Crusaders down the Blues
February 04 2010
Dan Carter scored 11 points as the Crusaders' first-string beat the Blues 21-12 in the final Super 14 warm-up in Motueka on Thursday.
Carter weighed in with a try and three conversions in the 55 minutes he was on the paddock, wit Andy Ellis and Kieran Read also getting on the scoresheet.
The Blues kept the Crusaders scoreless in the second half, adding to Joe Rokocoko's first-half try with one by Rene Ranger.
Ellis opened the scoring by scurrying through a gap from a scrum 15m out, but Rokocoko equalised from an overlap a few moments after.
Read was pushed over from close range and Carter also darted through a gap with the Blues' close-range pillar defence looking a little uncertain.
Brett came off the bench for a rematch against his old team-mates and set up his side's second try with an inside pass that put Ranger away under the sticks.
Neither side had any major injuries to report, but the Blues will have to do without Luke McAlister until the Super 14 match against the Crusaders in Christchurch on March 6.
The Blues also have injury concerns over lock Anthony Boric who is being given a 50-50 chance of playing the season opener next weekend.
McAlister is carrying some niggling injuries that have prompted coach Pat Lam to rest him for the opening three rounds.