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Watch: Shannon Frizell dents Crusaders' Super Rugby Aotearoa title chances with explosive opening minute try
By Online Editors
Not many have given the Highlanders much of a chance of doing the Blues and Hurricanes a favour in dispatching the Crusaders in Christchurch this weekend.
The hosts were strong favourites leading into the South Island derby with the Super Rugby Aotearoa crown in reach.
Sitting atop of the table, the reigning Super Rugby champions needed just a win to clinch the title against fourth-placed Highlanders, who had only tasted success twice this season from six outings.
Playing in front of a packed house at Orangetheory Stadium, the hosts were understandably paying small money to bag the victory, but the Highlanders sent an early warning of intent.
While they have nothing left to play for in the domestic league, the Dunedin club started the game in manner that showed they weren't there to simply make up the numbers.
That was reflected in the way their forward pack smashed their way through a limp Crusaders defence in the opening passage of play from the kick-off, which led to a monstrous try from in-form All Blacks loose forward Shannon Frizell.
The rapid start put the Highlanders at an early 7-0 advantage, keeping the Blues' and Hurricanes' faint title chances alive in doing so.
It also drew an emphatic response from pundits on Twitter, who were quick to laud Frizell's efforts throughout the first 40 minutes.
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Latest Comments
Was strange game, full of errors and the usual refereeing decisions. Both teams suffered as a result but Ospreys discipline was a major factor. I think this weekend will be different as the Ospreys will pick a full strength team but Scarlets will gain confidence in the fact that only Tipuric was missing in the forwards and they dominated that pack for the whole 80 minutes. If they can repeat that dominance at scrum and breakdown then the Scarlets backs will always have more to offer on the front foot.
Go to commentsAll non-British and Irish players should be excluded anyway. It should be for players born in the UK and Ireland not imports on residency! The Barbarians have sold out and are now a predominantly a SH team and the Lions are going the same way. It would be interesting to see what is on VDM’s passport, probably still South Africa. I feel quite strongly on this and would hope that the Lions committee see it the same way but money talks and so the decline begins.
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