Richie Mounga resembled a happy kid running around Sumner beach as he inspired the Crusaders to a 39-17 victory over the Chiefs in Christchurch on Saturday night.
Mounga might have even motivated a few youngsters to take up the game as he danced and swerved past the bewildered Chiefs defenders in this Super Rugby Aotearoa match at Orangetheory Stadium, until replaced in the 65th minute.
Would the Chiefs have been relieved to see the back of him? Too right.
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Richie Mounga starred in the Crusaders 39-17 win over the Chiefs in Christchurch.
Just as many Crusaders supporters would have been relieved Mounga, who at times reminded us of the way Benji Marshall lit up the NRL with his magic feet in the mid-2000s, was finally removed from the clutches of the frustrated Chiefs forwards who would have dearly loved to ragdoll him into the dirt.
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This, another loss for the Chiefs which stretches their miserable run of defeats past a calendar year, was just another reminder of how ruthless SRA can be.
What a tough night it was for them and new coach Clayton McMillan; the Chiefs lost their defensive shape as the pressure mounted, their discipline slipped and the Crusaders just kept adding to their pain.
Good fortune often deserts teams in strife, and it vanished for the Chiefs when a captains referral minutes after halftime was dismissed, replaced by a penalty try and a yellow card to co-captain Brad Weber.
The narrative went like this: Mounga made a fine break, his inside pass appearing to go forward after Weber whacked his arm. But TMO Paul Williams stated the ball pinged off Weber, and from the subsequent phase he committed a professional foul to thwart a try.
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Richie Mo’unga of the Crusaders charges forward during the round three Super Rugby Aotearoa match against the Chiefs.
The result? The Chiefs went down to 14 men and the Crusaders went 8 points, which only fuelled their desire to inflict more misery.
And they were relentless; the Crusaders scrum was immense, the forwards got better as the game ground on – even when the subs bench was being emptied while Mounga, David Havili, Sevu Reece and Will Jordan lit up the backline.
The Crusaders grabbed five tries, and there could have been more.
A gem of a duel unfolded in the first quarter, with Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie and Crusaders left wing Leicester Faingaanuku duking it out at opposite ends of the track.
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Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie can’t stop Crusaders wing Leicester Fainga’anuku from scoring a try during the round three Super Rugby Aotearoa match.
It was McKenzie who landed the first blow, as he reminded us just how lethal he can be when given a smidgen of space when he has the pill in his hands; he immediately sensed Faingaanuku was compromised on defence, and whizzed past him like a ghost wafting away from a frightened child.
Not that McKenzies work was done. A tackle from Mounga wasnt enough to prevent him powering to the tryline, his momentum enabling him to plonk the ball across the chalk.
And then it was Faingaanukus turn to take matters into his own hands.
A break by midfielder David Havili was followed by a rocket of a pass that put his left wing in space with only McKenzie between him and the corner pole.
What happened next bordered on the remarkable. Somehow, despite a gallant tackle by McKenzie, Faingaanuku launched into space and managed to score without brushing the turf.
A blistering start by the Chiefs gave them a 10-0 lead, McKenzie converted his own score and added a penalty, providing a glimmer of hope for a group of their hardy fans situated near the coachs box that this could be the visitors night.
But it was as if the bitterly cold easterly wind that swept into the ground, caused the Chiefs to apply the brakes to their attack. Ominously, the Crusaders got into their rhythm to pull the possession and territory statistics back in their favour.
Credit to the Chiefs for denying the Crusaders off lineout drives, but they should have had more points with such a strong breeze at their tails.
And in the second half? They just had no answer.
Crusaders 39 (Leicester Faingaanuku, Will Jordan, Whetukamokamo Douglas, Mitchell Dunshea tries, penalty try; Richie Mounga 2 con, 2 pen, Fergus Burke con) Chiefs 17 (Damian McKenzie, Etene Nanai-Seturo tries; McKenzie 2 con, pen). HT: 11-10
