May 6 (Reuters) – Canterbury Crusaders flyhalf Tom Taylor
slotted five penalties, two in the final six minutes, to give
the seven-times Super Rugby champions a 15-11 victory over the
Queensland Reds in Christchurch on Sunday.
Taylor’s fifth penalty, with three minutes remaining, came
after an error by replacement winger Rod Davis, who got isolated
inside his own 22-metres area and held onto the ball too long.
“We are happy to scrape away with the win,” Crusaders
captain Kieran Read said in a televised interview. “The
performance wasn’t there but I guess it’s character for the boys
and they hung in there.”
The Reds had won the last three matches against the
Crusaders, and Sunday’s game was played with the same intensity
as last year’s final, which the Reds won 18-13.
Much of the match was played between the 22-metres areas,
and while the home side looked the most dangerous the Reds’
defence snuffed out many of their attacking movement.
The Crusaders also dropped too many passes and were heavily
penalised at the breakdown as the Reds got men over the ball.
Queensland hooker James Hanson scored the only try, created
after pressure on Crusaders scrumhalf Andy Ellis forced a
turnover in the first minute, while Taylor slotted two penalties
for the home side to give them a 6-5 lead at the break.
Queensland utility back Mike Harris gave his side the lead
again early in the second half when he kicked his first penalty
though Taylor responded with his third to give them a 9-8 lead.
Harris slotted his second penalty after replacement prop
Wyatt Crockett was sinbinned for a shoulder charge on Will
Genia, before Taylor slotted his final two penalties to give the
Crusaders the win.
“We did some really silly things and that’s what hurt us …
and we gave the Crusaders too much ball and let them off the
hook a bit,” Reds captain James Horwill said.
“There were a couple of crucial times there where things
didn’t go right for us and that let us down.”
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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