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The Crusaders claimed top spot in this year's Super 14 with a hard-fought 29-24 victory over the Western Force at the Subiaco Oval in Perth
A blistering final half-hour shot the Crusaders to the top of the Super 14 rugby ladder with a 29-24 over a brave Western Force in Perth tonight.
Before a home crowd of 27,000 in evening temperatures hovering around 30degC, the Force looked poised for a major upset when they led 24-12 in the 50th minute.
But the unbeaten Crusaders showed their champion qualities to quell the hosts with 17 unanswered points and five tries to four, to overtake the Blues and Sharks into top spot.
Centre Casey Laulala broke a 24-24 deadlock with a counter-attacking try in the 68th minute from an errant Matt Giteau clearing kick, and the visitors' defence held as the Force attacked desperately in the dying minutes.
Two bonus points propelled the Force to sixth, in between the Hurricanes and Brumbies.
The Crusaders had only conceded one try in their three previous wins in 2008 but the fired-up Force outmuscled the visitors and pierced their defence in the first half, registering a four-try bonus point in the 49th minute.
It brought back memories of the Crusaders' only previous visit to Subiaco in 2006 when the sides drew 23-23.
Tonight the Force led 17-12 after a seesawing, five-try first half.
The hosts dominated the opening 10 minutes, attacked with purpose and were rewarded with the opening try when hard-working flanker David Pocock dived over out wide from quick hands after eight phases of buildup.
The Crusaders then looked to be asserting themselves through their powerful scrum which led to back-to-back tries to Daniel Carter and Greg Somerville.
From a scrum on the 22m line, Carter drifted across and bumped off Giteau to cross under the posts.
Then Somerville dived over with help from fellow-prop Ben Franks to make it 12-5 in the 27th minute after another powerful shove which saw No 8 Mose Tuiali'i go close.
But the Force weren't done with and two tries in five minutes gave them a deserved halftime lead.
Centre Ryan Cross raced 35m in a fine solo effort after a cut back with Giteau, then the Force gave the Crusaders a taste of their own medicine.
Richie McCaw was turned over on the halfway line, No 8 Richard Brown sent the backs away and Cross raced down the right touch, firing an in-pass to Brown to finish a stunning movement.
Suddenly it was 24-12 early in the second half after Drew Mitchell intercepted a McCaw pass 5m out, the Force swept back onto attack and Lachlan McKay crossed after a 50m move from a quick tap.
The Crusaders looked rattled but they were stung into action, rattling in two tries in three minutes to tie it up 24-24 and set up a tense final 20 minutes.
Lock Ali Williams scored from a quick tap 5m out after a period of pressure then there was another contender for try of the match when halfback Andrew Ellis started and finished a 60m blindside attack with great work from loose forwards Keiran Read and Tuiali'i.
"We had to work hard for it, hell -- we're very relieved," Crusaders captain McCaw said, admitting they were flat at halftime.
"We just didn't put any pressure on them, we either turned the ball over or gave it back to them.
"(After halftime) we wanted to keep the ball in, play down their end and force them into mistakes, and fortunately a few came."
Force captain Nathan Sharpe rued a missed chance for an upset.
"The disappointing thing is we presented too many opportunities in our defensive area, too many turnovers... the Crusaders are the masters of tidying that up and they made us pay," he said.
Crusaders 29 (Daniel Carter, Greg Somerville, Ali Williams, Andrew Ellis, Casey Laulala tries; Carter 2 con)
Force 24 (David Pocock, Ryan Cross, Richard Brown, Lachlan MacKay tries; Matt Giteau 2 con). Halftime: Force 17-12.
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