Queensland’s Campaign Concludes as Noah Hotham’s Brilliance Secures Crusaders Victory in Super Rugby Pacific Final

This article was originally published on Stuff and is used with permission

A stroke of brilliance from Noah Hotham ignited the Crusaders’ journey to the Super Rugby Pacific semifinals, culminating in a decisive victory over the Reds in the inaugural qualifying final.

With a 32-12 triumph – marking their 30th home playoff victory – the Crusaders secured a home semi next week on a bone-chilling Friday night at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch.

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The halfback, Hotham, in exceptional form, capped off the five-try performance with a clever chip-and-chase effort in the 56th minute, unleashed by No.8 Christian Lio-Willie.

This pushed the Crusaders to a commanding 19-0 lead after earlier tries from All Blacks captain Scott Barrett and Williams.

Many fans sensibly opted for the comfort of their homes, choosing warmth over the chill, as 46 brave players took to the field in temperatures dipping to 5 degrees, the coldest Christchurch has seen since the 2012 match against Ireland.

Strategies were apparent prior to kickoff.

Both teams’ backs diligently practised kicking during the warm-up, leading to 38 kicks in play within the first half.

Heavy rainfall before the match resulted in a hard-fought contest, favouring the Crusaders’ strong set-piece.

The formidable All Black front row demonstrated their power by winning three scrum penalties in the first half.

Crusaders’ supporters were disappointed to see Williams leave the field, but the Reds would have seen it as a stroke of luck. However, the same strong performance continued when George Bower stepped in.

The Reds came close to taking the lead early on when centre Josh Flook broke through the Crusaders’ defensive line from a scrum in his half, and a quick dart from Tate McDermott brought the Queenslanders within five metres of the try-line, only to see a costly knock-on interrupt their momentum.

Barrett was tenacious, making a strong run to relieve pressure near his own line, claiming a couple of early lineouts, and scoring the first try.

After Reds lock Josh Canham took a lineout throw close to his line, Fraser McReight fumbled the transfer, allowing Barrett to seize the opportunity. A video replay confirmed the grounding, with Barrett showing no signs of doubt.

The early 5-0 lead galvanised the Crusaders, prompting them to forgo a kick at goal after a penalty near the edge of the 22.

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Instead, they opted for a lineout and were rewarded when Williams drove over after a well-executed maul.

The Crusaders’ defence, spearheaded by the dynamic Ethan Blackadder, Tom Christie, and Lio-Willie, was relentless.

Just before halftime, they denied the Reds after a 5m scrum, leading to a missed opportunity as the resulting counter-attack ended with James O’Connor kicking the ball dead in-goal.

Reihana returned for the second half after passing his head injury assessment (HIA).

Blackadder, who was imposing on both sides of the game, almost extended the lead, while Codie Taylor was forced into touch following a clever set piece from Lio-Willie.

With Hotham’s impressive try, followed by a penalty and another try from Reihana, the game was well in hand, even after the Reds managed to cut the deficit twice through Josh Nasser and vice-captain McReight while Blackadder was serving a yellow card.