Old rivals get serious after pre-match banter

Relevant offers

Rugby

Crusaders' Tony Thorpe heads to Brumbies Tom Taylor eyes his first Super Rugby cap McCaw taking it one less painful step at a time Referees tackle sticky breakdown area Franchises in battle for hearts and minds Mission accomplished: one down Crusaders' field day Food bill hit family Argentina trip to chase third rugby cup win Former sevens star steps up for Longest Day

There will be a whiff of cordite in the air in southeast Christchurch tonight.

Forget the banter and feel-good jibes preceding tonight's Super 14 match. When referee Keith Brown blows the opening whistle between the Crusaders and Blues at AMI Stadium the cold steel will be drawn and the artillery wheeled out into the autumn air.

Money and professionalism may have warped many traditions in rugby, but when two teams based in Auckland and Canterbury butt heads they usually know there is only one way they should go about their business – and that is flat stick until the gas needle is sitting on empty.

Last year the Blues – their playoff chances were gone – had zero to gain by beating the Crusaders in the final round-robin match in Auckland, yet defended like men with their spines at a cliff edge, and it took a late drop goal from Leon MacDonald to sneak the visitors a 15-13 victory and qualify them for the semifinals.

In 15 seasons of Super rugby the two franchises have collected 11 titles – the Crusaders have won seven crowns, the Blues three and the Brumbies and Bulls two apiece.

Appropriately the Crusaders' roll to Super dominance began with their memorable 20-13 win over their rival in the 1998 final under captain Todd Blackadder and 12 seasons later the rivalry remains intense.

When the Super 12 began in 1996 the Crusaders had to endure verbal pepperings from the likes of Sean Fitzpatrick, Zinzan and Robin Brooke and Carlos Spencer, and even when the southerners had history and a bulging trophy cabinet to back up their talk the Aucklanders could not help themselves.

In 2004 Crusaders halfback Justin Marshall and Spencer spent much of the 80 minutes squabbling like a pair of argumentative crones in a bingo hall and the following year Ali Williams clumsily raked the side of Richie McCaw's head when the Crusaders flanker lay pinned at the bottom of a ruck.

Although he protested his innocence, Williams was suspended for six weeks and the Blues could only manage seventh while the Crusaders beat the Waratahs in the final two months later.

The last time the Blues beat the Crusaders was in their opening round clash in 2007, a 34-25 victory at Eden Park. However, that fixture had something of a watered-down feel to it, with neither side able to pick their internationals because of the New Zealand Rugby Union's World Cup intervention plan which resulted in the All Blacks being rested for half of the competition.

In 16 clashes, each has won eight.

The Crusaders are favoured to win this one, although the Blues proved during last weekend's 27-18 win in the rain against the Queensland Reds that they do not lack grit.

Having been benched last week by coach Pat Lam, All Blacks loosehead prop Tony Woodcock will not be in a passive mood.

Severing the connection between the Blues pack and playmaker Stephen Brett, so that he is hindered in feeding dangerous backs such as Joe Rokocoko and Rudi Wulf, will be an obvious priority for the Crusaders.

Coach Blackadder will also demand his pack continue their scrummaging effort from last weekend's win against the Sharks to heap pressure on No8 Viliami Ma'afu and halfback Alby Mathewson.

  TeamsD2

- © Fairfax NZ News