Dan Carter helps Crusaders to Super Rugby final by defeating Stormers
Crusaders have defeated Stormers 29 – 10 in the second Super Rugby semifinal at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town on Saturday July 2. Crusaders won the match by a margin of 19 points mainly because of the exceptional display of rugby by their star international
fly half Dan Carter.
Carter scored 19 points in the match, which included six penalties and two conversions.
Stormers were playing in front of their home crowd and started the match strongly. They dominated ball and territory possession in the first 10 minutes of the game. Stormers were first to score in the pressure game courtesy of their fly half Peter Grant’s
sixth minute penalty.
However, the visitors came back strongly as they tried to control the ball and up the pace of the game. Crusaders equalised in the 13th minute of the game courtesy of their star fly half Dan Carter.
Following Carter’s penalty, Crusaders’ winger Sean Maitland intercepted a pass from the Stormers number eight Nick Foster and ran away to score the first try of the match in the 16th minute of the game. Carter followed with a conversion to take
the scorecard reading 10 – 3.
Carter didn’t stop there and had two successful penalties in the 19th and 24th minute of the game to extend the visitors lead by 13 points.
Stormers were able to take control of the ball for a brief passage of play but failed to score. In the 35th minute, Crusaders won the ball in a line-out and the quick hands of Sonny Bill Williams offloaded to Robert Fruean to score their second
try of the game. Carter followed by a conversion to leave host trailing by 20 points.
With a couple of minutes remaining in the first-half, Stormers winger Bryan Habana scored their first try of the match. Grant followed with a conversion to take the scorecard reading 23 – 10 in favour of Crusaders.
Stormers were trailing by 13 points at the start of the second-half. Stormers were getting desperate and brought out Schalk Brits on to the field as a replacement for the injured flanker Schalk Burger. Carter scored his fourth penalty of the game in the
42nd minute to extend the visitors lead up to 16 points.
In the remaining 38 minutes of the game both teams tried to secure the ball and territory possession but failed to turn the possession into a scoring opportunity. Only Crusaders were able to add three points to their score courtesy of Carter’s 64th
minute penalty that took the scorecard reading 29 – 10.
The scorecard read the same at the end of the game as Crusaders secured their Super Rugby final date with Reds on next Saturday at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
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