Heavenly finish as Crusaders snatch title
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Super Rugby Pacific Final
Chiefs ……………… 20pts
Tries: Stevenson 22, Narawa 42
Conversions: McKenzie 24, 44
Penalties: McKenzie 19, 49
Crusaders………..25pts
Tries: Taylor 27, 72; Mo'unga 35
Conversions: Mo'unga 37, 74
Penalties: Mo'unga 8, 80+1
The Crusaders made it seven straight titles in Scott Robertson's final game in charge to sign off on one of rugby's greatest-ever dynasties.
Trailing 20-15 with 10 minutes to go, Codie Taylor's record-breaking try drew the 14-time champions level before Richie Mo'unga's clutch conversion put Crusaders ahead.
Damian McKenzie then had the chance to snatch victory with two minutes to go, but the penalty from inside his own half fell agonisingly short before Mo'unga sealed a fairytale ending for Robertson's era of dominance with the final kick of the game.
The title cements Mo'unga and Sam Whitelock's place in history as two of the greatest to ever play in Super Rugby with the departing duo getting the perfect send-off.
“This club is my life, it really is my whole life. I am so proud to be a Crusader,” a tearful Mo'unga said after his final game. “I'm lost for words, this one really means a lot to me. It never looked like we were in it but the boys hung in there and I'm so proud.”
All Black hooker Taylor added: “We talked about going to heaven this year, but we had to go through hell first earlier in the season and really finished it off tonight.”
It was a merciless start to the contest with heavy collisions in defence marking the start of an immensely physical battle.
The Crusaders eventually drew first blood after 10 minutes as Mo'unga landed a penalty with the Chiefs struggling to maintain their discipline around the ruck.
Controversy then struck from the kick-off as Anton Linert-Brown was lucky to only be shown a yellow card after clattering into Dallas McLeod and making significant headon-head contact with the winger.
However, despite being a man down, a string of errors from the Crusaders allowed the Chiefs to fire their first shot as McKenzie levelled the scores in with his penalty.
Luke Jacobson then provided momentum for the hosts as his crunching hit and strip on Will Jordan sparked an attacking raid with Alex Nankivell's beautiful miss pass setting Shaun Stevenson away for the first try of the final.
But the Crusaders hit back immediately.
After Jacobson was sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements, Taylor gave the visitors their first try from the back of a maul to draw the Crusaders within two points.
Jordan then sliced through the Chiefs defence before linking up with Leicester Fainga'anuku to get the Crusaders inches away from the line before Mo'unga picked a beautiful line to cross for their second try and head into half-time leading 15-10.
But a perfect start to the second half saw the hosts retake the lead.
A set piece move from a scrum saw all of the Chiefs playmakers involved in a free-flowing score as McKenzie and Nankivell linked up to set Stevenson away who provided the final pass for Emoni Narawa to score and re-establish a two-point lead for the Chiefs.
That score ignited a fire for Clayton McMillan's side as their outside backs started to shred the Crusaders defence apart with Narawa's linebreak leading to a Chiefs penalty which McKenzie slotted to extend the lead to five.
The Chiefs then thought they had landed a pivotal blow as Narawa crossed after McKenzie claimed an overthrown lineout, only to be denied by the TMO as the fly-half was deemed offside.
As the game wore on, the physicality levels rose with both sides unflagging in their efforts.
The golden chance then came for the Crusaders with seven minutes to go, and as they've done countless times over the years, they turned to their most punishing weapon – the maul.
After All Blacks skipper Sam Cane was shown yellow for cynical play at the ruck, Taylor crashed over in behind the maul to break the record for the most tries by a forward in Super Rugby history with Mo'unga's conversion handing the Crusaders the lead with six minutes to go.
Late drama then unfolded as the chance for the Chiefs to snatch victory came with McKenzie opting for a shot at goal from just inside his own half, only for it to drop metres short.
The Crusaders' impermeable wall of defence then pinned the Chiefs inside their own 22 as they searched for one last chance in the dying embers of the final.
But Fainga'anuku's turnover allowed Mo'unga to end the game, and his decorated Super Rugby career, in style as he landed a penalty after the siren to ensure that the Crusaders' unrelenting regime continues.
