Gerrard's late score steals it from Crusaders

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Houdini has got nothing on this mob. For the second straight week the ACT Brumbies came up with some 80th-minute escapologist magic, this time stealing a famous Super 14 victory over the Crusaders in Canberra last night.

It was a couple of old hands, too, who came up trumps as the Brumbies finally unlocked a seemingly unbreachable Crusaders defence, just in the nick of time, to steal a much-celebrated 18-16 victory over the defending champions.

It took them until the 80th minute, though the home side had spent the greater part of the second half camped firmly on attack in Crusaders territory, but eventually a combination of Mark Gerrard and Stirling Mortlock got the Brumbies up for their second straight win of the new season.

Just like they had a week earlier, with their late escape act in Dunedin, the Brumbies kept their cool as the match went down to the wire. Especially against a Crusaders defence that was heroic in its determination to withstand wave after wave of pressure.

With the Brumbies spending almost all of the last 10 minutes hot on attack, it had looked as though that superb Crusaders defence was going to win the night, as they had so often in the past in some great battles between these two great rivals.

But with time running out eventually the pressure told. Taking the scrum option off a late penalty, and trailing 11-16, the Brumbies hammered away through a half-dozen phases, and when Clyde Rathbone was held up on the line it appeared as though the Brumbies would be thwarted.

But ball was recycled one more time, and when it found Gerrard out on the right he was able to power though the tackles of Colin Slade and Adam Whitelock for a try that levelled the scores at 16-all.

There was still some work to do for Mortlock, who had a testing conversion from 7m in from the right touchline, but the veteran Wallaby stepped up and slotted the extras superbly, pumping his fist in joy even before the ball eventually sailed between the uprights.

The Brumbies probably deserved their win on the balance of dominating possession and territory so comprehensively, but there was no doubting the  organisation, commitment and execution of the Crusaders on defence augured well for them under the new era of Todd Blackadder.

Considering they were missing such influential performers as Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn and Leon MacDonald (all injured), it was a match the Crusaders will take plenty from, not to mention the bonus point they logged for the narrow defeat.

The Brumbies won the ruck and maul count 112-33 and had 68 per cer cent of the possession, such a weight of ball forcing the Crusaders to miss 26 tackles all told, which was only a small fraction of the ones they made.

It was a try apiece through the first 40 minutes, but the Crusaders took an 11-8 lead into the sheds by virtue of Stephen Brett's late penalty.

After three-pointers had been exchanged early on, centre Casey Laulala opened the try-scoring for the match, and the Crusaders, when he crossed for his third touchdown of the youthful season in the 18th minute.

The opportunity came, as so many did for the defending champions in this match, through their pressure. Brumbies flanker George Smith made a rare error in judgment, flicked a blind pass out that found only the swooping Laulala who had plenty of pace to make it to the line for an 8-3 lead.

The Brumbies got back on terms 16 minutes later when five-eighth Christian Lealiifano, who had a mixed bag of a game, was finally able to find a way through a Crusaders defence which had the measure of their hosts for most of this match.

The opening came when Smith had finally found a hole in the defensive line one off the ruck and fed Lealiifano on the inside channel for the straight run to the line.

The Brumbies had much the better of the possession and territory battle through the second 40, but struggled to find any way to unlock a cast-iron Crusaders defence. 

And when Ross Filipo had the Crusaders' second try just over a quarter of an hour into the second spell, a Colin Slade charge-down of a pretty average Lealiifano kick creating the momentum, and good quick ball the final opportunity, it looked as though the visitors had enough of a lead to cling on to till the very end.

That they very nearly did spoke volumes for a defence that had both skipper Kieran Read and coach Blackadder lauding it in the aftermath.

But in the final accounting the Brumbies, this time, were good enough to come up with the magic when they had to.

"I'm really proud of our guys," said Blackadder. "We D'd up fantastically all night, and letting it slip in the last minute was unfortunate. But you couldn't fault the effort tonight."

Brumbies 18: Christian Lealiifano, Mark Gerrard tries; Mark Gerrard pen; Stirling Mortlock pen, con.

Crusaders 16: Casey Laulala, Ross Filipo tries; Colin Slade pen; Stephen Brett pen. Ht: 8-11.

- © Fairfax NZ News