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Brave Blues slump to another defeat as Richie Mo'unga masterclass sees Crusaders prevail

May 19, 2018
Jordan Taufua against the Blues

Relive all of the action from the Crusaders' 32-24 victory over the Blues at Eden Park, Auckland.

FULLTIME: Blues 23 Crusaders 32

Rieko Ioane breaks again! Havili gets back to save a certain try and the Crusaders have turned it over! Again the Crusaders look to recycle the ball. Tamanivalu runs as the siren goes in the background.

Drummond goes back to Mo'unga, who boots the ball into touch to seal the Crusaders' win.

77 mins: Blues 24 Crusaders 32

SBW kicks through for Leger but only manages to give the Crusaders the ball back. Tamanivalu charges through. Drummond kicks over the top and Collins returns fire for the Blues.

Mo'unga gets the ball and somehow steps through everyone to score! Referee says try, but wants to check upstairs. Has he dropped the ball? The TMO says he has! No try the call!

75 mins: Blues 24 Crusaders 32

The Crusaders have a scrum, looking to slow down the play as much as they can going into the final 10 minutes.

Crockett runs from the scrum as the forwards look to pick and go, but Papalii wins a penalty after Crockett doesn't release. Perofeta goes deep with the kick. Blues lineout.

68 mins: Blues 24 Crusaders 32

Mitch Hunt comes on and instantly has a break, he looks for Mo'unga back inside him, but he can't hang on to give the Blues a scrum. Mataele has left the field in pain. Ruru feeds the scrum and the Blues look to go forward, but Papalii is called for offside!

64 mins: Blues 24 Crusaders 32

TRY!!  Havili has the ball and makes a run from inside his own half, Ruru wins the turnover for the Blues though! SBW has a go but is takcled. Rieko Ioane breaks through once again! He gets the pass back inside to Collins who races away to score! Rieko Ioane doing it all for the Blues at the moment!

Perofeta with the kick from the left, but he's missed again. 

60 mins: Blues 19 Crusaders 32

Crockett does well to win a penalty against Tu'ungafasi! Mo'unga takes the shot at goal but he can't hit the target. Blues will have the restart.

57 mins: Blues 19 Crusaders 32

Perofeta claims a high ball before getting smashed by Bridge and the Blues go to Collins who slices through! He gets the pass to Akira Ioane, before looking for Martin who spills it! Wasted opportunity for the Blues as the Crusaders return to their full quota.

54 mins: Blues 19 Crusaders 32

Penalty!  The Crusaders looking to hold the ball until they're back to 15 men. Goodhue is clobbered by SBW, but the Blues star doesn't roll away to give the Crusaders a penalty. Todd points to the posts and Mo'unga will have a shot.

Mo'unga has no issue with the kick. Two minutes left in the bin for Strange too.

50 mins: Blues 19 Crusaders 29

TRY!!  The Blues feed another scrum and SBW gets the ball at first receiver. The Blues camped on the Crusaders' line now. Moulds goes at the line but is tackled. Perofeta goes wide and Rieko Ioane dives in to score in the corner! Two tonight for him.

Perofeta with the kick, and Mataele charges early. The first kick misses, but he'll get another go at this one. He makes no mistake this time as the Blues cut the Crusaders' lead to 10.

46 mins: Blues 12 Crusaders 29

Yellow card!  The Crusaders win the lineout, but knock the ball on in the process. Blues scrum and the Crusaders' front row collapses again! Wyatt Crockett having a shocker opposite Tu'ungafasi. The Blues opt for the lineout again, Moulds throws and the Blues forwards bring it down.

Perofeta throws wide to Collins, who passes back inside to Nanail, but the Blues lose it. The referee wants to check for foul play after Kaino was tipped in the tackle. This could be a card, and it is! Strange is given 10 in the bin.

44 mins: Blues 12 Cruaders 29

Pulu clears and Havili spills the high ball! The Blues will have an attacking scrum just over halfway. Pulu feeds but the Crusaders' front row collapses, Perofeta finds the corner and the Blues will have a lineout.

41 mins: Blues 12 Crusaders 29

We're back underway as Perofeta kicks off to start the second half.

HALFTIME: Blues 12 Crusaders 29

The siren goes as the Blues give away a penalty and the Crusaders go for the lineout to end the half.

Taylor throws and Barrett claims. They drive again as the ball goes out the back for Franks. The maul goes up towards the five metre line before Bryn Hall peels off the back and scores against his old side! Ruthless from the Crusaders!

Mo'unga with the final say in the first half, and he's got it. 

39 mins: Blues 12 Crusaders 22

TRY!! The Blues grab a try back before the break! The forwards do brilliantly to recycle the ball, before SBW splits the Crusaders' defence. He makes a run upfield before getting the pass back inside to Rieko Ioane who goes over to score! The referee checks upstairs, but it's not for the try, it's for foul play on Parsons from Owen Franks.

Perofeta lines up the kick and bangs it straight between the uprights, Blues trail by 10.

36 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 22

Matt Duffie has failed his concussion test and won't be back tonight as the Blues have a scrum. Pulu feeds and they look to go forward. Goodhue is penalised for hands in the ruck and the Blues opt for the lineout.

Parsons throws straight over the top and Codie Taylor's there to steal it. The Crusaders look to go again but Kaino turns the ball over. Parsons breaks through before finding Leger inside him but the centre kicks and loses it.

Mo'unga clears the ball into touch. Parsons leaves the field now for a concussion test. Matt Moulds on in his place.

31 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 22

TRY!!  The Blues give away a penalty for a high tackle by Kaino and the Crusaders take the lineout. Taylor throws and Taufua starts the drive! The referee has the arm out, before calling the penalty. Crusaders lineout once again.

The Crusaders drive again from the lineout and they've scored again! Matt Todd the scorer this time.

Mo'unga with his fourth kick of the night, and he's missed! 

28 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 17

Duffie now leaves the field for a concussion test, Michael Collins takes his place to make his awaited return from injury. The Crusaders have a scrum and Goodhue runs at first receiver again. Hall clears into touch and the Blues have a lineout.

24 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 17

There's a nasty landing for Duffie, after contesting a high kick with Mataele. The Blues' fullback is staying down. The referee checks upstairs for foul play, but there's nothing in the challenge from Mataele, just bad luck. Duffie looks like he's staying on for now.

23 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 17

TRY!!  The Crusaders take the scrum right in front of the posts. Hall feeds, and they have to reset. Hall feeds again and Goodhue has the ball at first receiver. Scott Barrett goes close before being tackled, but Quinton Strange picks and goes and the Crusaders are in again!

Mo'unga with the kick from in front, and he's not missing from there, Crusaders ahead by 12.

19 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 10

The Crusaders go close! George Bridge bursts down the wing, before getting the ball back inside to Hall. Mo'unga tries the crossfield kick out to Mataele, on as a sub for Crotty, but it's just got too much on it. The ref goes back for a penalty against the Blues for offside.

16 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 10

Penalty!  The referee plays the advantage in the Crusaders' favour, but the visitors want to take the points from right in front. Richie Mo'unga lines up the kick and has no trouble.

11 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 7

Bad news for the Crusaders and the All Blacks, Ryan Crotty's gone off with what appears to be a head knock. The Blues have a scrum and Pulu fires away a kick off the back. Great pressure from the Crusaders' pack.

8 mins: Blues 5 Crusaders 7

TRY!!  The Blues attack now as Perofeta tries a kick over the top. Goodhue claims, he passes back to Mo'unga who kicks, but the Blues have charged it down. The ball goes wide to Rieko Ioane, who beats everyone before getting an offload away back inside to Duffie, who goes over to score in the corner!

He pushes his first kick of the night away to the left of the uprights. Crusaders' lead cut to just two.

4 mins: Blues 0 Crusaders 7

TRY!! The Crusaders strike first! Havili claims a high ball, before getting the ball to Mo'unga, who goes wide to Goodhue out on the wing. Goodhue stabs a kick through and George Bridge is the first to it. He makes the most of the conditions and slides over for the opening try of the night.

Mo'unga with the kick from out on the left wing, and he shapes it back beautifully!

2 mins: Blues 0 Crusaders 0

Lineout for the Crusaders. Taylor throws, and Queintin Strange claims it. Taufua has a run before the ball goes back to Mo'unga, who clears. Blues lineout.

KICKOFF: Blues 0 Crusaders 0

We're away! Richie Mo'unga gets things going and straight away SBW gathers, before being taken down by Goodhue. The ball goes back to Pulu who clears.

7:34pm

Augie Pulu leads the Blues out now, a good turn out from the Auckland faithful despite the horrible weather!

7:33pm

Matt Todd leads the Crusaders out onto the field first, rain now falling heavily.

7:28pm

It's a wet and horrible night in Auckland, with both sides now back in the sheds after their warm-ups. Kick off not far away!

PRE MATCH

Looking for their seventh straight win over the Blues, the defending champion Crusaders head to Auckland on a high, having come back from 29-0 down to defeat the Waratahs last week.

The Blues meanwhile, are seeking their first win over a fellow New Zealand side, having gone 16 matches without doing so.

All eyes will be on the number eights tonight, with the Blues' Akira Ioane and the Crusaders' Jordan Taufua both vying for a spot in Steve Hansen's All Blacks squad announced tomorrow.

The last time these two sides met, the Blues raced to a 21-3 lead, before a second half masterclass saw the Crusaders emerge winners 33-24 in Christchurch.

TEAMS

Blues : 15. Matt Duffie, 14. Melani Nanai, 13. Orbyn Leger, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 11. Rieko Ioane, 10 .Stephen Perofeta, 9. Augustine Pulu (c), 8. Akira Ioane, 7. Dalton Papalii, 6. Jerome Kaino, 5. Matiaha Martin, 4. Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 2. James Parsons, 1. Pauliasi Manu.

Replacements : 16. Matt Moulds, 17. Ross Wright, 18. Sione Mafileo, 19. Ben Nee-Nee, 20. Murphy Taramai, 21. Jonathan Ruru, 22. Dan Kirkpatrick, 23. Michael Collins.

Crusaders : 15. David Havili, 14. Seta Tamanivalu, 13. Jack Goodhue, 12. Ryan Crotty, 11. George Bridge, 10. Richie Mo'unga, 9. Bryn Hall, 8. Jordan Taufua, 7. Matt Todd (c), 6. Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, 5. Quinten Strange, 4. Scott Barrett, 3. Owen Franks, 2. Codie Taylor, 1. Tim Perry.

Replacements : 16. Andrew Makalio, 17. Wyatt Crockett, 18. Michael Alaalatoa, 19. Mitchell Dunshea, 20. Pete Samu, 21. Mitchell Drummond, 22. Mitchell Hunt, 23. Manasa Mataele.

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