Crusaders captain Ryan Crotty has admitted that they lost their game in the first half of their 16-9 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington.
The Crusaders managed to stay on top of the New Zealand conference standings despite the loss as they picked up a losing bonus point from the result but they will be under pressure in their remaining matches.
In the other matches, the Waratahs moved to the top of the standings after beating the Brumbies 39-8 while the Blues beat the Western Force 40-14 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
