Crusaders in cruise control
A comprehensive 45-6 win over the Cheetahs saw the Crusaders easily cement their place at the top of the Super 14 standings.
Last Updated: 17/04/10 12:44pm
A comprehensive 45-6 win over the Cheetahs in Christchurch saw the Crusaders easily cement their place at the top of the Super 14 standings.
Despite missing the likes of superstar fly-half Dan Carter with a hip injury, the hosts ran in seven tries in a one-sided contest at AMI Stadium.
Number eight Thomas Waldrom crossed twice in a first half that saw the Crusaders pick up the four-try bonus point, with Ryan Crotty and Kahn Fotuali'I also touching down.
They added further tries from Sean Maitland, Ben Franks and Zac Guildford in the second spell while also keeping the Cheetahs scoreless.
The visitors' scrum was under enormous pressure for most of the match, with Waldrom's second try a pushover from a five-metre scrum.
Points
The Cheetahs got their points from fly-half Riaan Viljoen, who got the visitors on the board with a penalty before limping off injured, and Meyer Bosman, who kicked a late first-half penalty.
Fotuali'i kicked off the try-scoring with a good solo effort in the 11th minute before Crotty crossed the whitewash after sustained pressure by the Crusaders which saw Waldrom feature twice in the build-up to the try.
The big number eight then barrelled over from close range before the pushover try right on the stroke of half-time guaranteed the bonus point.
After missing a couple of early kicks, full-back Colin Slade found his range to convert three of the first-half tries as the Crusaders went into the break with a comfortable 26-6 lead.
It was 16 minutes into the second half before the Crusaders added their fifth try. Despite what appeared to be a knock-on by Tim Bateman in the build-up to the score, referee Jonathan White had no hesitation in giving it to Maitland, who was replaced shortly afterwards by Tu Umaga-Marshall.
Prop Ben Franks was then driven over before Guildford, who came on at the start of the second half for Jared Payne, dotted down by the posts for the Crusaders' seventh with just over 10 minutes to go.
The Cheetahs enjoyed the bulk of the possession in the closing stages and despite spending plenty of time of the Crusaders' 22 they could not make it count as the match fizzled to an end.
