Rugby-Crusaders edge Blues in arm-wrestle to reach Super Rugby Pacific final
(Reuters) -Will Jordan scored two tries as the Canterbury Crusaders recovered from an early deficit to edge the reigning champion Auckland Blues 21-14 in an intense clash at Christchurch Stadium on Friday and reach a 17th Super Rugby final.
The Blues hammered away at the home try line for more than six minutes after the hooter looking for a converted try to force overtime but came away empty-handed as the Crusaders' defence held firm and kept them on track for a 13th title.
A try from Tom Christie set the Crusaders on their way as they fought back from 14-0 down in the 21st minute to guarantee a return to their home fortress next week to face the Waikato Chiefs or ACT Brumbies.
Neither the Chiefs nor Brumbies, who meet in the second semi-final on Saturday, will relish a trip to Christchurch, where the Crusaders are now unbeaten in 31 playoff matches over the three decades of Super Rugby.
The Blues made it clear that they would be looking to play an expansive game from the third minute when Beauden Barrett fired a crosskick over to Caleb Clarke on the left wing.
The Crusaders snuffed out the danger that time but the visitors soon silenced the crowd when a raking AJ Ram kick resulted in a five-metre scrum and winger Mark Tele'a dived over in the corner for the opening try.
The home side were reduced to 14 men when Braydon Ennor was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle and centre Rieko Ioane went over under the posts to double the lead with a second try for the Blues.
The Crusaders cut the deficit soon after being returned to a full complement when openside flanker Christie forced his way over from close range after series of his teammates had been repelled.
Blues prop Joshua Fusitu'a was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on All Blacks captain Scott Barrett three minutes later and the crowd was back to full voice just before the break when Jordan crossed for a converted try to level up the scores.
The Blues spurned a straightfoward shot at goal from a 51st minute penalty before knocking on from the tap and being pinged by the referee at the resultant scrum.
The Crusaders then laid siege to the Blues line, turning down several potential shots at goal in favour of kicks to touch before Jordan played tight forward to finally force the ball over the line with 10 minutes left on the clock.
Flyhalf Rivez Reihana slotted his third conversion to take the lead out to 21-14 and the visitors' woes deepened when number eight Hoskins Sotutu was sent to the sin bin minutes later.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
What's big, glowing and no longer Olympic? Paris has the answer
The Paris Games may be over, but the flame is still rising - just don't call it Olympic. The helium-powered hot-air balloon that lit up the French capital's skyline during the 2024 Games is making a dramatic comeback to the Tuileries Gardens, reborn as the "Paris Cauldron.' Thanks to an agreement with the International Olympic Committee, the renamed marvel will now lift off into the sky each summer evening - a ghostly echo of last year's opening ceremony - from June 21 to Sept. 14, for the next three years. Gone is the official "Olympic' branding - forbidden under IOC reuse rules - but not the spectacle. The 30-meter-tall (98-foot-tall) floating ring, dreamed up by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and powered by French energy company EDF, simulates flame without fire: LED lights, mist jets and high-pressure fans create a luminous halo that hovers above the city at dusk, visible from rooftops across the capital. "It's one of those monuments in Paris that could stay,' said Laurent Broéze, a local architect pausing in the gardens on Thursday. "It was set up temporarily, but a bit like the Eiffel Tower, it makes sense for it to return. It's a bit of a shame they want to take it down later, but maybe it could be installed somewhere else, I don't know.' Though it stole the show in 2024, the cauldron's original aluminum-and-balloon build was only meant to be temporary - not engineered for multiyear outdoor exposure. A view of a sculpture of the biblical Cain by Henri Vidal next to the Olympic cauldron and its balloon on the day of a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, at the Tuileries Garden in Paris, France, 12 June 2025. YOAN VALAT/Pool via REUTERS To transform it into a summer staple, engineers reinforced it: The aluminum ring and tether points were rebuilt with tougher components to handle rain, sun and temperature changes over several seasons. Aérophile, Paris's tethered balloon specialist, redesigned the winch and tether system to meet aviation rules, allowing safe operation in winds up to 20-25 kph (12-15 mph). Hydraulic, electrical, and misting systems were fortified - not only to ensure smooth nightly flights but to endure months of wear and tear untested on the original design. These retrofits shift the cauldron from a fragile, one-off spectacle to a resilient, summerlong landmark - prepared to withstand everything Paris summers can throw at it. The structure first dazzled during the Paris 2024 Games , ignited on July 26 by Olympic champions Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner. Over just 40 days, it drew more than 200,000 visitors, according to officials. Now perched in the centre of the drained Tuileries pond, the cauldron's return is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's effort to preserve the Games' spirit in the city, as Paris looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Visitors have already begun to gather. "Beautiful,' said Javier Smith, a tourist from Texas. "And the place where it's going to be, or is sitting now, it's beautiful. All these beautiful buildings, the Louvre, all that is fantastic.' Access is free and unticketed. The cauldron will be on display from morning to night, igniting with light from 10 a.m. and lifting off each evening after the garden closes - 10:30 p.m. in June and July, with earlier times through September. It will float above the city for several hours before quietly descending around 1 a.m. The "flame,' while entirely electric, still conjures a sense of Olympic poetry. "Yes, we came for a little outing focused on the statues related to mythology in the Tuileries Garden,' said Chloé Solana, a teacher visiting with her students. "But it's true we're also taking advantage of the opportunity, because last week the Olympic cauldron wasn't here yet, so it was really nice to be able to show it to the students.' The cauldron's ascent may become a new rhythm of the Parisian summer, with special flights planned for Bastille Day on July 14 and the anniversary of the 2024 opening ceremony on July 26. It no longer carries the Olympic name. But this phoenix-like cauldron is still lifting Paris into the clouds - and into memory. – AP
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Football club investor Eagle files for US IPO, Bloomberg News reports
FILE PHOTO: The logo for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is displayed at the NYSE in New York City, U.S., July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo (Reuters) -Eagle Football Holdings, one of the most active investors in global football clubs, has confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The France-based company submitted a draft registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the report added, citing a company statement. The firm has been working with UBS Group AG on the potential IPO, the report said. Eagle Football, run by U.S. businessman John Textor, holds stakes in multiple football clubs including Olympique Lyonnais, Crystal Palace and Brazil's Botafogo. The SEC and Eagle Football did not immediately respond to request for comment outside regular business hours. (Reporting by Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Boca Juniors defender Costa gets special U.S. visa for Club World Cup following earlier rejection
BOCA JUNIORS defender Ayrton Costa will be able to take part in the Club World Cup in the United States following a u-turn by U.S. immigration officials who had previously rejected his visa application, the Argentine club said on Friday. 'Ayrton Costa has been granted a 26-day special visa,' a club spokesperson told Reuters. Costa's visa application was subject to a criminal complaint in his native Argentina, relating to an aggravated robbery in 2018, which he avoided trial for by accepting a probationary sentence in 2023. However, U.S. officials previously ruled that he could not enter the country as he was still serving his sentence. The press office at the U.S. embassy in Argentina told Reuters that they cannot discuss individual visa applications. Boca Juniors will open the tournament in Miami on Monday against Portuguese side Benfica.
