Brutal red card shot swings Kiwi finals derby
Malachi Wrampling’s 19th minute red card sunk the Blues as the Crusaders improved their perfect home finals record to a remarkable 33-0 on Saturday.
It was 7-7 when Wrampling caught Leicester Fainga’anuku with a brutal high shot and the defending champions weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Malachi Wrampling's red card shot. Stan
Super Rugby’s benchmark club ran out 52-31 winners under the roof at their new One New Zealand fortress in Christchurch.
Australian referee Nic Berry initially handed Wrampling a yellow card but it was no surprise that it was later upgraded to red.
“We actually ask for this violence,” ex-Blues hooker James Parsons said.
“And he is a centimetre away from being perfect in this tackle. Leicester didn’t know he was coming and just stumbled a little bit, which dropped his height enough. Look, fair red card, but I don’t think there was any malicious intent.
“I genuinely don’t think he saw him coming, and that’s why he wasn’t absorbing that contact.”
Bizarrely, Crusaders flanker Fainga’anuku wasn’t sent for an HIA after being flattened.
A Crusaders fan shows off his hair. Stan
Fullback Johnny McNicholl - filling in for the injured Will Jordan - scored a hat-trick as the Crusaders joined the Hurricanes in next weekend’s semi-finals.
The match-ups won’t be confirmed until after the third and final Chiefs vs Queensland Reds qualifying final.
The fourth-ranked Blues will advance as the ‘lucky’ loser if the Chiefs beat the Reds in Hamilton.
Whatever the case, the Crusaders are a big title threat again.
“We know how good we are at finals footy,” captain David Havili warned.
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