Match Report: Line in the Sand Drawn for Crusaders after Round One

Well well well, there we have it. The 2024 season kicked off in proper fashion in Hamilton on Friday night in front of a rampant 16,000 crowd, another chapter written in the storied Chiefs-Crusaders rivalry.

The Chiefs took the W at the death, a 33-29 scoreline evidence of a battle played out over the full 80 minutes. The hosts had the better of it early but were forced to defend waves of Crusader attack in the second half.

As is sport at the highest level, the game came down to small moments that led to big ones.

Rob Penney spoke in the lead up about this fixture being a “line in the sand” for the team. That line has been drawn, and the boys dug deep as a unit. Care was shown, game plans executed and new Crusaders inducted. The season is under way and it’s shaping up to be huge. 

Some things to consider: 

• Chay Fihaki is here and ready to make an impact. His two second half tries no doubt contributed to him being named the Crusaders Man of the Match. With Will Jordan out for the season, will Fihaki continue to step up and make this jersey his own?

• Rivez slotted some clutch kicks to start his Crusaders career and did well to call the shots when necessary out on the paddock. All this against his old team mates in what was previously a friendly ground for him. 

• Sevu Reece and George Bower are back in action to the jubilation of both Crusaders and All Blacks fans. Reece touched down within the first 30 and Bower played a near full 80 on return. Bring on the season ahead with these weapons on field. 

• Tom Christie, building off his leading stats from the 2023 season, won 28 tackles. He leads the comp with George Bell in third at 19 tackles won. 

• FMG Stadium Waikato continues to be hostile territory with 16,000+ fans packing the stands and not many (if any) red and black jerseys. Fuel to the fire for both sides. 

• Smart mouthguard tech caused some frustration, mainly due to a delay in players getting pulled for head injury assessments. Of course, player safety is paramount and the mouthguards take the onus off players to report their own symptoms. Some adjustments may be needed for the Bluetooth technology to operate best, but anything that can reduce concussions is a step in the right direction.