'Crusaders had to dig deep'

THE Crusaders turned to forward power to beat the Chiefs 16-12 in a tense Super Rugby final on Saturday and clinch a record 15th title.

The home side were out-scored two tries to one in Christchurch but 11 points from the boot of fly-half Rivez Reihana proved decisive in a brutal contest dominated by defence.

The Crusaders played no-frills rugby to extend their perfect record to 32 wins in home play-off matches since the competition began in 1996.

The Chiefs finished runners-up for a third successive season, matching the unwanted record of South Africa’s Lions from 2016-18.

Crusaders fullback Will Jordan said the title was the most memorable of the eight he has won and that his team had been motivated to turn around a forgettable 2024 campaign.

Jordan said: “Where we were at the end of last year, we had a mountain to climb.

“Everyone had to dig deep. It hasn’t been easy. It’s taken some long hours and some hard conversations. But what a feeling.”