The Crusaders secured a narrow 11-7 win over the Stormers in a dour Super 14 match in Christchurch on Saturday, with the defending champions continuing their move up the ladder and keeping their play-off hopes alive.

It was an awful game. If there had been a team playing called Errors it would have won hands down. It was a game without enthusiasm — perhaps except for the last tackle-ruck which the Crusaders piled into so that they could kick the ball out and end the game, a form of euthanasia.

The Stormers were on the field for 80 minutes but for 69 of them they scored not a single point as the Crusaders dominated territory and possession. It was not all Crusaders' good play that kept the Stormers ball-less and land-less. They contributed to it, above all with their poor kicking. They aimed the kicks poorly, three times kicked into touch on the full (twice by Willem de Waal after the ball had been taken back into his 22 as if this was some new law innovation) and found chasing the ball an unnecessary chore. Mind you there was little point in chasing such kicks.

The two flyhalves contributed to a game without plan or control. But then the scrumhalves were often scrambling for scraps to play with.

In the end the Crusaders deserved their meagre win.

Just some few figures about the game tell the story of its drabness.

There were 22 scrums in the match with 11 resets. That made 33 scrums put down and they were seldom scrums that happened at much speed. In addition there were six free kicks and a penalty at scrum time.

There were 22 line-outs and both hookers took a long time to get the ball in, which did nothing to produce a lively match.

There were 21 free kicks, 13 at the tackle. There were no yellow cards. Last weekend there was a match in which the use of cards was excessive; this time it did not happen when well it might have.

There were two tries. They were in the first half. In the whole of the second half there was just a solitary penalty goal.

The first was the moment of individual brilliance in the match. Somewhere near the Crusaders 22, the home team was free kicked. Ricky Januarie tapped and gave to Luke Watson. The number eight had no room and no impetus but turning and swirling he beat five tacklers in his 22-metre run to the line. 7-0 after 11 minutes.

The Stormers had another great chance of a try but a pass was ruled forward or knocked on when it palpably was neither.

The Stormers had just one other chance of scoring a try as the Crusaders took over and the proceedings became increasingly boring.

When Adriaan Fondse was ruled to have been moving forwqard at yet another downfield kick, Stephen Brett goaled. 7-3.

The Stormers had a bit of an opportunity when they won a Crusades' line-out and bashed but then they conceded a free kick.

After De Waal had kicked out on the full from a ball taken back into his 22, the Crusaders were in an attacking position and won a scrum. Tim Bateman burst over the advantage line and quick hands gave Adam Whitelock and overlap and simple plunge for the line. 8-7. The score remained unaltered for the next 41 minutes.

Crusaders had some promising moments — a grubber by Casey Laulala that brought them close to the line, a darting counter by Colin Slade and then a turnover off Schalk Brits that ended when Duane Vermeulen tackled Nasi Manu out at the corner.

That tackle produced a five-metre line-out and Vermeulen caught the ball and then burst away carrying it to the Crusaders' 10-metre line on a great individual run.

The Stormers had the chance to go ahead when Brad Thorn was penalised at the tackle but De Waal's kick was to the left of the uprights. Then, with five minutes to go, Fondse was penalised for going in the side of a tackle thing when he thought the ball was out, and Brett who had missed a kick at goal hit this easy one over. 11-7 with five minutes to play.

Man of the Match: Hard indeed in such a match but our choice of Man of the Match is that mobile giraffe Isaac Ross, a lock with the soul of a creative loose forward.

The scorers:

For the Crusaders:
Try: Whitelock
Pens: Brett 2

For the Stormers:
Try: Watson
Con: De Waal

Teams:

Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Adam Whitelock, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Colin Slade, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Nasi Manu, 6 Kieran Read (captain), 5 Brad Thorn, 4 Isaac Ross, 3 Bronson Murray, 2 Jason Macdonald, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Daniel Perrin, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Michael Paterson, 19 Jonathan Poff, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Ryan Crotty, 22 Kade Poki.

Stormers: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Gcobani Bobo, 13 Jean De Villiers (captain), 12 Peter Grant, 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 AJ Venter, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacement: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 JD Moller, 18 Hilton Lobberts, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Dylan Des Fountain, 22 Conrad Jantjes.

Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Josh Noonan (New Zealand), Kane McBride (New Zealand)
TMO: James McPhail (New Zealand)

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