Super Rugby Pacific: Crusaders snatch pulsating victory over Chiefs

The Crusaders silenced any smuggled cowbells at Te Kaha, after holding on for a dramatic 36-32 Super Rugby Pacific win over the Chiefs.

In a topsy-turvy, tit-for-tat battle, the defending champions survived a late Chiefs onslaught to keep their perfect record at their new home intact.

The visitors opened things up, with first-five Josh Jacomb throwing a wide ball to wing Kyren Taumoefolau, who was surrounded by Crusaders, but managed to find a way to the line to put the Chiefs on the board.

The Crusaders looked to have struck back, after catching the Chiefs napping, when wing Sevu Reece went quick at a lineout, but Chiefs fullback Isaac Hutchison managed to drag halfback Noah Hotham's leg into touch and save it for his side.

Flanker Leicester Faingaʻanuku made no such mistake, as he powered his way through a Chiefs wall to level the ledger.

The Chiefs didn't take long to reclaim it, as their surging rolling maul proved unstoppable, with hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho dotting down.

The back and forth continued, when lock Jamie Hannah roamed out on the left wing and skilfully scored in the corner, with little room to move to put the Crusaders within two.

The Chiefs stretched it to nine, as lock Josh Lord darted over from short range but as was the theme of the half, No.8 Christian Lio-Willie replied for the Crusaders to close within 19-17 at the break.

The sides kicked off the second-half scoring with a couple of scorchers.

First, the Crusaders capped off some stunning offloads, with both second-five David Havili and wing Johnny McNicoll flicking the ball out the back, before Reece sent McNicoll in.

The Chiefs shot back with some slick work of their own and a copybook backline manipulation put Quinn Tupea between the sticks untouched.

After a relentless attack, the Chiefs finally broke, as fullback Will Jordan flung the ball across for McNicoll to make it a three-point game with less than 10 minutes to play.

The hosts then finally took the lead, driven by skipper Havili, who nailed a 50/22 to put them in the redzone and then went in to score off the back of another brutal run by Faingaʻanuku.

The Chiefs needed to go 80 metres after the siren for a late winner, but the hosts held their nerve to close out a thriller under the roof.

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