Blues vs Crusaders

2022 - 6 - 18

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Post cover — Image courtesy of "Rugby.com.au"

LIVE: Blues and Crusaders face off in Super Rugby Pacific Final (Rugby.com.au)

The Blues and Crusaders will battle it out to crown the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific champion.

Coverage will be live and ad-free on Stan Sport, slated to start at 4:30 pm with kickoff expected at 5:05 pm. The Blues' clash with the Crusaders will be shown LIVE on Stan Sport and the Nine Network. The Blues and Crusaders will battle it out to crown the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific champion.

Live updates: Blues v Crusaders Super Rugby Pacific final (1 News)

Join us as the Blues and Crusaders play for the Super Rugby Pacific title at Eden Park in Auckland.

Barrett kicks for touch and the Blues have a lineout 10m inside the Crusaders half. Another sloppy Blues lineout and the Crusaders win it again. Crusaders clear off the restart and the Blues lose another lineout on halfway. Crusaders throw it back in quickly and capitalise on the unsettled Blues defence. Crusaders work a backline move after settling from the dropout and it finishes with a grubber for the corner. With a second penalty the Blues get a lineout 10m inside the Crusaders half. Mo'unga kicks for touch and it's a Crusaders lineout 10m inside the Blues half. After losing yet another lineout, the Blues get another chance to correct it with a poor Crusaders clearance. The feed is clean, it comes to the backline and now it's the Blues' turn for a knock on. Beauden Barrett kicks for touch and it's a Blues lineout on the Crusaders 10m line. Somehow the Blues deny the Crusaders again! Crusaders kick it deep shortly after the restart and the Blues bundle the recovery.

Super Rugby final live: Crusaders crush Blues' dreams (New Zealand Herald)

The players have been revealed for the Super Rugby final at Eden Park. Video / NZ Herald / Getty / Ben Cummins / Supplied. NZ Herald.

Handling in contact from the Blues was also poor. Some of those issues can be attributed to Sam Whitelock and Scott Barrett but it was also symptomatic of the Blues wilting under finals pressure. The Blues were fortunate not to turn further than 13-0 behind at halftime. The only surprise of Soane Vikena replacing Blues hooker Kurt Eklund early in the second half was that it took so long. They held the ball, dictated terms and took their chances. Six titles in six years.

Crusaders defeat Blues to claim Super Rugby Pacific championship (RNZ)

The Crusaders have won the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific title, beating the Blues 21-7 at Eden Park.

It's a tough one to swallow." "We didn't fire a shot in the first half and we knew we needed to come up with some solutions," said Barrett. The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with the Crusaders finding themselves in the Blues 22 for extended periods of time.

Blues player ratings in 21-7 Super Rugby Pacific final defeat to ... (Stuff.co.nz)

OPINION: The writing was on the wall when the first lineout throw went astray, as the Blues' game-breakers got no platform to work with.

A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment. Injected at start of second half for three-minute cameo, then returned for good a few minutes later. Injected in 45th minute to sort the lineout, then after calling his first one, saw it sail over his head. Hammered backwards at scrum, then didn’t do a great halfback impersonation which led to the match-winning Sevu Reece try. But didn’t take long to become a victim as well. Soane Vikena: At least got his first throw on target – if not long and over the back. Alex Hodgman: Held up his side of the scrum, took a couple of carries and gave a nice pass. Josh Goodhue: Coach-killing ball spill in dying stages of the first half, as Crusaders pounced for a penalty and got down the other end for the opening try. Saved the day on tryline with penalty over the ball, and made a game-high 26 tackles in a hefty team tally of 216, but couldn’t get x-factor game going in bumbling Blues attack. Finlay Christie: The one ray of light amidst the gloom. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: Strong defensively as the Blues were put under the pump in the first half.

Crusaders player ratings vs Blues | Super Rugby Pacific Final (RugbyPass)

The Crusaders have done it again, securing another Super Rugby title. Who were the best players in their final victory of the season over the Blues?

On at 58 and a delivered great scrum in the 65th minute to stop the Blues momentum. With the burly centre showing some weakness on the outside break, some pundits were predicting Jack was in for a tough day against the pacey Rieko Ioane. At the end of the day, Goodhue thoroughly outplayed his opposite, wrapping him up and even bumping him off in 12th minute. You can count on the Puma at the collision and he played a big part in the dominance in the first half in contact. Kicked a smooth drop goal in the 14th minute and then mopped up some dodgy Crusaders play in the 75th minute at the back of the lineout. Showed his rugby brain with a delightful 50:22 in the 15th minute and a full-throttled charge seconds later. Made a good burst in the 43rd minute and the secured shutdown of the match in the 74th minute with the turnover on Rieko Ioane when the Blues were desperate on attack. Unlucky to be denied in the 16th, he definitely got the ball down, there was just doubt in how long it took him to touch the turf. Penalised in 55th for a reaction to a physical tackle from Soane Vikena on Sevu Reece, but he shut down the Bryce Heem attack at the next lineout to make amends. It was like the Blues froze in his presence, the lineout guru who creates the shakes! They choked the Blues lineout supply and camped in the red zone in the first half with territory stats at over 70 per cent and possession in the 60s. He loves to roll up his sleeves and get into the tough stuff. Solid at the scrum against Nepo Laulala who’s been in good set-piece form and always up for a one-off run.

Blues player ratings vs Crusaders | Super Rugby Pacific Final (RugbyPass)

The Blues have fallen at the last hurdle, going down to the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific final. Who were their best performers on the night?

On in 54th minute. On in 54th minute. Off in 78th minute. On in 54th minute. Off in 45th minute. Off in 45th minute. Struggled to get the ball in any space and was well wrapped up in the narrow channels. Wasn’t able to add much more in the second spell. Came out second best in the battle of the All Blacks first fives. Off in 54th minute. Traded blows with Pablo Matera early doors and got stuck in on defence in the early stages of the game but wasn’t able to add much impact at the breakdown. One of the quietest matches we’ve seen from Ioane in recent seasons.