Carter leads Crusaders charge
by Dan Retief | 12 March 2010 (10:15)
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| Daniel Carter © Gallo Images |
Dan Carter claimed the record as New Zealand’s leading points-scorer in Super Rugby as he guided the Crusaders to a 26-19 victory over the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday.
Blow-by-blow scoring
Carter contributed 16 points (four penalties and two conversions) off the boot to move his career tally in Super Rugby to 996 points and displace his predecessor in the Crusaders No 10 jersey, Andrew Mehrtens, as New Zealand’s leading scorer.
Carter reached the mark in 74 matches as opposed to Mehrtens’s 87 games and is in sight of going to the top of the table this season as he chases Stirling Mortlock who is on 1019 -- especially as the veteran Brumbie is not taking the goal-kicks this season now that Matt Giteau is back in Canberra.
In Friday’s match at the Waikato Stadium Carter was his usual cool and collected self as a rain squall at the start of the second half presented him with the opportunity to control field position with his accurate and varied kicking to keep the Chiefs pinned in their own half.
The elements however contrived to spoil a game that was building as a classic. In the first half the teams scored 39 points (two tries to the Saders, one to the Chiefs) as the Crusaders took a 23-16 lead but the heat went out of it in the second period as Richie McCaw’s men clinically went about the task of securing a victory.
The result secured the Crusaders’ position near the top of the Super 14 pile while the Chiefs, in spite of getting a single bonus point, continued to fudge their promising start in which they won three matches on the road only to come unstuck when they returned to Hamilton.
The Crusaders, playing with the strong wind blowing across the Waikato at their backs, made a confident start and as so often in their reign as the best side in Super Rugby the kudos went to a player stepping into the breach after an injury to a front-liner -- scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali’i taking over the No 9 jersey from Andy Ellis.
Although referee Mark Lawrence kept a tight rein on proceedings by awarding seven penalties in the first quarter and five in the second (seven to the Chiefs, five to the Saders and mostly because of the new applications) the Crusaders were well into their perpetual motion style and their cleaner, crisper recycling of the ball resulted in the opening two tries for the chunky Fotuali’i.
With play rapidly switching from end to end the Chiefs twice made poor decisions to try to keep the ball alive when they might have put it out or tied it up and Fotuali’i was on the end of the counters in the seventh and 29th minutes.
In a match that contained any number of All Black match-ups Stephen Donald kept the Chiefs in touch with three penalty goals but with the Crusaders out to 20-9 there was already a lot to do for Mils Muliaina’s men.
However the chain saws were soon set a’revving and the cow bells a’clanging when the Crusaders were reminded of how dangerous the speedy Chiefs can be as strong carries by Colin Bourke and Donald provided the momentum that Richard Kahui finished off with a try.
Donald’s conversion made it 16-20 after 33 minutes but the 39th minute provided Carter with his record-breaking opportunity as he goaled a penalty that put the Crusaders 23-16 in front at the break.
The rain which started to pelt down just as the players lined up for the start of the second half changed the complexion of exchanges and the Crusaders were just too efficient in controlling possession as they battened down the hatches to make sure of the win.
SCORERS:
Crusaders:
Tries - Kahn Fotuali'i (2). Conversions - Dan Carter (2). Penalties - Carter (4).
Chiefs:
Try - Richard Kahui. Conversion - Stephen Donald. Penalties - Donald (3).
Read more on the Super 14 page.
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