The Crusaders won all the big calls from the refs at Eden Park against the Blues on Saturday night, including a truly bizarre final lineout non‑decision.
According to a NZ Hearld report, the cynical Crusaders got away with murder against the Blues.
It says that they will have laughed their way home, with coach Scott Robertson's likeable persona helping hide the ugly truth about how they played and what they got away with.
The report says that the last lineout was an absolute doozy. The ball was heading towards the Crusaders backline. Lock Luke Romano had to reach way back, towards his own goal line, to haul it in.
The Herald reports that there's no major argument over the legitimacy of the two Crusaders penalty tries awarded by Nick Briant...except to say this.
If it had been Fiji on attack against the All Blacks at Eden Park, involving the exact same scenarios, both those tries would very likely not have been given.
It says sometimes great teams can hold sway with referees directly.
Crusaders prop Joe Moody — who gets the writer’s vote as the dirtiest bloke in New Zealand rugby — looked like he deliberately stood on Akira Ioane and nothing happened.
Crusaders loosie Jordan Taufua tackled Josh Goodhue off the ball, when the Blues lock was trying to support a break, and nothing happened.
The Crusaders were repeatedly cynical on defence without appropriate punishment. Wing Manasa Mataele got away with thrusting a hand at a Blues pass.
The Crusaders take on the Hurricanes at 6.35pm this Saturday.
[Source: NZ Herald]
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