Champions climb off canvas in Eden Park thriller

Winger Leicester Fainga'anuku scored 3 tries for the Crusaders who held connected to bushed the Blues 34-28 connected Saturday successful a 4th circular lucifer which reprised past year's last successful Super Rugby Pacific.

The Blues came adjacent to winning the lucifer with precocious tries but fastener James Tucker and backrower Hoskins Sotutu some mislaid the shot erstwhile they were implicit the Crusaders line.

It was the marquee lucifer of the circular and mostly lived up to that billing.

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But some teams were blameworthy astatine times of errors and lapses of subject - mediocre kicks, dropped shot and missed archetypal tackles each added to the hostility for the respective coaches.

The Crusaders acceptable portion borderline and tenacity successful defence successful the past 15 minutes yet made the difference.

Down to 14 men astatine a important stage, they fought bravely to support their ain line.

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"I deliberation successful the archetypal fractional we mightiness person had the amended of that fractional and past the Blues threw everything astatine america and we were fortunate to get distant with it really," Crusaders skipper Scott Barrett said.

The Blues opened the scoring successful the seventh infinitesimal done winger Mark Telea who shrugged disconnected tackles, broke into abstraction and dashed implicit from astir halfway.

Telea and chap winger Caleb Clarke had a large relation successful the crippled with their almighty running.

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Fullback Fergus Burke replied for the Crusaders successful the 14th minute, past Ethan Blackadder scored to springiness the Crusaders their archetypal pb astatine 12-7 aft 21 minutes.

The Blues wrested backmost the pb with a effort to Clarke and went retired to 21-12 with a effort to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

Fainga'anuku scored doubly earlier halftime to enactment the Crusaders backmost successful beforehand and they went to the interruption starring 24-21.

Leicester Fainga'anuku of the Crusaders dives to people a try. (Getty)

The 2nd effort was portion of the pivotal infinitesimal successful the game.

Blues replacement prop Jordan Lay was sin-binned and with nary different replacements the teams had to spell to uncontested scrums and the Blues were reduced to 13 men.

With the Blues 2 men down, Fainga'anuku strolled astir unopposed instantly earlier halftime and scored again successful the 5th infinitesimal of the 2nd fractional arsenic the Crusaders took their biggest pb astatine 31-20.

A effort to Stephen Perofeta narrowed the spread but the Crusaders held connected with the assistance of a punishment from Richie Mo'unga.

Narawa tiptoes down the sideline to score

Earlier, the Chiefs stretched their unbeaten commencement to the play to 4 matches with a 44-25 triumph implicit the Melbourne Rebels.

But the Chiefs missed retired connected a bonus constituent and the triumph was overmuch much hard fought than the last margin.

The Rebels were ever consenting to dispersed the shot and raced to an aboriginal 8-0 lead.

Shaun Stevenson of the Chiefs scores astatine FMG Stadium Waikato. (Getty)

The Chiefs enjoyed their champion play of the lucifer erstwhile they ran successful tries to Rameka Poihipi, Emoni Narawa and Shaun Stevenson to pb 27-8 aft 38 minutes.

The Rebels kept the lucifer live with a effort to Stacey Ili conscionable earlier halftime.

Stevenson added his 2nd effort and Tyrone Thompson added different arsenic the Chiefs stretched their pb again to 39-15.

Reece Hodge of the Rebels is injured astatine FMG Stadium Waikato. (Getty)

But the Rebels came backmost again and scored done Nick Jooste to constrictive the pb to 39-20.

Etene Nanai-Seturo's effort successful the 52nd infinitesimal enactment the Chiefs up 44-20 but David Feliuai scored successful the 73rd infinitesimal to erase the Chiefs 3 try, bonus constituent advantage.

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