James O’Connor Secures Victory with Last-Minute Penalty for Crusaders

The Blues were hoping for just their second win in Christchurch since 2004, but instead were dealt a crushing blow to their title defence by O’Connor’s last-gasp effort.

Kudos to the Crusaders’ forwards for setting the stage for O’Connor’s heroics, earning a scrum penalty by dominating the Blues in the set piece, a decision quickly acknowledged by referee Nic Berry.

Despite the table-topping Crusaders managing only 107 metres with the ball, they scored three tries and secured their seventh victory of the season.

Conversely, the Blues, who dominated possession and territory throughout, will regret their decision to turn down several goal attempts in the first half, failing to convert chances against a staunch Crusaders defence.

The hosts received a standout performance from No.8 Christian Lio-Willie, who scored, pinched a critical lineout, and earned two significant penalties at breakdowns.

The Crusaders built on their early lead, with an impressive 19-7 advantage at one stage in the second half, following Lio-Willie’s try from a rolling maul shortly after the break.

However, after successfully defending against multiple assaults inside their 22, the Crusaders faltered, unable to clear and retain possession.

Blues No.8 Hoskins Sototu broke through first before delivering a spectacular behind-the-back pass to set up midfielder AJ Lam.

In a flash, two tries in just six minutes levelled the scores at 19-19, before the teams exchanged penalties, once again drawing level with just 13 minutes remaining.

This set the stage for a tense finish, culminating in a crucial knock-on that led to a scrum for the Crusaders, who had previously given the Blues a tough time.

Unlike the exciting shoot-outs that defined early competition matches on dry pitches, this match epitomised a different, gritty rugby style.

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The drizzle made for an old-school, physical contest that highlighted the importance of solid set pieces and effective kicking.

The wet conditions also made handling challenging, making it a tough day for wingers not willing to put in the hard yards.

While the Blues had shown great strength last year, this match was a scrum battle, and only the Crusaders truly mastered that art.

It took just under two minutes for the Crusaders to capitalise on an early obstruction penalty against Rieko Ioane, with prop Tamaiti Williams marking his milestone 50th game with a try following a close rolling maul.

After levelling the score at 7-7, the Crusaders struck again just before and after half-time, including a try from Will Jordan a mere three minutes after the hooter, which followed repeated penalties against the visitors trying to withstand the Crusaders’ powerful rolling mauls.

With a 19-7 lead, the Crusaders will reflect on missed opportunities to secure a more decisive victory, acknowledging the role of errors in allowing the Blues back into the match.

Nonetheless, they secured the win and will head to Dunedin to face the Highlanders next week, knowing they currently sit atop the table.