Crusaders v Fijian Drua: Five takeaways as Codie Taylor shines in milestone match and Leicester Fainga’anuku sends ‘reminder’ to Dave Rennie
Fijian Drua number eight Elia Canakaivata (inset) and Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor.
Following the Crusaders’ 69-26 win over the Fijian Drua in their Super Rugby Pacific clash at the Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on Friday, Planet Rugby picks out five takeaways from the thrilling action.
The top line
As the scoreline suggests, this was a one-sided affair in which the home side dominated proceedings from the kick-off and continued in that vein for the full 80 minutes.
The Crusaders made an excellent start with a brace of tries apiece from Sevu Reece and Codie Taylor, as well as a five-pointer from fellow All Blacks star Leicester Fainga’anuku, giving them a comfortable 31-0 lead by the 25th minute.
The Drua eventually opened their account when Joseva Tamani crossed the whitewash before Chay Fihaki and Elia Canakaivata traded tries, which meant the Crusaders held a 38-12 lead at half-time.
It was a similar story in the second half when Taylor sealed his hat-trick soon after the restart, but the Drua replied in style with another Canakaivata five-pointer in the 45th minute.
Taylor then went over for his fourth try shortly afterwards, but the visitors did not surrender and were rewarded in the 54th minute when ex-Crusaders speedster Manasa Mataele dotted down.
It was all Crusaders after that, and they were rewarded with further five-pointers from Corey Kellow, Fihaki and Seb Calder, which meant they outscored the Drua by 11 tries to four en route to an emphatic victory.
Codie Taylor celebrates milestone match in style
This fixture will live long in the memory of the experienced All Blacks hooker as he made his 150th appearance for Super Rugby‘s most successful team and delivered a performance which was worthy of the special occasion.
Taylor took to the field alongside his wife and three children and was greeted by players from his local club, Sydenham, who performed a passionate haka in honour of the 35-year-old.
Once that formality was out of the way, Taylor hit the ground running during the clash as he crossed for two early tries in familiar fashion – off the back of lineout drives – deep inside Drua territory.
The Test centurion was far from done, however, as early in the second half he burrowed his way over the whitewash from close quarters, before crossing for his fourth try, gathering a miss pass from Fainga’anuku out wide in the 48th minute.
Taylor was then replaced by George Bell in the 52nd minute and left the field to a standing ovation from the Crusaders faithful, which was a fitting gesture after his outstanding performance in his milestone match.
Few positives for the Drua
From the kick-off, the visitors were on the back foot as the Crusaders held the upper hand in most facets of play.
After the Crusaders raced into an early lead courtesy of Reece’s early unconverted try, the Drua thought they had drawn level in the ninth minute when hard-running number eight Canakaivata dotted down, but the try was disallowed by referee Paul Williams after television replays revealed a double movement before the ball was grounded.
The rest of the half was a one-sided affair as the Crusaders continued to stamp their authority on the match, but, to their credit, the visitors did not surrender, and their efforts were rewarded with tries from Tamani and Canakaivata just before the interval.
Although it was a similar story in the second half, with the Crusaders’ brilliance on attack being rewarded with several further tries, the Drua scored arguably the best try of the match in the 45th minute.
This, after they launched an attack from inside their half, and the ball went through several pairs of hands before the impressive Canakaivata rounded off.
The Drua’s enterprising play was rewarded again 10 minutes later when Mataele went over for his five-pointer, but that was as good as it got for the visitors, who faded badly during the game’s latter stages.
Fitting farewell to the Apollo Projects Stadium
This encounter was the Crusaders’ last at the Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch, and what made it extra special was that the home side’s victory meant they finished with 100 wins at the venue.
The stadium has been used as a replacement venue since 2012, as the Crusaders’ old home venue, Lancaster Park, was damaged due to an earthquake in Christchurch the previous year.
Since then, the Crusaders have had great success at the venue, winning multiple Super Rugby titles while the stadium serves as their home ground.
The 100th victory notched at the stadium in their farewell match, from the Crusaders, fits the occasion as they now move to the newly completed One NZ Stadium in Christchurch.
The Crusaders’ next two matches are away to the Reds and Western Force, but they are set to play their first game at their new home venue when they host the Waratahs in the opening game of the competition’s Super Round on April 24.
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Leicester Fainga’anuku catches the eye
With Dave Rennie appointed as the All Blacks’ new head coach last month, all New Zealand’s Super Rugby players will be hoping to impress him ahead of the 2026 Test schedule, and one player who gave Rennie a timely reminder of his ability is Crusaders utility back Fainga’anuku.
Equally adept in midfield and on the wing, Fainga’anuku featured in the number 13 jersey in this encounter and came to the fore with an excellent all-round display.
The 26-year-old caught the eye with superb physicality either side of the ball, and his attacking skills were rewarded with two try assists and a well-taken five-pointer, scored in the opening half.
Fainga’anuku’s assists were top quality, with him finding Reece with a perfectly weighted crossfield kick in the 23rd minute before he also threw the final pass to Taylor in the 48th minute.
In the end, Fainga’anuku gained 54 metres on attack while making 14 tackles on defence, and he can be very happy with his overall performance.
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