Clinical Crusaders embarrass Blues to advance to yet another Super Rugby final

At Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch:Crusaders 52 (Braydon Ennor try 2min, Leicester Fainga’anuku try 13min, try 48min; Will Jordan try 35min; Codie Taylor try 4srcmin, Fergus Burke try 71min; Richie Mo’unga 5 con, 4 pen) Blues 15 (Beauden Barrett try 58min, Caleb Clarke try 82min; Barrett pen, con). HT: 32-3

Yellow card: Hoskins Sotutu (Blues) 38min.

The Scott Robertson era at the Crusaders will go the distance.

A barely believable 52-15 annihilation of the bumbling Blues in Christchurch on Friday night made sure of that, setting up a Super Rugby Pacific final against either the Chiefs or Brumbies next weekend.

The Crusaders will have to wait until Saturday night for confirmation of their opponent and venue, but they’re 8src minutes away from giving Robertson the ultimate send-off.

Indeed, having continued their utter dominance of the Blues – they’ve won 18 of the last 19 matches between the sides – a seventh title in as many years remains a real dream.

And, boy, they can sit back and watch the other semifinal battle knowing they didn’t just beat the Blues, they demolished them on the back of a brutally physical and clinical performance in front of more than 15,srcsrcsrc amped fans.

So much for a nailbiting clash between old foes. This was over when hooker Codie Taylor flopped over the line on the brink of halftime and scored the Crusaders’ fourth try of six on the night.

A lip-reader wasn’t required to know what four lettered word Blues assistant coach Paul Tito spat out in disgust, before Richie Mo’unga’s conversion made it 32-3 and the teams retired to the sheds.

And Tito wasn’t the only Blues staffer in disbelief as the Crusaders made fools of them. Departing head coach Leon MacDonald looked like he’d seen a horde of ghosts when Leicester Fainga’anuku ma