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Crusaders put Tahs to sword
March 21, 2008 THE Crusaders have continued their undefeated start to the Super 14 season, beating New South Wales 34-7 in the opening match of round six.
The Waratahs claimed the lead, 7-6, in the 50th minute, with a converted try against the run of play from No.8 Wycliff Palu, after a great bust and offload from half-back Brett Sheehan, but the Crusaders then scored four tries in 27 minutes to stretch their winning streak to six matches.
"There's still plenty of football to go in this season, so we just need to go back to Sydney and hopefully improve on that effort,'' NSW skipper Phil Waugh said.
The competition frontrunners hit back almost immediately after falling behind, with centre Casey Laulala celebrating his 100th game for the Crusaders with a fine try to restore his team's lead.
Laulala outjumped Sheehan to reel in a midfield bomb from Tim Bateman before palming off Waratahs full-back Lachie Turner and racing 35 metres to score in the corner.
Dan Carter nailed the sideline conversion, after slotting two penalty goals to give the Crusaders a 6-0 lead at the break, to put the home side up 13-7 after 53 minutes.
The Crusaders led 20-7 nine minutes later, after No.8 Mose Tuiali'i drove over next to the posts after 17 phases of pressure from the Crusaders.
And replacement prop Wyatt Crockett put the issue beyond doubt with the Crusaders' third try, in the 75th minute, before full-back Scott Hamilton secured the bonus point with his team's fourth try in final minute.
Carter finished the match with a personal tally of 14 points from a four conversions and two penalties from six attempts.
Waugh couldn't fathom how the Waratahs had nothing to show for keeping the Crusaders - the most potent attacking team in the competition - tryless for almost an hour.
"We tried our hearts out,'' Waugh said. "It's hard to explain how a match can be so even but then one team can score four tries to one. "We couldn't consolidate as we needed to after we got that try after halftime. We couldn't get any field position and that hurt us in the end. "They hung in there and grinded it out.''
Crusaders captain Richie McCaw said: "We knew if we could hold onto the ball the opportunities would come. "That's the way it goes with tough games of rugby. They can be very close for a long time then open up in the last five or 10 minutes.''
AAP