Rugby: Crusaders Forwards Monster Stormers in Semifinal Win

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 3, 2011

commentComment        

The game is won up front. At least that is how the old adage goes. And this was never more clear than in the Crusaders semifinal against the Stormers last night, as the Crusaders literally smashed up a confident Stormers side en-route to their tenth Super Rugby final.

The front row of Wyatt Crockett, Corey Flynn and Owen Franks was key in ensuring that the Crusaders got good ball all game, giving them plenty of scoring opportunities. They were dominant in the scrum and the two props (Crockett and Franks) would now have to be the front-runners for the All Black starting prop positions.

This, coupled with the ever-reliable boot of Daniel Carter, saw that the Stormers were completely shut out as the Crusaders cruised home 29-10, after leading 23-3 at the break.

Despite this, it was the Stormers who got the scoring underway, as Peter Grant slotted a penalty, giving the Stormers their only lead of the game. 

But it was all Crusaders from here, as a Sean Maitland intercept, a Sonny Bill Williams-Robbie Fruean special and a handful of penalties from Carter saw the Crusaders pull away to a comfortable lead.

A second half fight back saw the Stormers gain some credibility, but it was never going to be enough.

The Crusaders were simply too good. Their defence was relentless. Making tackle after tackle, taking everything the Stormers threw at them. Indeed, the Stormers looked incapable of breaking the Crusaders line.



The three front-rowers were brutal in this department, putting in big hit after big hit, while the Crusaders looseforwards also stood out, comprehensively outplaying the Stormers trio. The locking pair of Brad Thorn and Sam Whitelock both gave efforts typical of their character and were very good in the lineouts.

An early injury to Andy Ellis saw Kahn Fotuali'i enter the game in the first 20 minutes and perform admirably, pairing well with star First-Five Dan Ca...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!