Seta Scores In Crusaders Win

Fijian centre turned winger Seta Tamanivalu scored a try as Crusaders started their Super Rugby championship defence with a blowout 45-23 win over the Chiefs last night – but the New Zealand derby wasn’t without controversy.
With the game firmly in the balance at 26-23, the Crusaders were awarded a penalty try late in the match after a swinging arm from Lachlan Boshier caught a diving Ryan Crotty on the shoulder, before sliding up to the neck close to the line.
Referee Ben O’Keefe acknowledged that Boshier could do little else in attempting to make the try-saving tackle, but said he had no other option but to award the Crusaders a penalty try for the high tackle and send the defender to the sin bin.
PHYSIOTHERAPISTS
According to Rugby Heaven, the physiotherapists will have to work overtime to repair some badly bruised bodies after this brutal clash in Christchurch.
There were other inexplicable brain explosions, maybe a reflection of this still being so early in the season.
Crusaders rake Taylor may shake his head when he reviews the replay of his decision to take a quick penalty tap while hard on defence, and some early high shots by the Chiefs soon had O’Keeffe issuing them a warning.
The set-pieces were untidy for both sides. Chiefs tighthead prop Nepo Laulala earned his side a couple of scrum penalties in the first half, but the Crusaders were also dominant in the third quarter.
Hookers Nathan Harris and Codie Taylor struggled at times to land their darts on their designated targets – although the early loss of towering lock Dominic Bird hardly helped the Chiefs cause.
Ill-discipline by first five-eighth Damian McKenzie cost the Chiefs, who were playing into a southerly breeze, inside the first six minutes. A late shoulder charge by the playmaker guaranteed the Crusaders a penalty, and the home side struck off the subsequent lineout when flanker Matt Todd barrelled over off a ruck.
ROUGH PERIOD
So began a rough period of the game for McKenzie, as he blasted the restart over the touchline and later fired a pass that appeared to ping off Crusaders midfielder Ryan Crotty’s head and resulted in his first-five Mo’unga chasing the loose ball to score.
Poor decisions continued to dog both sides in that first spell.
Mo’unga, having done well to drag down Charlie Ngatai short of the line, was yellow carded for playing the ball in the ruck and then Chiefs lock Brodie Retallick conceded a penalty for using his massive frame to jolt David Havili after he had cleared for touch.
FIGHTING BACK
Despite being reduced to 14 men, the Crusaders were not to be flustered; they remained composed and kept the scoreboard rolling over when wing Tamanivalu finished off an attack to flop over in the right-hand pocket.
David Havili’s conversion gave the Crusaders a 19-3 lead, and it all looked too easy. That was until the Chiefs surged back in impressive style.
SCORERS
CRUSADERS– 45 (Matt Todd, Richie Mo’unga, Seta Tamanivalu, Sam Whitelock, George Bridge, Manasa Mataele tries; pen try, con; Mo’unga 3 con, David Havili con)
CHIEFS 23- (Sam Cane, Solomon Alaimalo tries; Damian McKenzie 2 con, 3 pen). HT: 19-17.
– LEONE CABENATABUA