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Crusaders 33 Moana Pasifika 12
Crusaders - Taylor 2, Dunshea, Williams & Blackadder tries, Hickey 3 conversions, Mo'unga conversion
Moana Pasifika - Funaki & Inisi try, McClutchie conversion
Second half
40th minute - Pasifika have one last attacking opportunity from a scrum near halfway, but again turn the ball over and then concede a penalty. MO'unga kicks to the corner and still time for Crusaders to grab a bonus-point try.
TRY to Taylor
Thoroughly predictable try off the lineout and maul, with the hooker at the back. Bonus point for the Crusaders, but Mo'unga's conversion attempt drifts across the posts, CRU 33-12
39th minute - Another long throw over the lineout finds Inisi, but a loose pass is snaffled by the Crusaders.
38th minute - From the scrum, McClutchie kicks long into the Crusaders 22 to put his side back on attack.
37th minute - Crusaders gather the dropout and try to reach the 22, but a sloppy pass results in a Pasifika scrum.
36th minute - Pasifika turn the ball over and Taumateine hares up field, but loses the ball. Crusaders force a goal-line dropout.
35th minute - Crusaders pour into Pasifika half through Fihaki and build an attack towards the 22.
34th minute - From a scrum, Pasifika break into Crusaders half, but turn the ball over.
33rd minute - From the kickoff, Crusaders clear their territory and Leali’ifano fumbles the ball behind him.
31st minute - TRY to Williams
Crusaders forwards lay seige to the tryline and Williams is just too big for Pasifika to stop with any momentum.
30th minute - From the kickoff, Crusaders pour onto attack and quickly enter the 22...
27th minute - TRY to Inisi
Leali’ifano takes over as Pasifika captain, as Enari leaves the game. Crusaders try to clear the scrum, but Mo'unga's hospital pass is spilt by Punivai and Pasifika pounce - Leali’ifano pops up the final pass to Inisi.
McClutchie converts, CRU 21-12
26th minute - Slade wins another lineout, but Crusaders shunt the maul back and Doleman insists they use it. They don't, and Crusaders win the turnover and a defensive scrum.
25th minute - Slade wins the lineout and Pasifika maul towards the line. They have advantage and kick to another lineout.
24th minute - Pasifika win penalty advantage and a crosskick to Havili bounces away. Doleman brings them back for Crusaders offside.
23rd minute - Pasifika recover the ball in their own half and Inisi makes a big break inside the 22.
22nd minute - Two big replacements come on for Pasifika - Jack Lam and Christian Leali’ifano. They win another lineout, but their attack again ends in a turnover, as Mo'unga clears over halfway.
21st minute - Pasifika win a long throw and find Lindenmuth charging through the centre of the lineout. They have advantage and McClutchie finds the corner again for more of the same.
20th minute - Crusaders feed to a defensive scrum, but Hall is too slow feeding and Pasifika have a penalty in the 22, which they kick to the corner.
19th minute - MacRobbie replaces tryscorer Funaki, as Pasifika win a long throw to the lineout and maul inside the 22, but the ball is lost forward.
18th minute - Mo'unga puts up a high kick and Havili rises to claim it, but is taken out by Naholo. Doleman calls penalty only, as Naholo was clearing going for the ball.
17th minute - Aumua is replaced by Fine Inisi on debut. Scrum disintegrates and Hall throws an audacious pass between his legs.
16th minute - Solid scrum from Pasifika and McClutchie chips for Fomai, who can't quite gather the ball.
14th minute - Crusaders win a penalty at the scrum and Mo'unga finds touch on the Pasifika 10. From the lineout, they spread the ball left, but Bridge is hassled off the ball for a knock-on.
12th minute - Moli throws long to the lineout and Crusaders pounce. Pasifika recover possession and build another attack that ends with a blatant forward pass.
11th minute - Crusaders break from the scrum and head towards halfway. Hall breaks from the ruck, but Moli is quickly on a loose ball and Pasifika have a penalty at the breakdown, just inside the Crusaders half.
McClutchie kicks to the corner.
10th minute - Pasifika throw long to the lineout, but the attack breaks down in midfield.
Ninth minute - Pasifika playing under advantage, but Toala busts the defence in centrefield and the ball moves right. The ball bobbles lose in a tackle and Fihaki clears from behind his line.
Eighth minute - From the kickoff, Hall clears to near halfway.
Sixth minute - TRY to Taylor
Lineout maul rumbles towards the line and Taylor is at the back, just riding the wave to another modern-day hooker's try. Bryn Hall and Richie Mo'unga come on to further bolster the Crusaders, as Hickey converts, CRU 21-5
Fifth minute - Moli and Apikitoa come on as front-row replacements for Pasifika. Crusaders forwards rumble towards the line, but Pasifika are penalised and Doleman warns Enari, who is captain now Kepu has gone.
Fourth minute - Crusaders into the 22 and move the ball left. Doleman calls them back for a Pasifika tackle off the ball and Hickey kicks to the corner.
Third minute - Strange wins a lineout and Blackadder makes hard metres towards the 22.
Second minute - Crusaders playing under advantage from the scrum and eventually earn the penalty.
First minute - Crusaders have brought All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor off the bench for the second half. McClutchie kicks off and Crusaders clear their 22.
Hickey finds Fihaki with a long pass left, but Doleman brings them back for an infringement at the breakdown.
Halftime
40th minute - With time up on the clock, Pasifika have a defensive scrum and Enari kicks to touch to end the half.
39th minute - From the scrum, Pasifika move left to cross halfway, but Havili spills the ball in midfield. Crusaders back on attack, but Naholo loses the ball forward. A bit scrappy before halftime.
38th minute - Pasifika clear, but Bridge brings the ball back over halfway to put Crusaders on the front foot again, but Bower's hands let him down again.
36th minute - Crusaders win the lineout, but turn the ball over in midfield, when Aumua puts a big tackle on his counterpart.
34th minute - Big Crusaders scrum provides nice attacking platform. Doleman plays advantage, but brings them back for a scrum penalty and Hickey kicks to the corner.
32nd minute - From the kickoff, McLeod tries to bust out of his 22. Matera offloads on halfway to Funivai, but Pasifika steal the ball and try to break into Crusaders territory.
Enari ends the movement with a knock-on.
31st minute - Pasifika starting to tire from making so many tackles.
29th minute - TRY to Blackadder
Crusaders now laying seige to the line, Bridge goes close out right and Blackadder is next cab off the rank, spinning out of a tackle to reach out and score.
27th minute - Fihaki makes another half-break out left and Crusaders enter the 22.
26th minute - Naholo makes a break out left and puts a kick ahead. Enari forces for a goal-line dropout.
25th minute - From the kickoff, Fihaki's attempted clearance is charged down by Fainga'anuku, but they recover the clear to the Pasifika 10.
23rd minute - TRY to Dunshea
Blackadder makes a charging run up midfield, as the Crusaders try to find a way into the 22. Eventually, Bridge makes the break out left and floats a long pass to the lock lurking on the wing.
Hickey makes up for his earlier miss with a nice sideline conversion, CRU 7-5
22nd minute - Pasifika turn the ball over near halfway, but Crusaders win a lineout and pour onto attack.
21st minute - Crusaders still building phases, just five metres out, but Bower spills the ball and Pasifika clear their line.
20th minute - Crusaders win the lineout and maul towards the line, but solid defence from Pasifika so far...
19th minute - Enari feeds the scrum and better from the Pasifika forwards this time. The ball is cleared and Naholo puts in a huge kick - a 50-22, so Crusaders' throw to the lineout.
18th minute - Crusaders try to build something outside the 22, but McLeod spills the ball.
17th minute - From the kickoff, Pasifika's kick is charged down by Dunshea and the ball bobbles forwards into touch. Pasifika take the lineout and clear.
14th minute - TRY to Funaki
MClutchie makes a break up midfield and movement stalls inside the 22. The ball shifts right and Funaki slams the ball down in the tackle at full stretch to make history as Pasifika's first tryscorer in Super Rugby.
McClutchie hooks his conversion left, PAS 5-0
13th minute - Pasifika scrum is under pressure, but they manage to clear to the 10.
12th minute - Crusaders win another lineout and maul to the line, but Pasifika hold it up and win the turnover on their own line. Well done that.
11th minute - Crusaders win the lineout and maul to the line, but Pasifika are offside. Doleman plays advantage, but calls them back.
10th minute - Pasifika penalised in midfield and Hickey kicks to touch again. That was a kickable penalty, but maybe he's lost his mojo with that easy miss.
Eighth minute - Crusaders win the lineout and start to maul towards the line. They spread the ball right, Fihaki fumbles and Doleman eventually calls the knock-on.
Sixth minute - Crusaders scrum inside Pasifika half, but can't make much headway. Doleman is playing advantage from the scrum and Hickey kicks to the corner.
Third minute - Crusaders mounting pressure just outside the 22 and referee Doleman blows a penalty at the breakdown. Hickey points to the posts and misses from in front, a real missed opportunity.
Second minute - Late(ish) change for the Crusaders with George Bridge taking Fainga'anuku's place on the wing, due to injury.
First minute - A moment's silence for former All Blacks Inga Tuigamala and Joeli Vidiri - two pioneers of Pacific rugby - who passed away last week, particularly poignant for Moana Pasifika.
Hickey kicks off for the Crusaders and Pasifika advance to halfway. Havili takes a high ball for Pasifika and they again try to advance from their half.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific clash between the Crusaders and Moana Pasifika at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The newcomers' long road to their official Super Rugby debut stretched a little longer over recent weeks, after a COVID-19 outbreak forced the postponement of matches against the Blues and Chiefs, as well as a pre-season hitout against the Highlanders.
All that means they must now make their first appearance against the perennial championship contenders, who have won five of the last six competitions - no-one really counts Super Rugby Trans Tasman, it seems - and are unbeaten through their opening two matches this season.
And the only time Moana Pasifika have taken the field so far, they were handed a 50-point pre-season walloping by the Chiefs at Mt Smart Stadium.
By contrast, the Crusaders have been business as usual, managing the Hurricanes and Highlanders in workmanlike fashion.
Perhaps sensing the Pasifika camp is particularly vulnerable right now, coach Scott Robertson has rung the changes, naming a newlock starting XV, which includes just five from last week's line-up - hooker Brodie McAlister, prop Olie Jager and flanker Tom Christie, with loose forward Pablo Matera and Leicester Fainga'anuku changing positions.
Maybe the Crusaders show their impressive squad depth with a big win anyway, maybe Moana Pasifika spring a classic Super Rugby ambush...
Join us at 7pm for kickoff.
TAB Odds: Crusaders $1.001, Moana Pasifika $21
Crusaders: 1-George Bower, 2-Brodie McAlister, 3-Oli Jager, 4-Mitchell Dunshea, 5-Quinten Strange, 6-Ethan Blackadder, 7-Tom Christie, 8-Pable Matera, 9-Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 10-Simon Hickey, 11-Kini Naholo, 12-Dallas McLeod, 13-Leicester Fainga'anuku, 14-George Bridge, 15-Chay Finaki
Reserves: 16-Codie Taylor, 17-Tamaiti Williams, 18-Fletcher Newell, 19-Dominic Gardiner, 20-Corey Kellow, 21-Bryn Hall, 22-Richie Mo'unga, 23-Isaiah Punivai
Moana Pasifika: 1-Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2-Luteru Tolai, 3-Sekope Kepu, 4-Mike McKee, 5-Samuel Slade, 6-Solomone Funaki, 7-Alamanda Motuga, 8-Henry Time-Stowers, 9-Ereatara Enari, 10-Lincoln McClutchie, 11-Neria Fomai, 12-Danny Toala, 13-Levi Aumua, 14-Tima Fainga’anuku, 15-William Havili
Reserves: 16-Samiuela Moli, 17-Taukiha’amea Koloamatangi, 18-Joe Apikotoa, 19-Alex McRobbie, 20-Jack Lam, 21-Jonathan Taumateine, 22-Christian Leali’ifano, 23-Fine Inisi
