Super Rugby Pacific Round 12 - Crusaders 15-3 Blues
Super Rugby Pacific Round 12 clash between The Crusaders and The Blues which was played at Christchurch's Orangetheory Stadium. The low-scoring affair was a mix of the Crusaders keeping the Blues quiet all evening in Christchurch with dominance of territory and possession and an error-filled second half headlined by Papali'i's early sendoff. It was a moment that was part of what proved to be a seriously impactful series of phases for the game with the Crusaders moments later seemingly knocking the ball on in clear sight before going on to score a try on the left edge via a superb Leicester Fainga'anuku finish which was the highlight of an otherwise tight and feisty encounter which saw with both sides losing players to serious medical issues after heavy collisions. Crusaders prop Joe Moody was the first to go with an ankle injury, before Blues lock Sam Darry suffered a suspected broken arm. It was also Akira Ioane’s 100th appearance for the Blues.
