By Iliesa Tora
Danny Toala of Moana Pasifika in the tackle of Noah Hotham of the Crusaders amd Fletcher Newell of the Crusaders during the Super Rugby Pacific. Photo: John Davidson / www.photosport.nz
Moana Pasifika stuck to their guns and subdued the Crusaders at home in Christchurch on Saturday night, winning their Super Rugby Pacific battle 45-29 in a history-making display.
During the week, captain Ardie Savea and head coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga had called for the players to believe in themselves, start the game well, do the basics right and be consistent for 80 minutes.
They told the media they understood the tough challenge they faced, playing the Crusaders at "the fortress".
Savea led his warriors in doing just that as they rattled, bruised, and bulldozed the Crusaders into submission, at the Apollo Projects Stadium, in front of ardent local fans, who were forced to stand in awe of their visitors' display.
Ferocious tackling and power play with the ball in hand were the hallmarks of the Moana Pasifika side, who started with a bang through a Savea try in the third minute of the game and never let their feet go off the paddle.
Savea ended up with two tries to his name, with Man of the Match and flyhalf Patrick Pellegrini, Danny Toala, Miracle Failangi and Papesana Patafilo adding tries to their names also in the match.
The Crusaders were clearly shocked in the first 40 minutes of the game when they were rattled by the fired-up Moana side, especially since the home team had dominated the defending champions Blues at Eden Park last weekend.
Near misses against the Highlanders and the Chiefs at home in North Harbour were tough lessons for the visitors, but they showed they had learned from their mistakes, as coach Umaga had alluded to during the week.
In the end, a teary-eyed and emotional Savea, who made his return for the game after a hamstring that kept him out of action against the Chiefs, said he was proud of the momentous achievement - an upset win against the Crusaders on their home turf in Christchurch.
"After last week, we said we wanted to start well, and we did that," Savea said.
Danny Toala of Moana Pasifika is tackled by Ethan Blackadder of the Crusaders during the Super Rugby Pacific - Crusaders v Moana Pasifika at Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch. Photo: John Davidson / www.photosport.nz
"We talked about moments and winning each moment. I felt like the boys stacked a lot of those moments together tonight and came away with the win.
"I'm just proud of the boys and proud of the boys at home who helped us prepare well."
Savea said pre-match during the week that going to Christchurch to play the Crusaders was going to be a daunting task but he said they could win if they did their work.
That they did, and in style too.
And in the end the side were able to avenge the 43-10 loss they suffered at the same venue almost 12 months ago.
"We kind of knew no one was expecting us to win, so the message was for the boys just to jam and play with nothing to lose," the All Blacks vice-captain said.
"We certainly did that tonight. We came here, did the job, and I'm just proud of the boys. They deserve everything that comes their way."
It got off to a perfect start for the visitors.
Playmaker Pellegrini set the tone for the first attack, kicking the ball from inside their own 22 metres, sending out over the Crusaders 22 and into touch, earning a 50/22, which meant they had the lineout throw.
Captain Savea barged over to claim his first try from the ensuing play.
He said the team has the heart and will because they pray and believe in divine intervention as well, which has helped them.
"Our team always pray to God, we start with him and we finish with him," the All Black tough man said.
"We are just trying to uplift our rugby and our rugby IQ and I think we got to that point.
"And with that Poly flair, we can put teams under pressure."
Savea showed no sign of the hamstring that forced him off the field at halftime against the Hurricanes, which led to him also missing the Chiefs clash last weekend.
Miracle Faillagi celebrates scoring a try with Pepesana Patafilo during the Crusaders v Moana Pasifika, Super Rugby Pacific match, Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch. Photo: Joseph Johnson/ActionPress
He was ably supported by Miracle Failangi and Pellegrini, who directed the team's play, and said the team just did their job and worked on starting well, as they had discussed during the week.
He said they had also learned from the last 40 minutes of their clash against the Chiefs a week earlier.
"We knew we just had to do our job for the full 80 minutes and everyone just buying in and believing that we could do it for the full 80," the 'Ikale Tahi playmaker said.
"Definitely what we did in that last 40 [minutes against the Chiefs] gave us heaps of confidence."
He said he was enjoying his opportunity to play in the starting lineup and reckons the team is getting better with more time together.
"The more we play together, the more we grow these combinations."
Pellegrini revealed they were told to stay come in the second half and stick to their game plan.
The nippy fly-half said playing against former Wallaby James O'Connor in the Crusaders colour and coming out on top was massive for him.
Losing captain, Nathan Blackadder said Moana Pasifika were fired up.
"They just rolled up their sleeves tonight, you saw in that first half, especially their support work, they had great chemistry tonight," Blackadder conceded after the torrid battle.
"We just could not build enough pressure and were ill-disciplined and that cost us at times.
"I was really happy about how we responded in the second half but it wasn't enough in the end."
The Crusaders did respond in the second half after Moana Pasifika had led 28-10 at the breather.
Marca Springer, Cody Taylor and Mitch Drummond scored tries after play resumed for the second 40, adding to what hooker Ioane Moananu had registered in the first half.
However, as Blackadder said, it was too little, too late to stop history being written in the books of the visitors from Albany.
The win is the second for Moana Pasifika, who had also claimed the Hurricanes scalp in the third round at home.
Moana Pasifika 45 (Ardie Savea 2, Danny Toala, Patrick Pellegrini, Miracle Faiilagi, Pepesana Patafilo tries; Patrick Pellegrini 6 cons, pen)
Crusaders 29 (Ioane Moananu, Macca Springer, Codie Taylor, Mitchell Drummond tries; James O'Connor con, pen, Rivez Reihana con)
HT: 28-10
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