Crusaders beat Waratahs 41-22 to stay unbeaten in Super Rugby
Last Updated: 02/04/17 5:25pm
The Crusaders continued the misery for Australian teams this Super Rugby season with a clinical 41-22 win over the Waratahs in Sydney.
The classy Kiwi outfit won the try-count 6-3 to claim their tenth straight win over Australian teams, and they relaimed top spot in the standings after making it six wins from six.
However, it was a bad weekend for the Australian teams, who lost all of their four games against New Zealand opposition.
Centre Tim Bateman scored a brace of tries for the Crusaders, who punished a leaky Waratahs defence on a breezy day at Sydney Football Stadium.
Full-back David Havili set up an early try for winger George Bridge down the left touch-line and then crossed himself minutes later, racing through a yawning hole after a defensive mix-up between Michael Hooper and Tolu Latu.
Hooper replied with a try for the hosts but Bateman then crossed twice as Canterbury eased clear.
However, the Waratahs made a game of it early in the second half, tries from Jake Gordon and Taqele Naiyaravoro getting them to within four points at 26-22 after 52 minutes.
Gordon scored a sumptuous set-piece try, bursting through the midfield and charging to the line, while replacement winger Naiyaravoro then fired up the home crowd with a brilliant finish, receiving the ball at the 10-metre mark on the right touch-line and bowling over Bridge before thundering over.
But the Kiwis weathered the storm, defending stoutly to frustrate the hosts on the try-line, and fly-half Mitch Hunt slotted a penalty in the 59th minute to give the Crusaders a seven-point buffer.
And the Waratahs defence crumbled late on, a rash of missed tackles paving the way for Bryn Hall's try with eight minutes left, before replacement hooker Ben Funnell rumbled over in the 76th minute to wrap up the match.
Crusaders skipper Sam Whitelock said: "We were good at times but we made a few mistakes in the first half and they came back and got points off our mistakes.
"We knew we had to pick it up and we had to work hard and the boys did that."
His Waratahs counterpart Hooper said: "We were really strong for 50-60 minutes.
"I thought with a line-out seven points down we were going to score and get even, but the Crusaders were really strong in the last 20 minutes."
