For a lot of people this is probably the match of the week. This match is a match of Super14 champions.
Only two teams have won the Super14 and both of these teams have won two titles. They are both well in the running for a place in plays off and the title.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick off.
0.36: Dan Carter kicks off and we are underway. The Crusaders are awarded a penalty almost from the kick off. Not rolling away. However the penalty is reversed for a dangerous tackle. Steyn will kick for posts.
2.00:Steyn takes the kick and nails it. Bulls lead.
3.00: The Bulls show an early intent to run the ball after the Crusaders attack but knock on.
5.00:The game is being played at a frenetic pace. Both teams are playing with an edge.
6.00: Gary Botha gets caught offside so the Saders get a penalty. Instead of going for posts they run the ball quickly. They go wide and get to within a metre. As they change sides there is a mix up in the middle and the Bulls turn the ball over.
8.00: The Crusaders are playing this as real pace. They win a line out and swing the ball out to the wing but Slade's pass goes into touch.
9.00: Crusaders spread the ball wide at pace and the Bulls look rattled for a second. Ti'i Paulo makes huge ground and passes to Brad Thorn who scores !!!
10.00: Dan Carter takes the kick and nails it perfectly.
11.00: Read fails to gather the ball from the restart and the Bulls come close to scoring from a loose ball but the Crusaders get back.
13.00: Danie Rossouw tackles Andy Ellis high and the Crusaders get a penalty. He takes the quick tap but gets nowhere and the Crusaders knock on so we have a Bulls scrum just inside their half.
The Crusaders give away a penalty at the scrum so Steyn takes another kick - from inside his own half - he nails it.
17.00: Crusaders forwards are doing lots of good work. They are pushing the Bulls steadily back. Carter finds a gap and takes it - he sets up Ellis who darts off and scores !!
19.00: Carter takes the conversion kick and nails it.
20.00: From the restart Danie Rossouw goes in high again - he gets shown a yellow card and goes off. Crusaders kick for touch.
22.00: Morne Steyn goes for a drop goal from almost the half way line and nails it.
24.00: The Crusaders show a good turn of pace as they again breach the Bulls defence but Wynand Olivier just gets to tackle as the support gets the ball.
25.00: Another penalty at the scrum for the Bulls - Wyatt Crockett is getting pinged. The Bulls kick for touch. They win the line out and Potigieter runs off but the Crusaders turn the ball over and then knock on.
26.00: The Crusaders are full of attack. They are running everything. Handling errors are just letting them down at crucial times. This time it's Fruean.
28.00: Wow, the Crusaders swing the ball to the near side, they do it at pace and the Bulls defence looks asleep as Zac Guildford scores the third Crusaders try.
29.00: Dan Carter takes the conversion from the touch line and misses - badly for Carter.
30.00: Crusaders are still piling on the attack. They are so intent on attack the Bulls manage to turn the ball over and the Crusaders are caught offgaurd and Francois Hougaard shows some pace and scores !!
31.00: Morne Steyn takes the conversion and misses - after an age.
33.00: From the restart the Crusaders attack again but Guildford's pass goes to ground - too quick for both teams.
34.00: Bulls steal a Crusaders line out. They go wide and the Saders give away a penalty (Bowden). Steyn will kick for posts.
36.00: Steyn's penalty shot is way off.
37.00: Again the Crusaders give away a penalty for "walking around" Joncker seems to be being a bit harsh on the Saders scrum. Steyn will go for posts. Steyn nails the kick.
39.00: Hougaard has another little run and dodges a couple of tackles and the Bulls change sides. Rossouw appears with the ball and passes to Matfield who looks around and can't believe he is open - he keeps and running and scores!!
40.00: Morne Steyn adds the conversion and the Bulls will lead going into half time. Its half time.
The half time score was Bulls 24 Crusaders 19
The second half is underway. Crockett has been replaced by the Crusaders.
41.00: The Crusaders start well and get straight into the Bulls 25. Stegmann however steals the ball at the breakdown.
42.00: The Bulls give away a kickable penalty so Carter will kick for posts.
43.00: Carter misses.
46.00: The Crusaders are intent on playing the game in the Bulls half. They keep up the attack and something looks like it will break soon.
47.00: After six phases Ti'i Paulo breaks through and scores under the posts bashing Zane Kirchner out of the way in the process. We go upstairs. It's a try. A Bonus point try.
48.00: Dan Carter kicks the conversion.
49.00: Stephan Dippenaar comes on for Jacques-Louis Potgieter as Francois Hoogaard sends the ball way downfield with his boot getting the ball into the Crusaders half.
50.00: Maitland makes some good ground for the Crusaders but Spies shuts him down.
52.00: The Bulls win a line out and get their maul rolling. The Crusaders stop it but give away a scrum for a knock forward.
54.00: The Bulls win the scrum. They work the ball to the middle and go through the phases 6, 7,8, 9 phases. On the 10th phase they get to the line but the Crusaders turn it over and kick it out. Bakkies Botha comes on for Danie Rossouw.
56.00: Richie McCaw goes in too high with a tackle in front of his posts. Steyn will kick for posts. He nails it. Wannenburg comes on for Potgieter.
58.00: The Crusaders start to work the ball through the phases and then on the 10th phase Carter bangs over a drop goal.
59.00: Thomas Waldrom comes on for George Whitelock. Sam Whitelock comes on for Chris Jack.
59.00: The Bulls run the ball and then pass to the wing Gerhard van den Heever who ducks and dives and goes over - but does he get it down. We go upstairs. Guildford held him and the ball up. No try.
60.00: The Bulls have a 5m scrum. They win the scrum and move the ball to the centre. The Crusaders hold them out for a bit and the Bulls kick to Van Den Heever but Guildford beats him. McCaw though played the ball on the ground so we go back for a penalty.
62.00: Steyn nails the conversion and the Bulls lead again.
64.00: Waldrom gives away a penalty so Steyn kicks for touch.
65.00: The Crusaders pass back to Slade but he knock on in his 25. The Bulls have a scrum in the Saders 25.
66.00: The Bulls win the scrum and du Preez passes to van den Heever but he is stopped. The Bulls recycle. 5 phases. 6 then 7 and the Crusaders turn it over. We go back for a scrum.
67.00: The Crusaders win the scrum and boot it out to safety.
69.00: The Crusaders win a penalty after the Bulls tried to attack but got stopped. Carter kicks downfield.
70.00: The line out is not put in straight so the Bulls have a scrum. 10 minutes left folks. This is going to be intense.
72.00: The Crusaders start to run the ball at the Bulls again but Dippenaar rips the ball off them and Kirchner kicks it away.
The Bulls burst to life and stretch the Crusaders but we get called back for a knock on. The Crusaders run the ball but Gerhard van den Heever puts in a spear tackle and is shown a yellow card.
74.00: Carter takes the kick for the penalty and nails it - taking the lead - and the Crusaders have an extra man.
75.00: Jaco van der Westhuyzen comes on for Derick Kuun. The Bulls attack and then Steyn out of the blue bangs over a drop goal. Bulls lead.
76.00: From the restart the Crusaders give away a penalty. Steyn kicks for touch.
78.00: The Crusaders win a penalty just inside their half. Carter signals he will kick for posts - he nails it. Crusaders lead again.
79.00: There is a Bulls scrum just on the Saders 25m line. The Bulls win the scrum, they run the ball and Steyn drops back. There is a knock on. Bulls have a scrum. Time is up.
We have time for the scrum - steyn goes for drop and misses it, the Bulls run it and Hougaard runs off and scores !!!! No wait it was forward - NO WAIT the try is given as the referee reverses his decison. The Bulls will win.
Steyn adds the conversion and there is confusion ALL AROUND.
The final score is Bulls 42 Crusaders 35
Scorers
Bulls
Tries - F. Hougaard 2, V Matfield
Pen - M Steyn 4
Con - M Steyn 2
Drop - M Steyn 2
Cards - Danie Rossouw (19th min) Yellow, Gerhard van den Heever (73rd min) Yellow
Crusaders
Tries - B. Thorn, A Ellis, Z Guildford, T. Paulo
Pen - D Carter 2
Con - D Carter 2
Drop - D Carter
Cards -
Match Officials
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Christie du Preez (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Teams
Bulls - 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Reserves: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Bakkies Botha, 19 Derick Kuun, 20 Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 21 Stephan Dippenaar, 22 Pedrie Wannenburg.
Crusaders - 15 Colin Slade, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Daniel Bowden, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 George Whitelock, 5 Chris Jack, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Ti'i Paulo, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Reserves: 16 Dan Perrin, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Thomas Waldrom, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Ryan Crotty, 22 Jared Payne.
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