Final score: Crusaders 30 Hurricanes 26 [Please refresh your browser for latest score]
Wrap: The Hurricanes threw everything they had for the last 50 minutes - they were the better side in the second half but the Crusaders proved their class - they score when they needed to.
Great game of rugby - the Crusaders go for the three-peat next week against the Jaguares.
Full time: Siren goes and Mo'unga puts the ball into touch and that's the game...what a game it was.
79mins: Scrum Crusaders! Hurricanes looking dangerous but Sam Whitelock makes a a big tackle on Perenara at the base of the ruck and he losses the ball forward.
77mins: Scrum for the Hurricanes - midfield on the 22. Double knock on.
76mins: Hurricanes turn the ball over on the 13th phase. Crusaders will clear from inside their 22.....Hurricanes lineout 40m out.
74mins: Jordie Barrett sets Lam free down the left touchline - he kicks ahead but Drummond takes a nice diving catch for the mark. Hurricanes another lineout just inside Crusaders territory.
73mins: Mo'unga clears to halfway - lineout Hurricanes.
72mins: Penalty Goal Crusaders: Mo'unga has been prefect tonight and no exception here. CRU 30-26.
71mins: 13 phases for the Crusaders - they go nowhere but win a penalty - Fifita pinged for being off his feet. Mo'unga with a handy shot here.
68mins: Penalty Hurricanes! Crusaders make a mess of the scrum so they have to shift. Through four phases and Read goes to ground but is pinged for holding on.
65mins: Crusaders break out through Mo'unga - he finds Bridge in the clear, he kicks ahead but Lam covers well but he has carroed back into his in goal. Scrum 5m for the Crusaders. What a turnaround.
64mins: Beauden Barrett is carving the Crusaders to shreds in the second half. Again he makes a break that has the home side scrambling - eventually the ball comes out right to Laumape who kicks behind the line for Jordie Barrett but the ball rolls out.
61mins: Try Hurricanes - TJ Perenara: Poor from the Crusaders - Read knocks on at the kick off. Hurricanes on attack through 7 phases. Dane Coles makes a break but is brought down 5m out, Perenara snipes and scores. Barrett converts. CRU 27-26.
59mins: Try Crusaders - Sevu Reece: Too good. Todd, Taufua and Ennor combine in midfield and create space for Reece who is away down the right...he steps Beauden Barrett and scores in the corner. Superb kick from Mo'unga and the lead is 8. CRU 27-19.
57mins: They mess up their attack in the midfield and Goodhue sets off up field...Bryn Hall kicks and finds open space - Barrett clears to the Hurricanes 10m line.
56mins: Hurricanes have a lineout 30m out from the Crusaders line.
54mins: Great defensive from the Hurricanes. The Crusaders maul but the Canes are all over them - the ball is up and the referee says scrum Hurricanes on halfway.
51mins: Try Hurricanes - Ngani Laumape: Back in it Hurricanes. They look great with the ball but this came from a turnover. Goodhue hammered by Coles in a midfield tackle, Goodhue offloads but it's poor - Laumape toes it ahead, beats Havilli to the ball, chests it forward and scores. TMO has a look and clears it. Barrett converts. CRU 20-19.
48mins: Wow. They are all over the place. Beauden Barrett with a cheeky chip and he collects and is away - great cover from the Crusaders. ball comes left to Savea and he beats four defenders before Todd gets him down. Perenara shifts right and Jordie Barrett makes a little break but Coles losses the ball forward 20m out.
44mins: Try Crusaders - Richie Mo'unga: And just like that....Mo'unga has the ball in space with Havilli on his shoulder - he chips and Marshall, at fullback overruns the ball, Reece collects and gives the ball to Mo'unga who scores under the posts. He converts. CRU 20-12.
41mins: Try Hurricanes - Ben Lam: Beauden Barrett with a beautiful short pass finds Proctor in space through the middle. Havilli brings him down 10m out...Hurricanes hot on attack and Perenara goes short side, finds Lam who dives and scores in the corner. Barrett can't convert. CRU 13-12.
Second-half - Beauden Barrett gets us back underway. Hurricanes will be delighted to be within six points given how much ball the Crusaders had. Jonah Lowe is off and James Marshall on for the Hurricanes. Luke Romano is on for Scott Barrett.
Half time: That's the half - the Crusaders have dominated with 75 per cent of the ball but that try gives the Hurricanes some hope.
39mins: Try Hurricanes - Ngani Laumape: Mo'unga clears for the Crusaders and Jordie runs back to collect then beats four Crusaders defenders and the Hurricanes are back on attack. 10 phases in and Laumape cuts back inside, with two men unmarked to score close to the posts. Barrett converts. CRU 13-7.
37mins: Penalty for the Hurricanes 40m out. Dane Coles points to the corner. Crusaders lineout 20m out.
35mins: Hurricanes have the ball for the first time in some time in the Crusaders half - 8 phases ends when Reece's intercept attempt is lost forward. Hurricanes scrum 30m out.
34mins: Penalty Goal Crusaders - Well hit from Richie and the Crusaders extend their lead. CRU 13-0.
32mins: Long period of possession for the Crusaders ends with a Savea turnover but on the next tackle Matt Todd replies and the Crusaders have a penalty. Mo'unga will have a shot.
30mins: Another Crusaders mistake with ball in hand - Ryan Crotty this time. Hurricanes scrum on their own 30m.
29mins: Hurricanes clear - lineout for the Crusaders 30m out.
27mins: Another Crusaders mistake on attack. Sam Whitelock this time with the knock-on just a 2m from the try line. Defensive scrum Hurricanes.
26mins: Penalty for the Crusaders 10m out - Ben Lam slowing the ball down. Crusaders 5m lineout.
24mins: Free kick for the Hurricanes and Perenara clears to halfway - touched by Reece so lineout to the visitors.
23mins: Crusaders attack comes to nothing. Good tackle from Blackwell forces the ball free from Franks. Defensive scrum for the Hurricanes.
22mins: Lineout for the Crusaders 15m out. Danger time for the Hurricanes.
21mins: Penalty on halfway for the Crusaders. Savea pinged for not releasing the ball runner....Mo'unga down injured - shoulder.
19mins: Crusaders looking dangerous as quick hands sets Bridge free down the left - Bridge inside to Taylor but Coles makes a nice tackle.....Hurricanes get the turnover and Barrett clears to the 22.
17mins: Hurricanes almost on the board through Jordie Barrett - a penalty goal attempt from halfway hits the post. Mo'unga clears well.
13mins: Try Crusaders - Sevu Reece: Out of nothing. Mo'unga puts the ball up and Bridge collects well...Hurricanes scrambling and Crotty with the a big cross kick finds space...Reece picks it up superbly and will score in the corner untouched. Mo'unga converts. CRU 10-0.
12mins: Ardie Savea wins a turnover - Beauden Barrett away down the right - he kicks a head and finds touch on the Crusaders 30m line.
11mins: Mo'unga clears well - Jordie Barrett with a poor reply and the Crusaders have a line out 25m out.
9mins: Hurricanes prop Toby Smith with a big break through the middle of the Crusaders - Scott Barrett does well to pull him down and then hurries TJ Perenara into a mistake from the base of the ruck. Scrum Crusaders on inside their own 30.
7mins: Crusaders turn it over on attack - forward pass from Mo'unga - Bridge was away down the left wing.
5mins: Crusaders have another penalty - this time it's defensive. Hurricanes go 8 phases and then kick, but it's poor from Barrett and Mo'unga has the mark - he kicks and it's charged but the charger is offside. Crusaders lineout 30m out.
3mins: Cross kick from Mo'unga finds Sevu Reece on halfway and he offloads to Goodhue but Reece had a foot in touch. Lineout Hurricanes on halfway.
2mins: Penalty Goal Crusaders - Mo'unga drills it - early lead for the home side. CRU 3-0.
1min: Crusaders have an early penalty. Hurricanes pulled down a Crusaders maul. Mo'unga to have a crack from 30m.
Kick-off: It'll be Richie Mo'unga to get us started - referee is Australian Nick Berry.
7:30pm - Okay - teams and officials about to head out onto the park.
7:08pm - Late changes for the Hurricanes - Matt Proctor in for Peter Umaga-Jensen and Jonah Lowe in for Salesi Rayasi - both guys passing very late fitness tests to make the run-on squad.
7:05pm - Hey folks, cold but pleasant in Christchurch for the big game. Home side is batting 100 for the playoffs so far.....Can the Crusaders keep that record in tact?
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Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's coverage of the second Super Rugby semi-final between the Crusaders and the Hurricanes.
A win for the Crusaders in Christchirch tonight will ensure a home final at the same venue next weekend against the Jaguares, who beat the Brumbies this morning.
If the Hurricanes can get up, they will travel to Argentina to play their fourth final in history.
TAB Odds: Crusaders $1.20, Hurricanes $4.60
Pre-Match Banter
The battle upfront will be the decisive factor in Saturday's Super Rugby semi-final, according to Newshub rugby pundits Ross Karl and Ollie Ritchie.
The Crusaders will need to do their utmost to establish dominance, and reduce the time and space to available for Hurricanes linchpin Beauden Barrett, and Ritchie believes they have the elite personnel to do exactly that.
"If you give him too much room, you know what he can do," said Ritchie."So I'd think they'd go for a rush defence.
"They have a monster pack full of All Blacks… and the Hurricanes have traditionally struggled there.
The two Kiwi teams are familiar post-season foes, but the Crusaders have had the measure of the men from the capital, winning all five of their finals fixtures by an average of 20 points.
Taking all of that - and current form - into account, Karl is at a loss to find an area where the Hurricanes may edge the defending champs.
"When you look at them, they don’t have the forward pack to dominate possession or set piece," he observed. "They might not have the kicking game to dominate territory either.
"What do they do to make this a different result?"
Newshub.
