Errors stifle both sides as Blues fail

CRUSADERS 33 BLUES 20

Back in 2007, a fresh-faced Stephen Brett, who had just carved Wellington to shreds in an Air New Zealand Cup game, emerged from his dressing shed to chat to a group of rugby scribes eager to get the low down from the newest player to come off the Canterbury first five-eighths production line.

He'd just scored 24 points in a virtuoso display, and he was asked whether he'd ever consider moving province.

Auckland badly needed a quality talisman, as did Wellington. Brett, however, was adamant. The mere suggestion of leaving Christchurch was tantamount to treason, he said, even if Dan Carter was blocking his path to the No10 jersey.

"I will never leave Canterbury," he said.

Fast-forward three years and Brett was back at the same venue, marking Carter while wearing blue and white, those same colours he so reviled in his youth. And he was piling on the points against his old team, in front of his family, including Canterbury legend and stepfather, Victor Simpson.

You never say never, especially in the fickle world of sport.

Brett's change of colours was enough to earn the derision of 23,000 fans packed into AMI Stadium. They booed his every move during the match.

That didn't stop him scoring 15 first-half points – all the Blues could manage. But a second-half collision with a rampaging Robert Fruean, which left Brett rather groggy, may well have given him cause to revisit his decision. Brett left the field shortly after with a bruised ego – his famously fragile defence was again exposed – and a suspected concussion that ended any chance of a happy homecoming against his old side.

The Crusaders eased to a comfortable 13-point victory and appear to be, as they always do, making enough encouraging advancements to suggest they will be a formidable force come the end of May.

While neither side will be greatly encouraged by their performance, there were too many errors for that, the Crusaders did at least score three well executed tries and welcomed Richie McCaw back into the fold in his first full hit-out of the season.

Brett and Carter traded points in increments of three in a first spell, which meandered pretty aimlessly for 40 minutes. George Whitelock provided the only five pointer, his first in Super rugby, as both sides struggled with their handling. Any break of promise was snuffed out when ball went to ground.

Athletic wing Sean Maitland was one of the worst culprits while his opposite Rudi Wulf will long rue the wild speculator pass he threw in the second spell, which was intercepted by the ever-alert Ryan Crotty.

Crotty's try shifted the momentum, putting an end to Blues' hopes of producing what would have been a pretty big upset. There was also a shift of a different kind.

In this day and age of greater ball security around the ruck and maul, halfbacks are being afforded more time to make decision on the hoof. And the Crusaders' Andy Ellis has appeared to exploit this situation better than most so far this year. Last night he stalled the Blues defensive line by taking on tacklers around the fringes. It made for some fairly ugly and combative rugby.

But it was also damn effective, playing to his side's strengths with McCaw, Brad Thorn and Sam Whitelock appreciating the chance to hammer the inside channel via close-quarters play.

Whenever Ellis spun the ball wide, gaps in the Blues defence were evident.

It was disappointing that neither the Crusaders (or the Blues for that matter) could exploit them more regularly. By the time Alby Mathewson did, scoring a late consolation try for the Blues, the game was effectively over.

It is still early days and the signs look promising for an exciting season of for both sides. The Blues now have a 50% win loss record which needs to get better, while the Crusaders just have one blip on their record, a loss to the Reds. They travel to Hamilton to take on the Queenslanders' latest scalp – the Chiefs – on Friday night.

Crusaders 33 (G Whitelock R Crotty R Fruean tries, D Carter 4 pen 3 con) Blues 20 (A Mathewson try, S Brett 4 pen dg). HT: 16-15.

- © Fairfax NZ News