Match Reports

The Crusaders are in the Super rugby semi-finals for the 12th time!

Todd Blackadder's men put in one of their best performances of the season at AMI Stadium in front of a massive crowd of over 29,000 tonight when beating the Brumbies 40-22.

The Crusaders will have to wait until early Sunday morning to discover who they play next - it will be the Bulls in Soweto or the Waratahs in Sydney.

The Crusaders scored five tries through Sean Maitland, Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Richie McCaw and Zac Guildford.

It was fitting that skipper McCaw scored the bonus point try in the match that celebrated his outstanding Super rugby career. After the match he was presented with a mere for reaching 100 Super rugby caps, achieved two weeks ago against the Stormers in Cape Town.

This was a performance all Crusaders fans were hoping for after they saw a courageous effort that ended in a disappointing defeat against the Bulls in Pretoria.

And they turned out in their thousands to support their heroes. It was the biggest crowd so far in the new stadium and they created a brilliant atmosphere.

The Crusaders had standouts in McCaw, Read (pictured) and Guildford. The scrum was once again a weapon for the Crusaders. The Brumbies couldn't compete in this area and conceded many penalties.

Dan Carter missed two penalties for the Crusaders early on but after 13 minutes they had their first try through Maitland. It was a beauty too, Dan Bowden cutting with Guildford who showed impressive speed and strength up the middle before throwing a wide ball to McCaw, who combined with George Whitelock to put Maitland over.

The Brumbies suffered another setback when hooker Stephen Moore's jaw collided with Owen Franks' head, the Aussie taking no further part in the match.

However, the visitors got on the scoreboard soon after through Tyrone Smith, the centre intercepting a Bowden pass to stroll over for a converted try to level the score.

The Crusaders struck back through Read's try. Brumbies prop Salesi Ma'afu dropped the ball while standing out in the backline and Carter and Robbie Fruean combined before Guildford kicked through with his left foot and Read showed blistering pace and great control to dive over.

A couple of minutes later and the Crusaders did it again, this time through Owen Franks. The tough prop scored the second try of his Super rugby career after more great work from Maitland and Read. No 8 Read's ability to change the angle of his attacking runs is a treat to watch.

A Giteau penalty narrowed the gap to 19-10 before Owen Franks threatened to score another try in the same corner following good work by Colin Slade but he was tackled into touch.

A penalty in front of the posts for offside gave Carter the chance to stretch the lead in the final minutes of the half and he made no mistake, the Crusaders taking a 22-10 advantage to the break.

The Brumbies rallied after halftime and did well to control possession for long periods. It resulted in a try down the right wing to prop Ben Alexander - amazingly his seventh of the season.

Captain fantastic McCaw replied with the bonus point try after 51 minutes, the outstanding flanker pushed over from close quarters.

Maitland was through after running a nice line behind Carter but unfortunately lost the ball over the chalk but Carter added two penalties as the Crusaders tightened their grip.

A Guildford try following a good break, draw and pass from replacement Jared Payne was a deserved score for the hard-working wing.

The Brumbies got a consolation when Moore's replacement, the impressive Huia Edmonds, scored late on, with George Smith missing the conversion.

Smith got the honour as it was his last game for the Brumbies before he moves to Japan. He has been an outstanding player for the Brumbies and the Wallabies and McCaw said after the game that he was one of the best flankers he has played.

Crusaders - Tries: Sean Maitland, Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Richie McCaw, Zac Guildford. Cons: Dan Carter 3. Pens: Carter 3.

Brumbies - Tries: Tyrone Smith, Ben Alexander, Huia Edmonds. Cons: Matt Giteau 2. Pen: Giteau.

HT: 22-10

Kickers:
Crusaders - Carter: 6 from 9. Bowden 0 from 1.
Brumbies - Giteau: 3 from 3. George Smith 0 from 1.

Crusaders:
1. Ben Franks
2. Ti'i Paulo (Dan Perrin 76th min)
3. Owen Franks (Wyatt Crockett 59th)
4. Brad Thorn (Chris Jack 66th)
5. Sam Whitelock
6. George Whitelock (Thomas Waldrom 66th)
7. Richie McCaw (c)
8. Kieran Read
9. Andy Ellis
10. Dan Carter (Willi Heinz 76th)
11. Zac Guildford
12. Dan Bowden
13. Robbie Fruean (Tim Bateman 45th)
14. Sean Maitland (Jared Payne 67th)
15. Colin Slade