“Couldn’t have scripted it better” Milestone night fuels Crusaders farewell win over the Fijian Drua at Apollo Projects Stadium
On a warm Good Friday evening in Christchurch, the Crusaders ran out at Apollo Projects Stadium one final time, farewelling a venue that has been home for more than a decade of defining moments.
What was always intended as a temporary base became a home, provided resilience through adversity and provided somewhere the people of Canterbury could gather in the toughest of times.
There was a sense of occasion long before kick‑off. A strong crowd filled the stands, the weather played its part, and a moving pre‑match ceremony honoured Codie Taylor, who brought up his 150th appearance in red and black.
His club, Sydenham Rugby Club, performed a haka before kick-off as Codie, joined by his family, took the field at Apollo Projects Stadium for the very last time. The same field he made his Crusaders and All Blacks Debut and played his 50th and 100th Crusaders matches.
Alongside him, Christian Lio‑Willie marked his 50th Crusaders game.
With the Crusaders chasing a 100th win at the stadium and eager to put a fitting full stop on their time at Addington, the stage was set for a performance driven by purpose as much as points.
Buoyed by a strong Christchurch crowd and the emotion of milestone night, the Crusaders wasted little time asserting themselves. From an early set‑piece strike, it was clear the Crusaders were intent on playing with tempo and width, stretching the Drua across the park and capitalising on early momentum.
The opening try came inside five minutes, the result of sharp execution off a lineout. After working patiently through the middle, the ball was moved quickly to the left edge, where Sevu Reece finished cleanly in the corner to open the scoring.
Although Taha Kemara was unable to add the extras, the tone had been set.
Pressure continued to mount, and the Crusaders were rewarded again soon after. A powerful carry from Fletcher Newell got them on the front foot before Leicester Fainga’anuku burst through on the angle, accelerating past defenders to score down the right edge.
Kemara converted to make it 10–0 after 11 minutes.
With the forwards beginning to assert control, the Crusaders turned to their maul, and it delivered in emphatic fashion. On his 150th appearance, Codie Taylor was at the heart of it, latching onto the drive and forcing his way over for the first of two tries in a remarkable opening spell.
Kemara’s conversion pushed the lead out to 17–0.
The pattern repeated itself minutes later. Another lineout drive gathered momentum, and again Taylor showed little interest in being denied, surging over from close range to cap a memorable start to his milestone match.
With the conversion successful, the Crusaders were suddenly clear at 24–0.
From a scrum penalty near halfway, the Crusaders produced one of the highlights of the half. Will Jordan slipped through the first line, linked with Chay Fihaki and Dallas McLeod, before regathering to force a penalty. A quick tap followed, and when the ball was stripped loose, Fainga’anuku reacted instantly, chipping ahead for Reece, who gathered and finished superbly in the corner.
Kemara converted from wide out to extend the lead to 31–0.
The Drua responded with intent, refusing to retreat. After a sustained period of pressure inside the Crusaders’ 22, they eventually found reward through Joseva Tamani, who drove low and hard to score down the left edge, getting the visitors on the board at 31–5.
Isaiah Armstrong‑Ravula converted, to make it 31–7 and briefly shifting momentum.
That momentum was short lived. Off broken play, they struck again through the right edge, this time with slick hands and excellent support play. After a strong midfield surge, Jordan popped the ball back inside before Antonio Shalfoon linked with Fihaki, who soared over in the corner to score his second of the night.
Kemara added the extras to make it 38–7.
The Drua managed one final response before the break. Following a period of sustained pressure and a yellow card to Johnny Lee for a breakdown infringement, they worked patiently from close range. Elia Canakaivata found space down the right edge to score, though Armstrong‑Ravula was unable to convert.
There was late drama as the Crusaders pushed for another on the stroke of half‑time, with a potential seventh try sent upstairs, but the decision came back no try, leaving the home side to head to the sheds with a 38–12 advantage after a powerful, assured first half.
The Crusaders wasted no time picking up where they left off after the break. Straight from the restart they applied pressure deep in Drua territory, and it was Codie Taylor once again who finished the job. After the forwards ground their way to within five metres, Taylor stayed alive through multiple phases, eventually finding his way over in the left corner to complete a hat‑trick and stretch the lead to 45–12.
The Drua showed real attacking intent in response, and for a brief period they were rewarded for it. Issak Fines‑Leleiwasa injected pace around the ruck, linking neatly with Manasa Mataele and Elia Canakaivata as the visitors shifted the point of attack. Canakaivata finished well on the right edge, and when Mataele later capitalised on a clever kick to the corner, the Drua cut into the margin and showed they were prepared to keep playing.
Any suggestion of a sustained comeback was quickly shut down. The Crusaders returned to their strengths, dominating the set piece and punishing errors. A big scrum earned them advantage inside the Drua 22, and from there Taylor struck again, this time finishing off a slick right‑edge movement to bring up four tries in a remarkable 150th appearance.
The backline continued to cut loose as fatigue crept in for the visitors. Corey Kellow powered over from close range after sustained pressure on the short side, before Chay Fihaki read play superbly from a midfield scrum, shooting out of the line to intercept and sprint away under the posts.
Despite another late try for the visitors, the flow of the game remained firmly one‑way.
As the clock ticked into the red, the Crusaders pushed for one final moment to mark the occasion. Camped deep inside Drua territory, the forwards went to work with a series of pick‑and‑go carries. Eventually Seb Calder burrowed his way through close to the line, grounding the ball for the final try ever scored at Apollo Projects Stadium.
Kemara’s last conversion attempt shaved the upright, but it did little to dampen the mood as the Crusaders recorded their final, and 100th Super Rugby win at Apollo Projects Stadium with a 69-26 victory.
The siren sounded and the Crusaders couldn’t have scripted the last game at Apollo Projects Stadium any better.
100 Super Rugby wins at a temporary ground that became our fortress, Codie Taylor’s 150th Crusaders game and four tries while doing it, Christian Lio-Willie's 50th Crusaders game, a debut for Crusader #306 Jack Sexton, and thousands of loyal fans who showed up one last time to say goodbye to a ground that’s given us everything for 14 years.
Head coach Rob Penney was pleased with the way his side handled the occasion, striking the balance between emotion and execution, and reflected on a special night for Codie Taylor.
“It couldn’t have gone much better for a guy who epitomises what it means to be a Crusader. It was just so good that it went so well for him. The boys were chuffed, and rightly so,” says Penney.
Captain Will Jordan said the performance was a fitting way to farewell Apollo Projects Stadium, particularly given the conditions and the occasion.
“You probably think a night like this might go out with cold, wet weather, but it was about as good a night of footy as we’ve had here for a long time. It was great to put some points on the board, see the fans stay right to the end, and finish things in a way that felt pretty fitting for a really special place,” Jordan says.
Jordan felt the Crusaders’ accuracy early laid the foundation for the result.
“In that first half we were extremely accurate, and that’s probably what’s been missing a little bit earlier in the season. The passes stuck, guys were playing off each other, and you could see the hard work paying off.”
Milestone man Codie Taylor said the week had been an emotional one but he was proud of how the group channelled it into their performance.
“It’s been a really enjoyable week. Sometimes it’s hard not to get caught up when you see all the messages from people who’ve supported you along the way, but I just tried to soak it all up. To finish like that at this stadium with the boys was pretty cool.”
Reflecting on the Crusaders’ final outing at the venue, Taylor said the group was determined to leave a lasting mark.
“We talked a lot about channelling the emotion into a performance we could be really proud of. We wanted to leave our mark on this place. What was meant to be temporary has so much history now, and those memories will last forever.”
Despite the celebrations, Taylor said the focus would quickly turn forward.
“We’ll enjoy tonight, but we know what’s coming. The Reds will be a massive test and Perth is never easy. We’ll reset and get ready.”
He finished by thanking the supporters who stayed long after full‑time.
“Our supporters are a special group. They turn up when it counts, and it’s a real privilege to run out there and represent them.”
Thank you, Christchurch, and thank you Apollo Projects Stadium. You will forever be part of our story, you’ll forever be One Of Us.