Most years I probably would have been rooting for the Queensland Reds in a Super Rugby Final. The Crusaders are royalty in this competition after having won it more than a few times, and year in, year out seem to be among the top clubs in Southern Hemisphere Rugby.
It remained to be seen if the Crusaders could get just one more win on the road to cap off and incredible season in Brisbane. It turned out to be a compelling match. The Crusaders were dominant in the first half. Dan Carter, the fly half scored a really great try off a perfectly placed grubber kick that he touched down. The Reds were tackling with all of their collective heart to stay in the game. In the second half, two tries of individual brilliance-particularly the 70 meter scamper by Reds Scrumhalf Wil Genia gave the Reds their first-ever Super Rugby title in the professional era.
It was a great final with more than a few overtones for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in September, as the Crusaders will supply more than a few players to the All Blacks, and Reds like Genia and Cooper will be wearing the gold of the Wallabies.
With all of the joy the Reds' victory gave to Queensland-let's not forget the horrific flooding they had last year with loss of life and millions of dollars in damage, the win would have been a shot in the arm to the people in Canterbury in New Zealand, who have been going through their own rough year with not one, but two earthquakes and a badly damaged downtown in Christchurch.
In the end, the Crusaders and Reds served up a great match for rugby fans all over the world to enjoy.
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