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Crusaders 49 Drua 8
Crusaders - Jager, Taylor 2, Havili Talitui, Barrett, Jordan & Heinz tries; Mo'unga 6 conversions, Burke conversion
Drua - Ravutaumada try; Lomani penalty
Fulltime
40th minute - Drua win a scrum on halfway, but knock on, as the final siren sounds. That's it - the Crusaders (or what's left of them) move on to a semi-final against the Blues.
39th minute - Fainga'anuku secures the kickoff and Heinz kicks high to halfway. Jordan chases, but loses the ball forward.
37th minute - TRY to Heinz
Crusaders still have penalty advantage, but keep the ball for several phases, before the Drua simply cannot keep tackling. The halfback ducks over between the posts.
Burke converts, CRU 49-8
36th minute - Burke kicks to the corner, Havili Talitui wins the lineout and when the ball comes free, Goodhue looks for a way through. Crusaders have another penalty advantage.
35th minute - Crusaders win the lineout and maul to the tryline. They have a penalty advantage, when Heinz knocks on.
34th minute - Fainga'anuku makes a big tackle and gets over a breakdown, winning a penalty for the Crusaders. Burke kicks to the corner.
33rd minute - Fainga'anuku tries to chip ahead, but Crusaders knock on.
32nd minute - Drua win a scrum near their line and kick ahead, but Heinz has it covered and Crusaders have the ball outside the 22.
31st minute - Mo'unga slices through centrefield into the Drua 22 and Barrett rumbles down the sideline, but Drua pick off his offload. Mo'unga is down and that's concerning.
He leaves and the Crusaders are down to 13.
30th minute - Drua are driven back to halfway by the Crusaders defence and when the ball goes loose, Mo'unga puts Fihaki into space.
29th minute - Drua win a lineout outside the Crusaders 22, but can't make headway.
28th minute - Tala kicks off, Heinz takes the bounce and Ravutaumada at the same time. Mo'unga clears.
26th minute - TRY to Jordan
McAlister powers towards the posts and Crusaders have more advantage. When the ball emerges from the ruck, Heinz switches direction, and Jordan props inside the last two defenders to reach out and score.
Mo'unga converts, CRU 42-8
25th minute - Barrett wins the lineout and Crusaders maul towards the 22. They have penalty advantage, but Goodhue powers inside the 22.
24th minute - Drua win a scrum in Crusaders half and surge towards the 22, but Crusaders win a penalty. Mo'unga finds touch near the Drua 22.
23rd minute - Gallagher comes off injured and Crusaders are out of replacements, so they have to play with 14.
22nd minute - Strange wins a lineout outside the 22 and Heinz kicks high towards halfway. Crusaders have the ball back, but Jordan knocks on.
21st minute - Drua toe a loose pass downfield and Droasese chases. When Burke dives on the ball, Droasese dives on him, conceding a clearing penalty.
20th minute - Drua keep the ball in hand, but going nowhere. Crusaders turn the ball over and enter the 22.
19th minute - Crusaders have the ball inside Drua half and Mo'unga puts Fainga'anuku into some space, but he's tackled into touch. Drua take a quick lineout.
18th minute - From the scrum, Drua run out of their 22. Ravutaumada kicks downfield and JOrdan counterattacks.
17th minute - Crusaders knock on and Drua have a defensive scrum feed.
16th minute - Blackadder is struggling already and may be heading off already. He's gone, replaced by Gallagher.
From the scrum, Heinz kicks ahead and Fainga'anuku is pulled down metres short of the tryline.
15th minute - Drua win a lineout inside Crusaders half and Lomani throws a forward pass that's knocked on anyway.
14th minute - Drua win an untidy lineout and keep the ball in hand. They win a penalty in their own half.
13th minute - Pickerill warns Barrett that Strange overreacted. Tala clears towards the Drua 10.
12th minute - Crusaders win a lineout just outside the Drua 22 and they maul forward. Drua tackling is good, but Blackadder slices through and throws a forward pass.
Strange reacts to something, throwing the ball at an opponent.
11th minute - Crusaders make a heap of changes, including Blackadder entering the game. Drua win a lineout in the Crusaders half, but Fainga'anuku wins a breakdown penalty.
Ninth minute - Drua have the ball in their own half and Ravutaumada breaks over halfway, but Crusaders turn the ball over and Jordan snaps up the ball to race away. Replays show he was offside, when Fainga'anuku toes the ball ahead, so no try.
Eighth minutes - Crusaders throw a loose pass inside their 22 and Drua snap it up, but Strange dives on a loose ball and they break upfield again.
Seventh minute - Drua chase Tala's kickoff, but knock on and the Crusaders break upfield, where Ennor enters the 22. Drua win tha turnover and Lomani clears.
Fifth minute - TRY to Barrett
Mo'unga kicks to the corner. Barrett barely wins the lineout throw and when Lio Willie lunges at the line, the lock is with him to score. Mo'unga converts, CRU 35-8
Fourth minute - Crusaders steal another Drua lineout and Taylor rumbles upfield. Crusaders have penalty advantage and lose control the ball inside the 22.
Third minute - Fihaki replaces McLeod. Crusaders steal an Drua lineout near halfway and Drummond kicks into the 22. Drua try to run it out and win another penalty.
Second minute - Crusaders build phases outside the Drua 22 and when they shift right, Fainga'anuku finds McLeod with a backhanded offload. Lio Willie enters the 22 and Drua earn a clearing penalty.
First minute - Mo'unga kicks off and Lomani clears towards halfway. Crusaders win the lineout and maul upfield.
Halftime
40th minute - From the scrum, Lomani goes left and Drua surge towards the 22, but Crusaders dive on a loose ball and the half ends with a knock on.
39th minute - Drua have a penalty and take a quick tap - they're getting back into the contest. They have another penalty, and Lomani taps and runs.
Crusaders win a turnover, but Lio Willie knocks on near his own 22.
38th minute - Drua win a long lineout throw near their 10 and break upfield.
37th minute - Jordan kicks into the 22 and the Drua have a clearing penalty.
36th minute - Drua secure the kickoff and Lomani kicks high towards halfway. Barrett spills the ball backwards and Drua grab the loose ball.
34th minute - TRY to Ravutaumada
Tala's kickoff reaches Jordan, but as the Crusaders try to clear their 22, Ravutaumada picks off Jordan's pass to score. Lomani hooks his conversion left, CRU 28-8
33rd minute - TRY to Havili Taulitui
Crusaders get a free-kick from the scrum and they'll tap. Williams goes close, then Lio Willie... the blindside flanker is next cab off the rank and can't be stopped next to the posts.
Mo'unga converts, CRU 28-3
32nd minute - Crusaders scrum screw and they lose control at the back, but Pickerill is playing advantage. They take another scrum.
30th minute - Crusaders building phases, but eventually come back for the offside penalty. They want a scrum just a few metres out from the tryline.
29th minute - Taylor breaks from the maul and tries to step the defenders. Crusaders have penalty advantage, but when they come left, Mo'unga almost breaks through to score.
28th minute - Mo'unga kicks to the corner for an attacking lineout. Drua loses prop Hetet.
Crusaders win the lineout and maul towards the tryline.
27th minute - Lomani clears a retreating Drua scrum, but they're penalised near halfway.
26th minute - Drua secure the kickoff, but make no headway upfield. Lomani kicks high and Jordan takes the ball in midair.
Drummond kicks to the ingoal, where it rolls dead, so Drua scrum near halfway.
25th minute - PENALTY to Lomani
24th minute - Muntz kicks through, Drummond has it covered and Pickerill brings them back for the penalty. Drua want points and kick for goal...
23rd minute - Drua win the lineout and Ravutaumada surges in midfield. They have penalty advantage and go left, keeping the ball in hand.
22nd minute - Drua have penalty advantage, but shift right. Ravutaumada enters the 22, but an offload goes loose and Crusaders can clear.
21st minute - Mo'unga kicks right to Ennor, but Lio Willie loses the ball in midfield and Drua kick downfield.
20th minute - Lomani clears the scrum and Drua try to run from their own line. Lomani kicks downfield, but Jordan brings it back strongly.
19th minute - Crusaders carry towards the tryline, building phases, and the Fainga'anuku wheels over to score, but Pickerill checks for knockon in the build-up.
Replays show Fainga'anuku did knock on, so Drua have a defensive scrum. Danger time.
18th minute - Jordan kicks to the ingoal for McLeod, but Drua have it covered for a dropout. Tala kicks short and Crusaders are back on attack.
17th minute - Goodhue kicks into the 22 and Crusaders regain the ball. Barrett carries towards the line and Mo'unga teases the defenders out left.
16th minute - Crusaders push the scrum, win the penalty, but run right.
15th minute - Tala's kickoff is short again, another Crusaders scrum on halfway.
14th minute - TRY to Taylor
Barrett wins the lineout and the forwards maul to the tryline. Taylor is over the line, but Pickerill is unsighted and wants to check for a knockon.
Replays confirm the try - Taylor's second. Mo'unga's conversion is good from near touch, CRU 21-0
13th minute - Crusaders win another scrum penalty and Mo'unga kicks to the corner.
12th minute - Nasilasila wins the lineout, Drua have a knockon advantage and their clearing kick is charged down, so back for the knockon.
11th minute - Crusaders win the lineout and Lio Willie surges towards the tryline, but when they shift right, McLeod puts the ball down and is bundled into touch.
10th minute - Crusaders win a scrum penalty, when the front row collapses. Mo'unga finds touch near the Drua 22.
Ninth minute - Lomani feeds the scrum, but he knocks on in the scrum under pressure.
Seventh minute - Crusaders secure the kickoff and Drummond kicks high. Drua grab the loose ball, but will have a knockon advantage.
Fifth minute - TRY to Taylor
Barrett wins the attacking lineout and Crusaders maul towards the tryline, where the hooker falls over to score. This could get ugly quickly.
Mo'unga slots the conversion, CRU 14-0
Fourth minute - Drua kickoff goes 10 and Barrett claims the ball. Mo'unga kicks over halfway and Fainga'anuku snaps up the loose ball.
Crusaders have penalty advantage and Mo'unga kicks for McLeod to chase, but the ball bounces into touch. Back for the penalty.
Second minute - TRY to Jager
From the scrum, Mo'unga kicks into the 22, but gets a return kick. Barrett cliams a kick in midfield and the Crusaders surge into the 22.
Ennor carries to within metres of the line and Jager takes the ball at pace to power over. Mo'unga converts, CRU 7-0
First minute - Brendon Pickerill will referee the game and the Drua will kick off. Muntz's kickoff doesn't reach the 10, so Crusaders scrum on halfway.
7:02pm - Suffice to say Christchurch is much colder than Lautoka, with temperatures as low as four degrees expected. Drua will perform their prematch challenge...
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final clash between the Crusaders and Fijian Drua at Christchurch's Orangetheory Stadium.
The defending champions have been building towards the business end of the season, after dropping two of their first three games to start the campaign.
One of those defeats came at Lautoka, when coach Scott Robertson chose to play his All Blacks-rest card and fielded an inexperienced line-up that immediately lost veteran midfielder David Havili to injury in the opening minutes.
In fact, three of the four Super Rugby Pacific quarter-finals are hosted by teams that lost to their opponents during the regular season - Crusaders, Chiefs and Brumbies.
The Cantabrians took a four-game winning streak into their derby against the Hurricanes last week and emerged with a stinging defeat that will have shaken them out of any complacency for the playoffs.
Unfortunately, that fixture also cost them veteran lock Sam Whitelock, who has struggled to stay on the field with injury this season, as his NZ career winds down, but they get prop Oli Jager, loose forward Ethan Blackadder and former England halfback Willi Heinz back this week.
Join us at 7pm for kickoff.
TAB Odds: Crusaders $1.04, Drua $9, Draw $36
Crusaders: 1-Tamaiti Williams, 2-Codie Taylor, 3-Oli Jager, 4-Scott Barrett, 5-Quin Strange, 6-Sione Talitui, 7-Tom Christie, 8-Christian Lio-Willie, 9-Mitch Drummond, 10-Richie Mo'unga, 11-Leicester Fainga'anuku, 12-Jack Goodhue, 13-Braydon Ennor, 14-Dallas McLeod, 15-Will Jordan
Reserves: 16-Brodie McAlister, 17-Kershawl Sykes-Martin, 18-Reuben O'Neill, 19-Zach Gallagher, 20-Ethan Blackadder, 21-Willi Heinz, 22-Fergus Burke, 23-Chay Fihaki
Drua: 1-Haereiti Hetet, 2-Tevita Ikanivere, 3-Mesake Doge, 4-Isoa Nasilasila, 5-Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, 6-Vilive Miramira, 7-Motikiai Murray, 8-Meli Derenalagi, 9-Frank Lomani, 10-Caleb Muntz, 11-Kalaveti Ravouvou, 12-Teti Tala, 13-Iosefo Masi, 14-Selestino Ravutaumada, 15-Ilaisa Droasese
Reserves: 16-Zuriel Togiatama, 17-Meli Tuni, 18-Samuela Tawake, 19-Etonia Waqa, 20-Elia Canakaivata, 21-Peni Matawalu, 22-Michael Naitokani, 23-Eroni Sau
Injured veteran Whitelock sidelined for Crusaders' Super Rugby quarter-final
Veteran lock Sam Whitelock will miss the Crusaders' Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final against Fijian Drua, after aggravating an Achilles tendon injury.
After announcing a move to France after the Rugby World Cup, Whitelock, 34, now seems likely to limp through his final weeks with the Crusaders, as they try to secure a seventh Super Rugby crown in as many years.
"Sam's not available this week obviously," said coach Scott Robertson. "We're waiting on examinations and tests and scans from his Achilles, but we're hopeful for next week."
The stalwart second-rower did not emerge for the second half of the Crusaders' meaningless regular season finale against the Hurricanes, as his team surrendered a 19-3 lead to lose.
"He wanted to look after it in the context of the match and the season ahead, which we did, but he's not quite right this week."
While Whitelock is an vital piece of the Crusaders' championship drive, he is just as crucial to the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup hopes, so he will likely be managed over the coming months to ensure he reaches the tournament in France.
He has already missed several rounds of Super Rugby Pacific with injuries this season.
"Sam had planned to have a much more-involved last season," said Robertson. "He's so important to us and so passionate about it - he trains at 100 percent still.
"He's a little bit frustrated, but we still hope he's got another game or two left in him."
