaders, they face a tough challenge in Brisbane against the dazzling Reds. It is a tough prospect containing the Quade Cooper let alone the Reds. He is a freak, however I don't think Crusaders will give the free reign that the Blues gave him. It will be interesting to see what kind of tactics the Crusaders will use. I wonder if they will do what they did to the Stormers, by kicking the ball downfield and letting them run. Personally I think they should instead of running the ball from their end of the field. Kicking the ball to the Reds and asking them to run back will require a solid defensive line and I think the Crusaders possess that.
Great summary of the game there. I too was very surprised that the Stormers didn't take the shot at goal when they were down 16-3. It was a bit symptomatic of the way the Stormers played once they got behind: rather than play the percentages and try to grind their way back into the game they tried to go for a 'quick-fix' option, which was always going to be difficult against the Crusaders defense.
Did Schalk Brits get up to much?
The updates I was reading said he almost got into a fight pretty much as soon as he came onto the pitch, but that was it
I thought Brits made quite a big impact when he came on. He was probably the most dangerous Stormers forward in the second half, breaking the line couple of times. He gave a offload to Louw that would have lead to a try to Fourie if Guildford hadn't made an outstanding try saving tackle. I think he looked as good as a loosie as he does as a hooker.
Overall a very good win for the Crusaders, set up by their strong defense. Not only were they stopping the Stormers from breaching the defensive line, but at times were driving them back as well. Once the Crusaders got in front (through what was admittedly a lucky intercept) they just keep the pressure on, and it never looked like the Stormers would come back.
The front row was again a key for the Crusaders. Not only were they all over the pitch making big hits and turning over the ball, but they also dominated the Stormers scrum. They forced a couple of scrum turnovers, and even when the Stormers did get the ball back from the scrum they were under pressure; if anyone thinks the scrum is not longer important in the modern game they really need to watch this match! I thought Corey Flynn probably had his best game of the year; he is really pushing hard for inclusion in the AB's squad this year. Sam Whitelock looked like he is back to his best at the right time of the season. He was great in the lineout, even stealing a couple of Stormers throws, and he everywhere around the field in both attack and defence. The Crusaders loose-trio did their job as a combination, but none really stood out as individuals. Keiran Read did do a good job collecting nearly all the kick-offs though.
Khan Fotuali'i had a good game after replacing Ellis early, he distributed well, and his defence was outstanding at times. My only slight criticism of him was that he box-kicked a couple of times of turnover ball when it looked like the Stormers would have been stretched if the ball had been spun wide. Carter was quiet again. He made his tackles, and kicked well for goal, but we haven't seen much of his running game this season... hopefully he is saving it for the RWC! SBW was well-contained (apart from the brilliant offload for Fruean's try), but I thought Fruean had his best game since early in the season, bouncing off numerous tackles. Maitland took his try well, but was quiet otherwise. I think he was very lucky with his try too; he ran out of the line very early and basically just stood in the Stormers line while Koster passed him the ball. If Koster had thrown a short pass, or thrown it over Maitland's head the Crusaders were in big trouble with Maitland so far out of the defensive line. Guildford again had a strong game. He was looking for work all game, and though he didn't make any clean breaks, he made several half-breaks. He cover defence tackle of Fourie was outstanding, especially considering he came from the other side of the field to pull it off.
I thought Louw was the pick of the Stormers forwards. He was solid in defense all night, and pulled of 2-3 clean pilfers in the second half. I would definately find a spot for him in the Boks RWC squad. Bekker and Elstadt both had pretty good games too, both having big work-rates around the field. Koster had a mixed game. He is certainly very dangerous with the ball in hand, and has a big work-rate, but he made few mistakes; I think he really needs to focus on being a loose-forward, as he has all the tools to be a very good 8. I thought Schreuder did an ok job at halfback, and Grant was solid at 10. The Stormers backline in general struggled to breach the Crusaders defense though. Habana again tried very hard; he made a few mistakes, but was probably the most dangerous of the Stormers backs, and was rewarded with a try.
Finally a comment on the ref. I don't tend to comment much on refs, but I thought Craig Joubert was superb. It wasn't just that he made he made the right decisions (which he generally did), it was the brilliant way he communicated with the players that really impresses me. He is very consistent, and he leaves the players in no doubt about what the situation is.
