Well, the Crusaders have done it after 9 long years for the ages! (Our last Crusade was in 2008 against the Waratahs until now) They have beaten the Lions in style at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg to complete the impossible, to finally win a Super Rugby title & to win away from home because the Lions hosted a home quarterfinal, semifinal & the final so here is the full match commentary of the 2017 Super Rugby final:
Welcome to Emirates Airlines Park in Johannesburg for the hugely anticipated Super Rugby final between clearly the 2 best sides in the competition on 2017 - it is the Lions at home to the Crusaders.
The Lions come into the decider with supreme confidence after climbing off the canvas last week against the Hurricanes with a powerful 2nd half. The home side has named an unchanged squad as they look to win their first ever Super Rugby title and give head coach Johan Ackermann the perfect sendoff.
It is a glorious late afternoon in Johannesburg - the skies are clear and the sun is shining so conditions will be near perfect for the 2017 Super Rugby final.
We are just minutes away from kick off as both sides make their way out onto Emirates Airlines Park in front of a sell out crowd of upwards of 60,000 fans.
The Crusaders have been virtually flawless throughout their 2017 campaign and will start with the same lineup as the one that dealt with the Chiefs in last week's semi-final. They have built their game around an almost impenetrable defence - but the men from Christchurch will need to bring their very best this afternoon if they are to claim their 8th Super Rugby title.
1ST MINUTE, 1ST HALF: The Crusaders kick off and we are underway in the final!
An early turnover for the Lions followed almost immediately by a penalty to the home side - with the resultant kick for touch, Elton Jantjies takes play up toward the Crusaders' 22.
2 MINUTES LATER: Ruan Combrinck launches a thumping kick for touch deep in Crusaders' territory however Israel Dagg has enough time to take the quick line out and clear the danger zone.
1 MINUTE LATER, MISS!: Elton Jantjies unloads a drop goal attempt from a slight angle however he has hooked the kick away to the right hand side and the flags stay down.
1 MINUTE LATER: We have a break in play with Richie Mo’unga flat out on his back and receiving treatment - he eventually manages to get to his feet and is all set to continue.
1 MINUTE LATER: The all-important 1st scrum feed of the match is awarded to the Lions - the honours are shared with the home side securing possession.
1 MINUTE LATER, TRY!: Crusaders (Seta Tamanivalu) 5-0 Crusaders
2 MINUTES LATER, CONVERSION!: Crusaders (Richie Mo’unga) 7-0 Crusaders
The Crusaders secure the turnover after Elton Jantjies was dumped in the tackle - Seta Tamanivalu emerges with the ball, puts his foot on the accelerator down the left hand touchline and there is simply no catching the explosive winger. The visitors have struck the first blow in the final!
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY!: Crusaders (Jack Goodhue) 12-0 Crusaders
2 MINUTES LATER, MISS!: After an excellent first strike, Richie Mo’unga has left his second conversion attempt out to the right.
1 MINUTE LATER: It is a dream start for the men from Christchurch! With outstanding precision, the Crusaders shift the ball quickly out to the left where they have created the overlap - Kieran Read hands the ball off to Jack Goodhue who drives low and hard to find the line.
2 MINUTES LATER: Troubling times for the Lions who once again find themselves pinned down deep inside their 22 - Israel Dagg attempts a dart toward the right hand corner flag but the winger has run out of space.
2 MINUTES LATER: A valuable penalty is awarded to the home side at scrum time - with the resultant kick, Ruan Combrinck relieves some pressure by finding touch near the Lions' 10m line.
2 MINUTES LATER: Courtnall Skosan spots some space down field however the winger will be disappointed with his kick which skews into touch off the side of his boot.
2 MINUTES LATER: After being shell shocked in the opening ten minutes, the Lions have managed to regain some composure and are starting to ask some questions of the Crusaders' defence - the home side will back themselves in to finish strongly in the second half as they did last week.
1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions have been penalised for offside virtually right on the half way line - David Havili will line up the posts from inside Crusaders' territory.
2 MINUTES LATER, MISS!: The penalty goal attempt from David Havili easily has the distance covered however he has pushed his kick narrowly out to the right and the flags stay down.
1 MINUTE LATER, PENALTY GOAL!: Lions (Elton Jantjies) 12-3 Crusaders
1 MINUTE LATER: Elton Jantjies thumps a long range penalty goal attempt straight between the uprights from right on the half way line - the Lions are on the scoreboard in the final.
1 MINUTE LATER: From deep inside the Lions' in-goal area, Ruan Combrinck clears his kick into touch however he hasn't got as much territory as he would have liked - there's still enormous pressure on the home side's defence.
2 MINUTES LATER: A much better clearance from Ruan Combrinck whose thumping touch finder takes play all the way up to the Lions' 10m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: An error from David Havili - the full back nudges the ball down field however there is too much weight on the kick which floats into touch on the full.
1 MINUTE LATER: Here is the best opportunity of the match so far for the Lions - they have a lineout just 5m out from the Crusaders' line.
1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions go very close but they are unable to break the Crusaders' line with the visitors awarded a crucial penalty on the last line of defence.
2 MINUTES LATER: Despite the scoreboard, the Lions have worked their way into in this match and have the momentum approaching the break - the home side has had 60% of the possession in this opening half.
2 MINUTES LATER: The Crusaders win a timely penalty at scrum time that will give the visitors a chance to relieve some pressure and apply some of their own approaching half time.
1 MINUTE LATER: We have a break in play with both David Havili and Kwagga Smith receiving treatment after a sickening head on clash. Though it was unintentional, the Lions' flanker could be in plenty of trouble here as Havili landed heavily after his legs were taken out from under him whilst he was airborne.
RED CARD!: After reviewing the replay, referee Jaco Peyper has little option but to hand Kwagga Smith a straight red-card for his challenge on David Havili - the Lions will have to play out the rest of this match with just 14 men.
2 MINUTES LATER, PENALTY GOAL: Crusaders (Richie Mo’unga) 15-3 Crusaders
Richie Mo’unga strikes truly with his penalty goal attempt from in front of the posts right on the stroke of half time.
HALF TIME: Fitting of a Super Rugby final, the first half in Johannesburg was action packed and filled with drama. The Crusaders scored the only two tries of the opening forty minutes and head to the rooms with a hard fought 15-3 lead over the Lions. The home side will take plenty of confidence from the fact that they came back from a similar position last week however, on this occasion, they will need to do it with just 14 men on the field after the sending off of Kwagga Smith.
41ST MINUTE, 2ND HALF: Elton Jantjies kicks off for the Lions to get the 2nd half underway!
A bright start from the Lions to the 2nd half however the Crusaders have won an early penalty after some excellent work at the breakdown from Matt Todd.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY!: Crusaders (Kieran Read) 20-3 Crusaders
1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION!: Crusaders (Richie Mo’unga) 22-3 Crusaders
1 MINUTE LATER: The Crusaders start the 2nd half in a similar fashion to the 1st! The visitors open up the Lions' defence with a chain of quick, precise passes allowing Kieran Read to crash through the line and score under the posts.
2 MINUTES LATER: A net territorial gain for the Crusaders with David Havili bouncing a perfectly weighted kick into touch right on the Lions' 22m line.
2 MINUTES LATER: A superb run from Ryan Crotty who fends off the would-be tackler and slices through the defensive line before driving deep inside Lions' territory.
4 MINUTES LATER, PENALTY GOAL!: Crusaders (Richie Mo’unga) 25-3 Crusaders
1 MINUTE LATER: From point blank range, Richie Mo’unga kicks his 2nd penalty goal to push the Crusaders' lead out beyond 3 converted tries.
1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions look to attack down the left hand side with space opening up for Courtnall Skosan however the winger is denied by a desperate Richie Mo’unga who lays the crucial tackle which forces the ball into touch.
3 MINUTES LATER: The home crowd finds its voice with the Lions on the attack deep inside the Crusaders' 22.
2 MINUTES LATER: Lionel Mapoe almost breaks through the defence but he has lost the ball forward in the tackle - the penalty advantage was being played however which will give the Lions a chance to have another crack.
1 MINUTE LATER: Thanks to a perfectly timed leap at the line out from Kieran Read, the Crusaders, pinned down on their own line, have crucially managed to pinch the Lions' line out ball.
1 MINUTE LATER: We are inside the last quarter of the 2017 Super Rugby final! The Crusaders are well in control on the scoreboard however the Lions are throwing absolutely everything at the visitors at the moment.
2 MINUTES LATER: The Lions have won consecutive penalties deep in Crusaders' territory - they simply must score from this attacking thrust if they are to have any chance of getting back into the contest.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY!: Lions (Malcolm Marx) 25-8 Crusaders
CONVERSION!: Lions (Elton Jantjies) 25-10 Crusaders
1 MINUTE LATER: It is game on in Johannesburg! After going desperately close on a couple of occasions, the Lions manage to sustain their attacking surge which allows Malcolm Marx to smash a path through the defence and score the crucial 5-pointer.
2 MINUTES LATER: The home crowd is at fever pitch at the moment - the Lions are dominating possession and territory and have all the momentum.
2 MINUTES LATER: So close for the Lions! Rohan Janse van Rensburg has the try line at his mercy however his desperate lunging attempt to score is spoiled and he has lost the ball forward in the tackle.
1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions continue to surge forward at every opportunity however the Crusaders' defence, for the moment at least, is holding all the aces.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY!: Lions (Corne Fourie) 25-15 Crusaders
1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION!: Lions (Elton Jantjies) 25-17 Crusaders
The Lions simply won't go away - with persistent and sustained attacking pressure, the home side wears down the Crusaders' defence which opens up the try line for Corne Fourie who crashes over! IT IS GAME ON IN JOBURG!
3 MINUTES LATER, PENALTY TO THE LIONS!: The crowd rises to its feet as the Crusaders are penalised for not releasing the ball right on half way - Elton Jantjies sends the resultant kick into touch inside the visitors' 22.
1 MINUTE LATER: Brilliant work at the line out from the Crusaders! Sam Whitelock wins a crucial turnover against the throw which will release some of the pressure which has been enormous from the Lions in this 2nd half.
1 MINUTE LATER: Faf de Klerk has been outstanding for the Lions since coming on as a substitute however he has crucially lost the ball forward here to gift possession to the Crusaders with just a little over a minute left to play.
1 MINUTE LATER, PENALTY TO THE CRUSADERS!: The Crusaders are awarded a penalty right on the half way liine and that will just about be the ball game with time virtually up on the clock.
AND IT IS ALL OVER! IT'S FULL TIME! (AND IT IS GAME OVER! IT'S OFFICIAL! THE MATCH WAS OVER! THE COMPETITION WAS OVER! THAT'S IT MAN! GAME OVER MAN! GAME OVER!) The Crusaders are the Super Rugby champions for 2017! Despite playing the 2nd half with a man down, the Lions threw everything at the visitors and scored 2 late tries to give themselves every chance but the men from Christchurch have confirmed their status as Super Rugby kings by claiming an incredible 8th title with a superbly executed 25-17 victory.
And what do I think of the game? It was a beauty, pure masterclass from the art & power of the Crusaders which made all the difference. But we have a Hulk such as the front row trio of Joe Moody, Codie Taylor & Owen Franks. And is anyone from the Crusaders such as coach Scott 'Razor' Robertson (He did a celebratory breakdance but why does he always do that whenever his team wins a competition like that? Come on baby (Light my fire), let's do the twist (Let's twist again)...I mean, do the Razor blade), captain Sam Whitelock (He is an absolute beast of a captain) & All Black captain Kieran Read (The incredible try scoring Number 8 (Numero Ocho) speaking Bat? Because is that what it sounds like? Oh god!
And the Gloucester bound departing Lions coach of Johann Ackermann is absolutely livid because of the red card to former Sevens player & openside flanker Kwagga Smith for that blatant aerial challenge cheap shot on Crusaders full back David Havili which cost them their chance of winning their 1st Super Rugby championship (They were cashing in on becoming the 10th different Super Rugby winner (Only 9 teams have won such as the Blues (1996-97, 2003), Crusaders (1998-2000, 2002, 2005-06, 2008 & 2017), Brumbies (2001, 2004), Bulls (2007, 2009-10), Reds (2011), Chiefs (2012-13), Waratahs (2014), Highlanders (2015) & the Hurricanes (Last year in 2016) but it wasn't to be the answer but sooner than expected).
And finally my last thoughts before I wrap this Super Rugby stuff up? Well, all good things in the 2017 Super Rugby season (Known as Personal Super Rugby in Argentina, Vodafone Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby here in New Zealand & of course...Vodacom Super Rugby in South Africa) must come to an end, but I wish I could even go a little longer...that is all folks! THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE! (I'm going to miss Super Rugby man, hehe, it's all over till another year, see you in February 2018 (Although the draw is yet to be revealed but only 15 teams will compete in next year's competition with the Cheetahs & Southern Kings have agreed to join the Pro 12 which is now Pro 14 but the Aussies haven't decided that either the Rebels or Western Force should be gone for next year) for another cracking of a ripper season of this great professional rugby competition).
So that is my 131st blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 51st this year, see ya then.
#SuperBoomBoom
Investec Super Rugby
P.S. And my cousin Paige has sent me an email so here is her message in it's entirety:
Hi Whetu,
Sorry I missed your last email. Tell Jensen I said Happy Birthday for Wednesday. I haven't actually met Jensen before.
What have you been up to this weekend?
Mums birthday is the 16th of March 😊
Yes we still need to organise a trip up to see you soon.
Hope your having a good day
Lots of love, Paige xx
And here is my birthday list that I wrote in the alphabetical order:
Ben Blain (My 2nd cousin): August 10th, 1988
Cathey Middelplaats (My biological aunty): March 16th, 1967
Diana Kent (My American friend all the way from Palatine, Illnois): June 21st, 1960
Gemma Ngapo (My 2nd cousin): October 17th, 1980
Hamilton Ngapo (My dad): June 5th, 1969
Henry Ngapo (Pops): July 5th, 1947
Huia Ngapo (My 2nd cousin): September 20th, 1986
Jansen Condon-Ngapo (My half brother): August 9th, 2003
Kathryn Ngapo (My grand aunty): January 23rd, 1960
Ken Branch (My English friend): February 4th, 1949
Paige Williams (My cousin): April 5th, 1994
Rejean Gatineau (My French Canadian friend & uncle in law): March 31st, 1962
Sophia Ong (My best friend from Penang in Malaysia): December 26th, 1989
Tania Ngapo (My aunty): June 10th, 1968
And the All Blacks squad for the 2017 Rugby Championship has been revealed with Julian Savea left out of the squad due to a lack of form (And don't worry, 'The Bus' has been parked), so too is Matt Todd who had been impressive with the Crusaders following their Super Rugby success so here's the full squad:
Forwards
Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington/Hurricanes, 49)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty/Chiefs, 8)
Ricky Riccitelli (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 0) *4
Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders, 19)
Props
Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury/Crusaders, 62)
Owen Franks (Canterbury/Crusaders, 94) *2
Kane Hames (Tasman/Chiefs, 1) *3 & *6
Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau/Chiefs, 4)
Atu Moli (Waikato/Chiefs, 0) *1 & *6
Joe Moody (Canterbury/Crusaders, 28) *2
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Wellington/Hurricanes, 1) *3
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Auckland/Blues, 4)
Locks
Scott Barrett (Taranaki/Crusaders, 8)
Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay/Chiefs, 64)
Luke Romano (Canterbury/Crusaders, 26)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland/Blues, 12) *8
Sam Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders, 88)
Loose forwards
Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty/Chiefs, 44)
Vaea Fifita (Wellington/Hurricanes, 1)
Blake Gibson (Auckland/Blues) *7
Akira Ioane (Auckland/Blues) *6
Jerome Kaino (Auckland/Blues, 74)
Kieran Read (Captain, Counties Manukau/Crusaders, 100)
Ardie Savea (Wellington/Hurricanes, 16)
Liam Squire (Tasman/Highlanders, 8)
Matt Todd (Canterbury/Crusaders, 8) *8
Backs
Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato/Chiefs, 25)
TJ Perenara (Wellington/Hurricanes, 33)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders, 62)
First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 53)
Lima Sopoaga (Southland/Highlanders, 7)
Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders, 27)
Ngani Laumape (Manawatu/Hurricanes, 2)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato/Chiefs, 13)
Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues, 36)
Outside backs
Jordie Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 2) *2
Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay/Crusaders, 65)
David Havili (Tasman/Crusaders, 0) *3
Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues, 4)
Nehe Milner-Skudder (Manawatu/Hurricanes, 8)
Waisake Naholo (Taranaki/Highlanders, 13)
Ben Smith (Otago/Highlanders, 62)
Utility back/Replacement
Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs, 2)
*1: Apprentice player
*2: Withdrawn due to injury
*3: Injury replacement player
*4: Called up as cover to Dane Coles
*5: Called up to the squad to replace Owen Franks
*6: Called up to the squad ahead of the 2nd round of the Championship
*7: Called up as cover to Sam Cane
*8: Added to the squad for the final 2 rounds
And finally Tom Walsh has won the gold medal in the men's shotput in London at the IAAF Athletics World Championships after an American competitor named Joe Kovacs threw over 22 metres but it was a ruled as a foul despite his protest - as he touched the top of the starboard.
No comments:
Post a Comment