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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Crusaders beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 to clinch a home semifinal in Super Rugby
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — The Crusaders produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 Friday and claim home advantage in next week's Super Rugby semifinals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders' forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Advertisement Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. 'Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet and dark and we love it,' Hotham said. The result means the Crusaders are now 30-0 in home playoff matches while Australian teams are 0-20 in playoff matches in New Zealand. 'Obviously we're really disappointed with the result but I'm really proud of this group and the season that we had,' Reds captain Tate McDermott said. 'They were all over us at the breakdown and collision area and we just couldn't get into our cycle.' Advertisement The Reds fought hard and created early chances which often were undone by handling errors close to the goalline. They finally had success in the 70th minute when Josh Nasser scored from a lineout drive. Then, in the 76th minute, Fraser McReight scored from a kick by fellow backrower Harry Wilson. Replacement scrumhalf Kyle Preston finished with an intercept try for the Crusaders in the last minute. The Crusaders had scrum superiority which produced four penalties in the first half alone and dominated the collisions and the breakdown. The Reds suffered a major setback when they lost Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh to a head injury midway through the first half. Advertisement 'We had to grind it out near the end there but I think the way our forwards set it up was huge and our set piece was huge so we're really happy with that,' Crusaders captain David Havili said. In the 15th minute the Crusaders won a breakdown turnover and Havili put the ball out five meters from the Reds line. Josh Canham won the ball cleanly for the Reds but in transferring it to Fraser McReight, Barrett got a hand in the way. He regained the ball and drove over for the first try of the match. In the 20th minute, the Crusaders won a penalty close to the Reds 22 when McDermott was ruled to be not supporting his weight at a ruck. The Crusaders kicked to the corner, Barrett won the lineout and after several thrusts, Williams forced his way over. He limped from the field a few minutes later with a knee injury. Rivez Reihana landed one of two conversions and the Crusaders led 12-0 at halftime. Advertisement Reihana left the field temporarily for a head injury assessment before halftime which allowed veteran flyhalf James O'Connor to make an earlier than expected appearance against his former Reds teammates. Hotham pursued his own kick to score a brilliant try in the 57th minute and Reihana scored after the Crusaders had sorely pressed the Reds' defense from lineouts. In other matches in the first playoff round, the Chiefs will play the Auckland-based Blues in Hamilton and the ACT Brumbies will play the Wellington-based Hurricanes on Saturday. ___ AP rugby:
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Crusaders beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 to clinch a home semifinal in Super Rugby
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The Crusaders produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 Friday and claim home advantage in next week's Super Rugby semifinals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders' forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. 'Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet and dark and we love it,' Hotham said. The result means the Crusaders are now 30-0 in home playoff matches while Australian teams are 0-20 in playoff matches in New Zealand. 'Obviously we're really disappointed with the result but I'm really proud of this group and the season that we had,' Reds captain Tate McDermott said. 'They were all over us at the breakdown and collision area and we just couldn't get into our cycle.' The Reds fought hard and created early chances which often were undone by handling errors close to the goalline. They finally had success in the 70th minute when Josh Nasser scored from a lineout drive. Then, in the 76th minute, Fraser McReight scored from a kick by fellow backrower Harry Wilson. Replacement scrumhalf Kyle Preston finished with an intercept try for the Crusaders in the last minute. The Crusaders had scrum superiority which produced four penalties in the first half alone and dominated the collisions and the breakdown. The Reds suffered a major setback when they lost Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh to a head injury midway through the first half. 'We had to grind it out near the end there but I think the way our forwards set it up was huge and our set piece was huge so we're really happy with that,' Crusaders captain David Havili said. In the 15th minute the Crusaders won a breakdown turnover and Havili put the ball out five meters from the Reds line. Josh Canham won the ball cleanly for the Reds but in transferring it to Fraser McReight, Barrett got a hand in the way. He regained the ball and drove over for the first try of the match. In the 20th minute, the Crusaders won a penalty close to the Reds 22 when McDermott was ruled to be not supporting his weight at a ruck. The Crusaders kicked to the corner, Barrett won the lineout and after several thrusts, Williams forced his way over. He limped from the field a few minutes later with a knee injury. Rivez Reihana landed one of two conversions and the Crusaders led 12-0 at halftime. Reihana left the field temporarily for a head injury assessment before halftime which allowed veteran flyhalf James O'Connor to make an earlier than expected appearance against his former Reds teammates. Hotham pursued his own kick to score a brilliant try in the 57th minute and Reihana scored after the Crusaders had sorely pressed the Reds' defense from lineouts. In other matches in the first playoff round, the Chiefs will play the Auckland-based Blues in Hamilton and the ACT Brumbies will play the Wellington-based Hurricanes on Saturday. rugby: /hub/rugby
Otago Daily Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
‘War' first, a few laughs second
Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham prepares to kick during a Super Rugby Pacific game earlier this season. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES Noah Hotham is looking forward to sharing a drink with lots of his Highlanders mates tomorrow night. But he hopes there will be more bubbles in his fizz than theirs. The former Highlanders under-20 captain returns to Forsyth Barr Stadium this weekend with the high-flying Crusaders for the Super Rugby southern derby. Everywhere the halfback looks, there will be a player — Cameron Millar, Fabian Holland, Oliver Haig and others — with whom he has gone into battle for either the Baby Landers or the New Zealand under-20 team. "I spent a good amount of time down in Dunedin and I've got a lot of friends on that team," Hotham told the Otago Daily Times. "But they're the enemy this week. "After the game, we'll share some laughs, but before that, it's war." Hotham, 21, is particularly relishing the match-up at No 9 with Highlanders sparkplug Folau Fakatava. "Folau is a good mate of mine, and I learnt a lot off him when I was down in Dunedin. "It's always good to play against him. He's a great fella and obviously a great player and an attacking threat. "I love going up against a halfback who is real competitive. It only makes me better and more hungry." It was not a lot of fun for Hotham a year ago when the Crusaders were beaten 32-29 in Dunedin thanks to a masterclass from Millar, who scored 27 points. Hotham captained the Highlanders under-20 team. That was part of a grim season for the Crusaders as the perennial champions plunged to ninth place. "It was probably quite foreign to lots of people here who are used to winning quite often," Hotham said. "But a lot of it just came down to small moments. "This year, we're just taking it one week at a time, because the competition's so tight that anyone can tip up anyone on their day. "Our focus is only on the Landers this week for what should be a good southern derby down in Dunedin." Cam Roigard and Cortez Ratima would appear to be the leading contenders to play halfback for the All Blacks this season. Hotham and Fakatava are in a wider group of talented No 9s, including Finlay Christie, Xavier Roe and possibly another Crusader in Kyle Preston, eager to impress coach Scott Robertson. Hotham earned his sole test cap last year when he made an early entrance off the bench against Fiji in San Diego. He became the third in his family to represent New Zealand, following older brother Legin in the Touch Blacks and sister Jazmin in the Black Ferns Sevens. "It was obviously something very special. "But I just need to keep my feet on the ground and keep other thoughts at the back of my mind. It's about the present and doing whatever I can to help the Crusaders." Hotham is loving life in Christchurch, where he has bought a house and recently re-signed with the Crusaders until 2027. "It's exciting times for me and I'm really grateful to be here and learning lots."
