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Force 15 Crusaders 53
Force - Strachan & Lee-Warner tries, Strachan penalty & conversion
Crusaders - Fainga'anuku 3, Jordan 3,. Bell & Matera tries, Mo'unga penalty & 5 conversions
Second half
40th minute - TRY to Bell
Blackadder wins the attacking lineout and Crusaders maul to the goal-line, where debutant George Bell peels off to score. Mo'unga converts and that's the game, CRU 53-15
39th minute - Force take a goal-line drop out and Crusaders swarm back into the 22. Way is playing an advantage for offside.
38th minute - From the attacking scrum, Crusaders surge into the 22 and shift left, where Fihaki flies and reaches for the corner. Replays show he grounded it on the touch-in-goal line.
36th minute - Crusaders win a defensive lineout and Fihaki sets Bower loose down the right. When the ball goes left, Fihaki kicks ahead, Jordan gathers, but he's called back again.
34th minute - Force win a scrum in Crusaders half and enter the 22. Lee-Warner runs the sideline and looks inside, but he's smothered into touch.
32nd minute - Force have the ball in their own half, but a speculator kick goes loose and Jordan pounces on it, kicking ahead on his way to a fourth try, but called back.
29th minute - TRY to Jordan
Jordan puts Blackadder through a gap down the right and then looms outside him for the return pass. He props inside the last defender to seal his hat-trick.
Mo'unga bounces his conversion off the left upright and over, CRU 46-15
28th minute - Rodda wins a lineout on his own 10 and Lee-Warner charges over halfway. Christie is over the breakdown and wins a penalty in midfield, Crusaders take a quick tap.
27th minute - Jordan kicks ahead and Kuenzle dives on it. Crusaders are penalised for taking a man off the ball - it's Blackadder.
26th minute - Crusaders win a lineout and charge up field. Cullen dashes up the right touchline and finds Jordan on his shoulder.
25th minute - Matera is over another breakdown and wins a clearing penalty. He's earning his money tonight.
24th minute - Rodda wins the lineout, but Crusaders hold up the maul. Force shift right and Strachan fends off Fainga'anuku.
23rd minute - Crusaders drive Force off the ball and Cullen dives on it. They clear, but Force attack again and Christie is penalised.
Force win a messy lineout and kick to the corner, but they're playing under advantage. Way warns Havili about persistent infringements.
22nd minute - Force win a scrum penalty in Crusaders half and they kick to the corner. Thrush wins the lineout and Force stream towards the posts.
21st minute - Anstey chases the kickoff, but can't gather cleanly. Force replace their front row, along with Fines-Leleiwasa at halfback.
18th minute - Tahuriorangi is on for Hall at halfback.
TRY to Jordan
Pasitoa spills the ball and Crusaders shift right to Bridge, who kicks ahead for Jordan to regather and score. This is becoming vintage Crusaders rugby, as Mo'unga converts, CRU 39-15
17th minute - Force have another attacking lineout and Crusaders must be on thin ice. Thrush wins the lineout, but the Crusaders defence is solid and Jordan clears to touch.
16th minute - Crusaders are penalised at the breakdown and the Force attack breaks down.
15th minute - Force win the attacking lineout, but it's untidy. Matera makes a big tackle in midfield.
14th minute - Force shift left, but a pass is spilt. Way is playing advantage to Force and Strachan loses the ball.
13th minute - Force win an attacking lineout, Kuenzle crawls towards the line. Fines-Leleiwasa tries to dive over in the corner, but he's kept out.
12th minute - Crusaders secure the kickoff, Hall kicks high and Bridge chases, but he's ruled offside.
10th minute - TRY to Jordan
Bridge makes the break down the right and sends Cullen stampeding towards the posts. From the second phase, Hall finds Jordan, who dances through the defence to score.
Mo'unga has found his kicking boots again, CRU 32-15
Ninth minute - Force lose their penalty advantage and Ennor steals the ball. Fainga'anuku makes big metres down the left.
Eighth minute - Force secure their kickoff and shift right. They win a long penalty advantage...
Sixth minute - TRY to Matera
Blackadder wins the lineout without jumping and Matera storms over from the second phase. Mo'unga kicks his first conversion of the night, CRU 25-15
Fifth minute - From the kickoff, Crusaders surge into the Force 22 and win a penalty. Mo'unga kicks to the corner.
Third minute - TRY to Lee-Warner
From the wheeling scrum, Force surge to the line and Lee-Warner burrows over from the breakdown. Strachan converts, CRU 18-15
Second minute - Fines-Leleiwasa darts from a breakdown and then kicks to the goal-line, where Mo'unga is contained for an attacking five-metre scrum.
First minute - Mo'unga kicks off for the Crusaders and Pasitoa clears. Jordan has to tidy up a long, bouncing kick and Mo'unga has to clear from his goal area.
Halftime
40th minute - TRY to Fainga'anuku
Another five-metre scrum for the Crusaders, Matera finds Jordan running from the back and he throws a long pass to Fainga'nuku for his hat-trick.
Mo'unga scuffs another conversion, CRU 18-8
38th minute - Crusaders have an attacking scrum five metres out. Hall finds Fainga'nuku charging to the line, but the ball goes free and Force are penalised again.
37th minute - Crusaders have another penalty advantage for a high tackle on Ennor, but Jordan makes a break and finds Mo'unga. When the ball is moved left, Fainga'anuku is tackled out by the corner flag.
36th minute - Mo'unga kicks deep to Strachan, who returns a kick, but Jordan runs it back into Force territory. Crusaders have a penalty advantage.
35th minute - Mo'unga points to the posts, sensing that things are just not flowing for the Crusaders right now. He slots the penalty, CRU 13-8
34th mintue - Force win a lineout in their own half kick high, but Fainga'nuku claims it and moves the ball right. Crusaders have a penalty in midfield.
33rd minute - From the lineout, Crusaders surge towards the posts, but Williams is penalised for joining the ruck incorrectly.
32nd minute - Pasitoa has clear from his deadball line and Crusaders have a lineout inside the 22.
31st minute - Pasitoa spills a pass backwards and Crusaders have Force on the backfoot. Mo'unga kicks a 50-22, but has carried it back into his half, so Force lineout throw.
30th minute - Crusaders control the kickoff and Hall pumps a high box kick.
28th minute - TRY to Fainga'anuku
Crusaders have a penalty advantage at the scrum, but they shift left, where Mo'unga finds Fainga'anuku with a long pass to score. Mo'unga hooks his conversion left this time, CRU 10-8
27th minute - Long Force throw to the lineout is snaffled by Jackson and Havili kicks to the goal-line, where they trap Tapine behind the line for a five-metre attacking scrum.
26th minute - From the reset scrum, Hall darts and Crusaders prepare to rumble forward. Jackson spills a pass and the Force kick downfield.
25th minute - Another big Crusaders scrum, but Way doesn't allow them to capitalise, before blowing it up.
24th minute - Jackson throws long, but the Force can't gather cleanly.
23rd minute - Crusaders push at their scrum and Jordan chips ahead, but regather cleanly and they have a penalty at the scrum.
22nd minute - Crusaders concede a free-kick at the lineout and the Force surge to the 22. Godwin can't hold an offload from Kuenzle.
21st minute - Force win the lineout, but can't move the maul. Crusaders are over the breakdown and win a clearing penalty.
20th minute - Kuenzle kicks to the corner and Crusaders will have to defend this lineout.
19th minute - Jordan fields a high kick and puts a high one back, chases and almost recovers. Force tear up field and have a penalty advantage in Crusaders territory.
18th minute - Force control the kickoff, and Pasitoa's clearance his high and shallow. Crusaders knock on and Force will feed to a scrum outside their 22. Tom Christie has replaced Sione Havili in the Crusaders line-up.
16th minute - TRY to Strachan
Force shift right and Godwin kicks to the goal area, where Strachan chases and scores. Strachan hooks his conversion left.
15th minute - Fainga'anuku taps a high kick back to Jordan, but the Force pounce on a loose ball and surge into the Crusaders 22 with penalty advantage.
14th minute - From the kickoff, Mo'unga clears long and the Force are on the backfoot in their own half.
12th minute - TRY to Fainga'anuku
Hall takes a quick tap and Matera rumbles towards the posts. Fainga'anuku picks and goes, forcing for the try, before the ball goes loose.
Mo'unga leaves his conversion right of the posts, CRU 5-3
11th minute - Crusaders try to break out of their half and Jordan finds space to run. Mo'unga kicks to the goal-line and chasers are over the ruck to win a penalty.
10th minute - Force win a lineout on the 22 and surge towards the posts, but Crusaders are over the breakdown and win a clearing penalty.
Ninth minute - Another big Crusaders scrum, but Force cross halfway and Fines-Leleiwasa kicks a 50-22.
Eighth minute - Big scrum from the Crusaders and Force have to scramble their clearance. Jordan runs it back, but Force are through on a loose ball - ruled a knock-on, Force feed to scrum.
Seventh minute - Mo'unga puts up a high kick and Jordan chases, but knocks on.
Sixth minute - From the kickoff, Crusaders are through on a clearing kick and grab the ball.
Fifth minute - Force win a scrum penalty and Strachan slots the kick at goal, FOR 3-0
Fourth minute - Crusaders win a scrum free-kick and Mo'unga tries to take a quick tap, but is off the mark and Force win a scrum feed. Early jitters in the Crusaders.
Second minute - Force win the lineout, but Crusaders drive the maul backwards and win the turnover.
First minute - Jordan Way is tonight's referee and Pasitoa kicks off for the Force. His kick barely finds the field of play, before finding touch.
Jackson's throw-in is stolen by the Force and they win a penalty. Kuenzle kicks to the corner.
9:41pm - The Crusaders have had to make late changes to their line-up, with prop Oli Jager, lock Zach Gallagher, halfbcak Mitch Drummond and loose forward Dominic Gardner all dropping out on medical grounds.
Fletcher Newell will replace Jager in the starting front row, with All Black George Bower joining the bench. Cullen Grace shifts from No.8 to lock, Pablo Matera to the back of the scrum and Ethan Blackadder to blindside flank, with Sione Havili promoted to starting openside.
Bryn Hall steps in for Drummond, while debutants Seb Calder (prop) and Liam Hallam-Eames (lock) join the reserves.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific clash between Western Force and the Crusaders at Perth's nib Stadium.
After losses to the Chiefs and Blues on this side of the Tasman, the Cantabrians' vulnerabilities were against exposed by the Waratahs last week and the Super Rugby powerhouse is now desperate for a bounceback performance against the Western Australians.
Missing some of their most influential performances against the New South Welshmen, they will welcome back star first-five Richie Mo'unga in particular, although All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor takes a mandated rest.
Despite their scratchy form - and the Force's courageous showing against top-of-the-table Blues last week - this contest smells of high-scoring affair, with the Crusaders returning to somewhere near their clinical best.
One match-up of interest will see former Crusaders winger Manasa Mataele line up against his old teammates for the Force.
TAB Odds: Crusaders $1.09, Force $7
Crusaders: 1-Tamaiti Williams, 2-Ricky Jackson, 3-Oli Jager, 4-Zach Gallagher, 5-Sam Whitelock, 6-Pablo Matera, 7-Ethan Blackadder, 8-Cullen Grace, 9-Mitchell Drummond, 10-Richie Mo'unga, 11-Leicester Fainga'anuku, 12-David Havili (C), 13-Braydon Ennor, 14-George Bridge, 15-Will Jordan
Reserves: 16-George Bell, 17-Finlay Brewis, 18-Fletcher Newell, 19-Dominic Gardiner, 20-Sione Havili Talitui, 21-Bryn Hall, 22-Fergus Burke, 23-Chay Fihaki
Force: 1-Tom Robertson, 2-Feleti Kaitu'u, 3-Santiago Medrano, 4-Ryan McCauley, 5-Izack Rodda, 6-Fergus Lee-Warner, 7-Ollie Callan, 8-Tim Anstee, 9-Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 10-Reesjan Pasitoa, 11-Manasa Mataele, 12-Bayley Kuenzle, 13-Kyle Godwin, 14-Byron Ralston, 15-Jake Strachan
Reserves: 16-Andrew Ready, 17-Angus Wagner, 18-Bo Abra, 19-Jeremy Thrush, 20-Alexander Masibaka, 21-Ian Prior, 22-Jake McIntyre, 23-Richard Kahui
Robertson insists Crusaders' golden era not over after Waratahs defeat
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has paid no attention to the epitaphs written for his Super Rugby side and expects the 12-time champions will return to their dominant ways.
The Crusaders suffered a stunning defeat to the rebuilding Waratahs last week, triggering headlines that their golden era is over.
Several time zones away at Perth, preparing his team for Western Force, Robertson is oblivious to the chatter back home.
"It's the first I've heard of it," he said. "It's probably quite good to be away."
The loss to the Waratahs was the Crusaders' third this season and the first time they have had three defeats in a single campaign under Robertson, who took over as head coach in 2017 and has guided them to five titles in five seasons.
Usually top of the table, the Crusaders are third behind the leading Blues and Brumbies.
Robertson warned against placing too much importance on statistics, while conceding his team needed to improve.
"The longer you go on, the stats change," he said. "You can compare over the last five years, but there is a considerable amount of change, players, and in the group and the players we've had out there.
"We've just got to make sure we focus on them and get them right.
"We're certainly not at peak form. We've got a few things we need to address to get right and we believe we will be where we need to be."
The Crusaders were reduced to 13 men at one stage against the Waratahs and Robertson will hope for more discipline from his players at Perth.
Lock Hamish Dalzell became their third player red-carded this season, after a high tackle on Waratahs star Michael Hooper, and joined captain Scott Barrett in suspension.
Robertson rested first-five Richie Mo'unga and three other All Blacks for the Waratahs, but all return for the Force, who will brace for a backlash from the visitors.
Reuters
