Crusaders crush Cheetahs

The Crusaders showed no mercy on the Cheetahs in their 55-7 Super 14 thumping at AMI Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday.

It was never going to be easy for the winless South African tourists up against the undefeated Crusaders in their own backyard.

The writing was on the wall for the Cheetahs as early as the first half after going into the break 33-0 down, conceding five tries in the process.

The second half was a bit better for the toothless Cheetahs - this was perhaps down to the Crusaders giving their bench a run - and managed to dot down through an intercept.

But the damage was done and a solitary score could not hide the nine tries put past them by the better team on the night.

The Cheetahs were forced to defend for their lives from the kick-off after Casey Laulala was denied a try in the opening minute by his foot creeping into touch.

In perfect conditions for running rugby, full-back Leon MacDonald sailed the ball over the heads of his two team-mates to Sean Maitland on the wing for the opening score of the match.

The 19-year old still had some work to do, a hand-off on his opposite number making way for his run in under the posts for Dan Carter to convert.

Carter was again average with the boot, kicking five of the nine tries scored in the match.

But his play with ball in hand was top drawer and was responsible for setting up Laulala's first touchdown after a clever grubber ahead caught the Cheetahs' defence in tatters.

Advantage

The Cheetahs' were too busy focusing on the attackers out wide and forgot about the players in front of them. Carter took advantage and Laulala was under the posts in the 17th minute.

Carter picked up a try of his own just two minutes later after Jongi Nokwe failed to control a kick ahead by Andrew Ellis.

Stephen Brett teamed up well with Carter at inside centre and was on hand to set up MacDonald steaming home for the Crusaders' fourth-try bonus point in the 26th minute.

The Cheetahs did little to stall the home side's progress after Hamilton raced in for his first try of the match thanks to a bull-dozing run from skipper Richie McCaw in the midfield.

So with the result signed, sealed and effectively delivered by half-time, Deans took the opportunity to rest captain McCaw, Ellis and prop Ben Franks for the second spell.

A familiar pattern followed after the interval, the Crusaders refusing to drop their standards as Hamilton crossed again in the 47th minute after accurate work from his inside players.

Nokwe poached an intercept try three minutes later for the Cheetahs but it represented only a brief blip as the Crusaders added further tries to hooker Ti'i Paulo, Ralph and a second for Laulala.

The Crusaders were throwing the ball about like and Paulo was the recipient of their seventh try starting the final quarter after replacement Kieran Read threw a long pass to clear the last of the defence.

The eighth try was scored in the same left corner, this time to Ralph who hauled in a high lobbed pass by Hamilton.

Carter missed his fourth wide conversion but the Crusaders led 48-7 and the half-century of points came up with five minutes to go when Hamilton carved through and Laulala had his second try under the cross-bar.

A miserable match for the Cheetahs ended with captain Hendro Scholtz being sin-binned in the last minute for holding back Carter after a kick ahead with nobody covering in defence.