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We'll give them a better run for their money next Friday
Friday January 12 2007
http://www.planet-rugby.com/News/story_56297.shtml
'It was a good start for us'
It took the Crusaders 14 minutes to score their first points, but once the defending Super 14 champions got going they cruised to a 78-0 victory over a Regional XV in their first pre-season outing in Greymouth on Friday. The Crusaders scored 12 unanswered tries in front of 2500 people.
Despite fielding 16 players who were enjoying their first experience of wearing the famous red-and-black jersey, the Crusaders shook off the summer cobwebs to string together some quality phases en-route to the route.
While the score might indicate a mismatch, the Regional side had its moments and certainly tested the Super 14 side out in some areas, giving the Crusaders coaching staff plenty of pointers to take back to the training paddock.
Wider training group hooker Steve Fualau scored the first try of the game, in the 14th minute, and it was to the credit of the Regional XV players that they were able to bottle the Crusaders up for large periods of time.
For all of their endeavour, however, the composite side was simply out-classed on the occasions when the Crusaders found the accuracy they were seeking, which resulted in a number of tries being scored after periods of sustained continuity in attack.
While Fualau's try opened the scoring, it was just 12-0 at the end of the first quarter of the match, after New Zealand Sevens winger Nick Thomson had gassed down the sideline to finish off a Crusaders' break out from defence.
A third wider training group member, winger Steven Yates, grabbed the third try of the afternoon, before former Greymouth schoolboy Tim Bateman capped off a memorable return home when he scored following a break out of defence by Thomson.
The Crusaders' centre's try was the fourth of the five his side scored in the first half, with the last of them also coming after a quick turnover in possession when Rua Tipoki jinked his way over following some quick thinking from halfback Kahn Fotuali'i.
Despite the 33-0 half-time advantage, the Regional XV was able to remain competitive in the third quarter by replacing its entire personnel.
The Crusaders too, changed three-quarters of their side, as coach Robbie Deans took the opportunity to run through his playing options.
The wholesale Crusaders changes, coupled with the reinforcement of an entirely fresh playing group for the Regional XV, resulted in the game stagnating during the third quarter, which saw the Super 14 side add just one try to its tally.
That try went to centre Casey Laulala, who used brute force to bust a way through the defence, and then kept up a good fend long enough to hold the would be defenders at bay to post his side's sixth try.
Laulala scored again during a frantic final quarter where the Crusaders really asserted their authority: doubling their try tally to blow out to a 78-0 final scoreline.
Hooker Ti'i Paulo started the scoring off within a minute of the resumption of play, to be followed by tries from Scott Hamilton, Laulala, lock Ross Filipo, fullback Brent Ward and blindside flanker Michael Paterson.
Many of the tries were run in from long range, with the Crusaders finding greater continuity late in the match against a visibly tiring defence.
"It was a good start for us. While the score blew out at the end, the regional players didn't at any stage throw in the towel and continued to challenge us," Crusaders coach Robbie Deans said.
"I was delighted about that. We came across [to Greymouth] looking for a good work out and they gave us that. It put our guys under pressure at time and they will learn a lot from that experience. We now have a starting point which we need to build from heading into our second warm up game in Melbourne next week."
Perhaps even more pleasingly for Deans, the Crusaders will report for training on Monday with a full muster, having come through their opening outing of the year unscathed.
"That's a major plus," Deans said.
"Injuries are a part of the game, but while there will be a few bumps and bruises, we look to have come through without any significant damage which is pleasing."
The Crusaders head to Australia on Thursday ahead of the match against the Western Force at Melbourne's MC Labour Park next Friday.
The scorers:
For the Crusaders:
Tries: Laulala 2, Fualau, Paterson, Yates, Bateman, Ward, Paulo, Thomson, Hamilton, Tipoki, Filipo
Cons: Brett 4, Pisi 4
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