April 30, 2011
FULL TIME: Western Force-30 & Crusaders-42
The Crusaders have given their Super Rugby finals hopes a major boost with a thrilling 42-30 bonus-point victory over the Western Force in Perth.
The seven-time champions dominated the opening stages to take a 12-0 lead after just eight minutes but still had to overturn a late deficit against a spirited Force outfit to build an eight-point gap over the seventh-placed Waratahs.
The New Zealand side scored two tries within four minutes in the final stages of the game through Corey Flynn and Kahn Fotuali'i to come from behind and bounce back from last week's loss to the Highlanders.
Full-back Israel Dagg scored two tries in the first eight minutes of the match and set up Sonny Bill Williams for another before half-time to lead his side to its seventh win of the season, ahead of a difficult South African road-trip.
Cameron Shepherd scored a pair of tries for the Force, but it wasn't enough to prevent his side from blowing another late lead as their two-game winning streak ended with the type of heartbreaking loss that has plagued them throughout their existence.
The Crusaders even survived a yellow card during the second half to captain Richie McCaw, who was making his first run-on appearance of the season to claim a much-needed victory.
Matt Berquist slotted four conversions and three penalties for the Christchurch-based side, while playmaker James O'Connor made five penalties for the Force, who remain in fourth place in their conference.
The visitors scored the first try just three minutes in, when Sean Maitland broke a tackle and on his inside found Dagg, before the 23-year-old beat several tackles to score his second try shortly after.
O'Connor got the Force back in the game with three penalty goals and they took the lead when they caught the Crusaders on the break and worked the ball to Shepherd for the try midway through the half.
But their lead was short-lived as Dagg broke through once again and found Williams on his inside for the try under the posts to make the score 22-16 after just 29 minutes, before an O'Connor penalty cut the half-time margin to three.
The two sides traded penalties shortly after the break before the Force reclaimed the lead through Shepherd's second try.
But the visitors responded through Flynn's try with 10 minutes left, before Fotuali'i' scored a try to wrap up the points for the Crusaders.
FULL TIME: Western Force-30 & Crusaders-42
The seven-time champions dominated the opening stages to take a 12-0 lead after just eight minutes but still had to overturn a late deficit against a spirited Force outfit to build an eight-point gap over the seventh-placed Waratahs.
The New Zealand side scored two tries within four minutes in the final stages of the game through Corey Flynn and Kahn Fotuali'i to come from behind and bounce back from last week's loss to the Highlanders.
Full-back Israel Dagg scored two tries in the first eight minutes of the match and set up Sonny Bill Williams for another before half-time to lead his side to its seventh win of the season, ahead of a difficult South African road-trip.
Cameron Shepherd scored a pair of tries for the Force, but it wasn't enough to prevent his side from blowing another late lead as their two-game winning streak ended with the type of heartbreaking loss that has plagued them throughout their existence.
The Crusaders even survived a yellow card during the second half to captain Richie McCaw, who was making his first run-on appearance of the season to claim a much-needed victory.
Matt Berquist slotted four conversions and three penalties for the Christchurch-based side, while playmaker James O'Connor made five penalties for the Force, who remain in fourth place in their conference.
The visitors scored the first try just three minutes in, when Sean Maitland broke a tackle and on his inside found Dagg, before the 23-year-old beat several tackles to score his second try shortly after.
O'Connor got the Force back in the game with three penalty goals and they took the lead when they caught the Crusaders on the break and worked the ball to Shepherd for the try midway through the half.
But their lead was short-lived as Dagg broke through once again and found Williams on his inside for the try under the posts to make the score 22-16 after just 29 minutes, before an O'Connor penalty cut the half-time margin to three.
The two sides traded penalties shortly after the break before the Force reclaimed the lead through Shepherd's second try.
But the visitors responded through Flynn's try with 10 minutes left, before Fotuali'i' scored a try to wrap up the points for the Crusaders.
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