Crusaders crush Blues 52-31 to reach Super Rugby semifinals
A hattrick of tries to fullback Johnny McNicholl has helped propel the Crusaders to a 52-31 Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final win over the Blues in Christchurch.
The 35-year-old former Wales international showed he had lost none of his pace, taking full advantage of the Crusaders' ability to create space, as he proved too elusive for the Blues defence.
The Blues were right in it early, but the loss of No.8 Malachi Wrampling to a yellow card, later upgraded to a red, midway through the first half was a blow they didn't really recover from.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders continued their late season march.
Their opponents and the venue of their semifinal will be determined by the result of Saturday's Chiefs v Reds match.
If the Chiefs win that game, the Blues get another lifeline under the competition's 'lucky loser' concept, despite being outplayed by the Hurricanes, Chiefs and Crusaders (twice) in the past month.
The match started well for the Blues, as they found a hole in the Crusaders defence and halfback Sam Nock scored after just three minutes.
The Crusaders evened it up with a superb try to wing Sevu Reece.
Halfway through the first half came one of the game's big moments, with the Blues reduced to 14 men, when Wrampling's high shot snapped flanker Leicester Fainga'anuku's head back on contact. A subsequent review saw the yellow card upgraded to a 20-minute red.
The Crusaders took only two minutes to take advantage of that numerical advantage, with McNicholl scoring under the posts, after several phases attacking the Blues line.
While flanker Anton Segner replied for the Blues to level the scores at 14-all, the Crusaders hit top gear, running in three unanswered tries before halftime to take a 33-14 lead.
They also struck a crucial blow early in the second half, with McNicholl's second try, and while the Blues hit back with a Savi Taele try, McNicholl scored his third and it was pretty much all over from there.