The Crusaders season still has a pulse, albeit a very faint one. has kept their slim hopes of a play-off spot a reality. So often unable to land the killer blow in 2024, the defending champions showed great composure to survive, with Noah Hotham scoring the decisive try.
He told Sky Sport on Saturday night they had implemented the lessons learnt from past defeats. “It means so much, we haven’t put in the performances we have wanted and [are] very grateful for the loyal fans.” Skipper Codie Taylor said a lunch with former Crusader legends earlier in the week inspired the performance.
“So glad we could get a result for them. It’s been there, we just haven’t capitalised on opportunities in past games, so it’s huge for us, we knew what we were up against and the boys dug in deep, we have a wee chance.” The Christchurch hoodoo continues for the Blues, though the bonus point takes them back to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific table.
Patrick Tuipolotu said it was a hard one to swallow. “Very tough, we were confident going into that second half, especially with momentum. But it was the ll-discipline.
We spoke about that last week. So this is very disappointing for us.” It is a challenging run home for the Blues, who meet the Chiefs next weekend.
“With this block of games, it was going to be tough and the Chiefs are coming off a tough loss so that will be another challenge in itself.” Harry Plummer put first points on the board through the boot before the ret.
