Crusaders beat Blues 22-16
Posted: Friday March 05, 1999 01:40 PM
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Mehrtens extended his Canterbury's advantage to 12-5 courtesy of a penalty in the 31st minute. David Rogers/Allsport |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) - All Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens
kicked 17 points Friday to lead defending Super 12 rugby champions
Canterbury to a 22-16 win over last season's beaten finalist
Auckland.
Canterbury made most of the running when confronted by a poor
Blues lineup in the second-round match.
"It was frustrating, we wanted quick decisions in the scrums
but that never happened," Crusaders captain Todd Blackadder said.
Blues captain Craig Dowd said the respective front rows failed
to settle into the game.
"It was just as Todd said, it was frustrating and we never got
intothe game," Dowd said.
The Crusaders struck first after early Auckland pressure when
Mehrtens landed the first of his five penalties and then added a
second for 6-0.
Auckland struck back in the 18th minute when the ball was moved
through the backs for Joeli Vidiri to score after Glenn Taylor
burst his way past at least two tacklers from a lineout.
Two minutes later the Blues were ruled offside and Mehrtens
kicked an easy penalty to make it 9-5.
He extended his team's advantage to 12-5 courtesy of another
penalty in the 31st minute.
Auckland first five-eighth Carlos Spencer kicked a penalty in
the 37th minute from in front of the posts to narrow the difference
to 8-12 at halftime.
Four minutes into the seond half Spencer cut the deficit down
to one point with a successful penalty as the Blues made a good
start to the second half but another Mehrtens penalty restored a
four-point margin.
All Blacks scrum half Justin Marshall crossed for a try to put
Canterbury safely ahead. Vidiri scored a second and might have
changed the result when he knocked on with a third on the cards.
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