Watch: David Havili shows off his All Blacks credentials to set up scintillating Will Jordan try
Crusaders midfielder David Havili has stated his case for an All Blacks re-call in the Super Rugby Aotearoa final by setting up Will Jordan for a spectacular try.
Holding a 7-3 lead inside the opening quarter of an hour, the Crusaders were hot on attack inside the Chiefs' half when halfback Mitchell Drummond fired the ball out wide to the left at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch.
Captain and lock Scott Barrett was the recipient of the ball just shy of the 22 and looked to shovel the ball on despite the decoy running line of No. 8 Cullen Grace.
Instead, Barrett opted for the backdoor option of first-five Richie Mo'unga, who in turn spread the ball out wide to Havili with a pass that skipped out veteran second rower Sam Whitelock.
Surveying his option out in the left-hand 15m channel, Havili initially looked to pass the ball out further, but decided against it when he realised Chiefs midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown had committed to bouncing out wide a touch too early.
Aware of Lienert-Brown's overeagerness, Havili put boot to ball with a delicate grubber kick that bobbled nicely deep into the Chiefs' red zone.
None of the away side's defenders anticipated the kick, which highlights the quality of Havili's vision and decision-making.
Struggling to contain proved to be costly for the Chiefs, as Jordan stormed on through to compete with his opposite Damian McKenzie for possession just metres from the tryline.
McKenzie couldn't reel in the bouncing ball, however, allowing Jordan to scoop the ball up from five metres out, break through the desperate covering tackle of Bryn Gatland and crash over for his team's second try of the encounter.
The score, which went unconverted in an unusually wayward goal-kicking effort by Mo'unga, put the Crusaders up 12-3, although the Chiefs fought back to head into the sheds down 15-10.
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I'm very aware that GB is not UK.
Also that the British Isles are not the same as the British Islands.
I still think your objection to calling this a tour to the UK is stupid and pedantic.
I repeat what I send earlier, the Boks are not playing anywhere except in the UK.
It's legitimate therefore to call this a tour to the UK.
But this is boring now, goodnight, goodbye. And good luck with your crusade (that really doesn't have any bearing on what the article is discussing.)
Go to commentsHappy for Asher Opoku-Fordjour but why oh why is he the only new face, Borthwick didn't have to change 50% of the team but surely another 2 or 3 squad guys could have been given the chance to show what they could do? What can we possibly learn from this game other than we can beat Japan with a strong team.... hold the front page....!!
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