Moana Pasifika arrived in Christchurch eager to create more history and capitalize on their strong yet inconsistent form in 2025.
If you thought this Super Rugby season was unpredictable, this contest between the second-placed former champions and last-placed newcomers took things to yet another level.
Patrick Pellegrini provided one of the best clearances Super Rugby has seen to get his side not just out of their own 22, but into the Crusaders’ with the ball. The 50/22 put the visitors on the front foot and in scoring range just one minute into the contest.
After battering their way towards the Crusaders’ line, who else but Ardie Savea was on hand to provide the finishing power. The captain’s try handed his side a 7-0 lead after just two minutes.
As has been the case all season, Moana’s efforts on attack were let down by their defence, and it took just three minutes for the Crusaders to strike back via lineout drive.
Another masterful Pellegrini kick, this time a high bomb, had James O’Connor scrambling, and the former Wallaby couldn’t collect cleanly. The knock-on allowed Moana another attack, and big ball runners Savea and Miracle Faiilagi got Moana back into scoring territory.
The Crusaders repelled the first wave of attack, with Noah Hotham tackling Danny Toala into touch. More Moana Pasifika pressure resulted in Crusaders’ indiscretions, with Cullen Grace handed a yellow card as a result.
Moana Pasifika again turned to their captain for the finishing touch, and again, Ardie Savea delivered, scoring his second try of the evening.
22m Entries
Facing a deficit on the scoreboard and in personnel, the Crusaders took their chances with a penalty when the opportunity presented itself. O’Connor converted.
With just three seconds remaining on Grace’s yellow card, Moana struck yet again. Danny Toala had been destructive with his running game throughout the opening 25 minutes, making eight carries and scoring with his ninth.
Another remarkable 50/22, this time by Solomon Alaimalo, got Moana out of trouble and into scoring range. A wayward lineout throw stopped that momentum momentarily, but with another lineout following a Crusaders clearance, the visitors executed.
A long ball from Pellegrini saw Tevita Ofa run into space, shredding two defenders before offloading back to his 10, who scored under the posts.
One thing going for the Crusaders was their scrum, and they won another penalty just before halftime. A five-metre lineout saw the hosts get held up over the line before reloading and being denied again. A Danny Toala breakdown penalty marked the half’s conclusion. Moana led 28-10.
Moana were first on the board in the second half, extending their lead with a penalty.
The Crusaders responded swiftly with bruising phase play finished out wide by Macca Springer, his seventh try of the season.
The comeback rumbled on when Codie Taylor collected a fumbled lineout, running around the corner and dragging a defender over the line.
It looked like it would be another 40-minute performance from Moana, with the hosts rallying. But Savea’s men had other ideas.
The strength of Moana’s running game was simply too great to be taken out of the game, and they added to their scoreboard tally with two more tries in the space of three minutes.
The first was another display of brute strength by Miracle Faiilagi, and similarly, the second saw former Crusader Pepesana Patafilo also drag defenders over the line.
Moana Pasifika’s breakdown work repelled the Crusaders anytime they looked to be rallying once more. But, the hosts had quality of their own that refused to be nullified.
Chay Fihaki made a break down his right flank and offloaded to Mitch Drummond, who ran in the consolation try under the posts.
From that point on, disconnected Crusaders attack put the final nail in the coffin. Moana Pasifika, with perhaps the best performance in the club’s young history, take down the Crusaders in Christchurch for the first time with a scoreline of 45-29.
