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The "round robin" phase of the Super 12 competition was completed on the weekend of May 10-12, with the top-placed Crusaders from Canterbury winning their last match 96-19! That particular match (click on "Crusaders v Waratahs" above) was truly one for the record books and is unlikely to be repeated for many, many years. The Crusaders ended the round robin undefeated on 51 points, well ahead of the second-placed team on 39 points.
One week later it was semi-finals time. Karen and I (Malcolm) flew to Christchurch on the Friday evening, with the first semi-final due to take place at Jade Stadium (formerly Lancaster Park) the following evening, Saturday 18th. Light rain fell earlier in the day but had cleared before kick-off. The evening itself was rather cool, hardly surprising for late autumn in Christchurch. We sat in the front row of the old main stand, directly opposite the stadium's massive new stand which was completed just a few months ago. That stand features as the backdrop in many of these pics.
The weekend's newspapers reported that, in terms of spectator numbers, the Crusaders have been New Zealand's best supported Super 12 team this season. Not hard to see why with their successful season to date. On top of that, they do things brilliantly at Jade Stadium. Prior to kickoff, seven Crusaders horsemen emerged from their illuminated castle and rode three times around the park, both riders and horses magnificently attired, accompanied by the inspirational theme music of the Crusaders - the music you hear playing right now (hopefully). The horsemen stopped 4 or 5 times to face different sections of the crowd and brandish their swords, all of which was rapturously received by a very appreciative crowd. Hard to put into words, suffice to say that I found it all very "stirring" and felt just a little proud of my red and black origins. This is my home team after all, even though I'm now living in Tawa.
Adding to the overall spirit of the occasion was the prospect of winning a Crusaders shirt (several of which were fired from a handheld "cannon" into the crowd before the match began), the dancing girls (who looked a little insufficiently dressed considering that for the rest of us coats and scarves were the order of the day, or at least the evening), the giant inflated horse and rider alongside the Hadlee stand, and an impressive fireworks display at halftime.
As for the match itself, the Crusaders started clear favourites but it was always going to be a tough one against their southern neighbours. That proved to be the case. Whereas the home team had a 21-0 lead in as many minutes the week before (in that "amazing match"), the score was only 3-3 after the first 20 minutes of this match. By halftime the Crusaders had stretched that to 18-6. However by three-quarters of the way through the match the Highlanders had come back to within 5 points, the scoreline reading 21-16. The home team upped the tempo with another converted try and two field goals, the score now reading 34-16 before the southern men evened things up (a little) with a converted try. End result: 34-23.
The Crusaders have one more match to win, the final at their own ground, next Saturday. Only then will their season be judged a complete success.
P.S. They did win the Final and their season has indeed been judged a brilliant success!
- Malcolm Sparrow
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