Crusaders hold out against Cats

The Crusaders had a harder time than expected in beating the Cats 40-36 at Jade Stadium in wet Christchurch on Saturday evening. The teams got a bonus point each for scoring four tries or more and the Cats a second one for ending within seven.

Top scorer: Andrew Mehrtens

The Crusaders deserved to win the match, but the Cats were never far off the pace.

The Crusaders' win took then to second place on the standings. The Cats' two points moved them, at least temporarily, up the ladder - to 10th,. The placings give an idea of the possibilities in Super 12 where no match is necessarily a foregone conclusion.

It was wet and slippery at Jade Stadium on Saturday evening, and that is how the game started and lasted for forty minutes, but the second half was filled with running and excitement.

The Crusaders had the better of the half but had to come from behind to lead 13-11 at half-time.

The first score of the match was cheered before it even happened. Wikus van Heerden of the Cats was penalised at a tackle thing and up stepped Andrew Mehrtens, and the crowd cheered.

He had nudged closer to Matt Burke's all-time Super 12 points' record of 959 points. Mehrtens had had the record. He missed out for a while as Daniel Carter rose to fame, and Burke went past him, but Mehrtens was back level at 959. He goaled the penalty and went to 962, a record that is not going to be beaten as the Super 12 slumps to history and the Super 14 takes over.

The Cats were largely defensive but they did it well and had moments of their own as when Jaque Fourie and Juan Smith went on the run, after which André Pretorius kicked a penalty goal.

The Crusaders were close when Nicholas Eyre was forced to sidefoot a grubber into touch. The five-metre line-out became a maul but the television match official decided a try had not been scored.

Instead the Cats scored. The Crusaders took a quick throw-in at a line-out and Os du Randt celebrated by cutting Mehrtens in half. The great fly-half spilled the ball and the Cats attacked down the left. The ball came back to  Pretorius who kicked a long diagonal to his right. Conrad Jantjes got the bounce and just managed to squeeze over in the corner. 8-3 to the Cats.

Mehrtens kicked a penalty goal and after some exciting running by Pretorius, Fourie and Jantjes, Pretorius put over a long dropped goal which took the television match official's help to get awarded. 11-6 for the Cats after 25 minutes.

The Cats won a Crusades' line-out but lost the ball and conceded a penalty which the Crusaders made into a five-metre line-out which they made into a fast-driving maul and a try for Johnny Leo'o, which Mehrtens converted. 13-11 to the Crusaders.

The Crusaders had a similar opportunity near the end of the half, but this time the Cats got together and kept the maul out.

After Schalk Brits had given away an ill-disciplined penalty at a tackle which Mehrtens made into three points, the Crusaders scored. They did a peel around to the front of a line-out. Three tackles later Reuben Thorne did a pick and dive for a try in the corner. 21-11 after 51 minutes.

There were thoughts that the Crusaders would to their second-half leg stretches and the Cats their second half wither. But that was not at all the case.

A Pretorius penalty made it 21-14 after 54 minutes. And then the Cats attacked wide. Smith gave Jantjes and overlap and the smooth wing chipped. Smith chased, gathered and plunged over for a try. 21-19 after 57 minutes.

Justin Marshall, a Super 12 centurion, tapped and ran from his own 22. Casey Laulala shrugged off Dewey Swartbooi and clever passing between Marshall and Rico Gear gave Gear a try at the posts. Mehrtens converted. 28-19 with 19 minutes to play.

There was another chance for the Cats when CJ van der Linde picked up the ball and sailed many metres downfield till replacement Daniel Carter mowed him down. Smith then had a great run from half-way and sent a grubber infield. The Cats hammered but the move died on a mysterious knock-on.

The Cats then did a clever thing at the front of the line-out and Bruits was charging ahead down the right. It came back left and Barend Pieterse took a little pass of replacement Michael Claassens to score near the posts. Pretorius converted and, surprise, the Cats led 29-28.

The Crusaders got the ball from the kick-off and went down their right where Mose Tuiali'i powered over for a try  which Carter converted. 35-29.

Just after that the Cats had come close to scoring and even closer with a charge-down on the Crusaders' line, but it became a drop-out which Carter sent flying downfield. Smith was back to collect but his clearing kick was poor and ended when Gear scored try. 40-29 with three minutes to go.

Brits had burst down the right and got a brilliant pass to Wikus van Heerden who gave to Jantjes who score d far out. Pretorius converted from touch. The final siren sounded and the final whistle went on a game that improved in  all ways.

Man of the Match: Schalk Brits had good moments, Os du Randt strong moments and Conrad Jantjes greatly moments. Justin Marshall celebrated his 100th match with a clever match if fine judgment, Mose Tuiali'i was strong. Our Man of the Match is Juan Smith - the best runner with the ball who was great in the line-outs and effective on defence.

The scorers:

For the Crusaders:
Tries: Leo'o, Thorne, Gear 2, Tuiali'i
Cons: Mehrtens 2, Carter
Pens: Mehrtens 3

For the Cats:
Tries: Jantjes 2, Smith, Pieterse
Cons: Pretorius 2
Pens: Pretorius 3
DG: Pretorius

The teams:

Crusaders: 15. Leon MacDonald, 14. Rico Gear, 13. Casey Laulala, 12. Aaron Mauger, 11. Caleb Ralph, 10. Andrew Mehrtens, 9. Justin Marshall, 8. Mose Tuiali'i, 7. Johnny Leo'o, 6. Reuben Thorne, 5. Kevin O'Neill, 4. Ross Filipo, 3. Greg Somerville, 2. Tone Kopelani, 1. Dave Hewett.
Replacements: 16. T Paulo, 17. Campbell Johnstone, 18.Chris Jack, 19. Sam Broomhall, 20. Jamie Nutbrown, 21. Daniel Carter, 22. Scott Hamilton.

Cats: 15 André Pretorius, 14 Conrad Jantjes, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Dewey Swartbooi, 11 Chumani Booi 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Nicholas Eyre, 8 Juan Smith, 7 Wikus van Heerden (captain), 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Trevor Hall, 3 Marius Hurter, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 James van der Walt, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Windpomp van Rooyen, 19 Hendro Scholtz, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Tiaan Snyman, 22 Wayne Julies.

Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard (Australia), Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)

By Paul Dobson