Christchurch: Centre Ryan Crotty scored a brace of tries and Dan Carter ran riot as the Canterbury Crusaders demolished the Queensland Reds 38-9 in Christchurch yesterday to storm into Super Rugby’s semi-finals.
Crotty combined with Carter in a glittering partnership to score a try in each half, and the New Zealand flyhalf helped himself to another as the home side tore the Reds’ defence to shreds on a chilly night at AMI stadium.
Winger Tom Marshall scored a fourth try as the Crusaders set up a last-four showdown with either the defending champion Chiefs in Hamilton or the Bulls in South Africa.
Carter, in majestic form at the business end of the season, came off 10 minutes early after a dominant 20-point game, shortly after the crowd welcomed back All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, who came off the bench for his first Super Rugby appearance this season after a long sabbatical.
The Crusaders’ next opponents will be decided by the second qualifying final today, when the ACT Brumbies host the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs in Canberra.
A win for the Brumbies would send them to South Africa to face the Bulls in the semi-finals, leaving the Crusaders to face the Chiefs in Hamilton. If the Cheetahs manage an upset, they would go to New Zealand while the Crusaders would make the long trip to Pretoria.
The Crusaders, seeking a record eighth title in the short history of the southern hemisphere competition, will have little reason to fear whoever they face next weekend, having smashed both the Chiefs and Bulls during the regular season.
The Reds defeated the Crusaders for their maiden Super Rugby title in 2011, and came into the match talking tough about breaking a win drought in Christchurch dating back to 1999.
Within 11 minutes they trailed 10-0, and headed into the halftime beak down 21-6, demoralised after being smashed at the breakdown and cut to pieces by the Crusaders’ jet-heeled backs.
The visitors’ scoring was confined to three penalty goals to New Zealand-born Quade Cooper, who was jeered by the Christchurch crowd with every touch of the ball and completely outclassed by opposing flyhalf Carter. REUTERS
