By Alex Boyle,
Match Report vs. All France – 16/02/2025
The final game of the 2024/25 Shuto League was against our close rivals, All France. Although the match had no impact on the championship standings, there was a strong desire to finish with a victory.
The game took place at the magnificent Inagi Ngamie Ground on an overcast but reasonably warm day for mid-February.
The Crusaders started well, applying sustained pressure deep in All France’s territory. A crunching tackle by Izak set the tone for a physical match. Unfortunately, the Crusaders struggled with discipline and set pieces, leading to turnovers that gifted All France possession and territory.
All France capitalized on this opportunity, opening the scoring with a penalty to take a 3-0 lead after about 15 minutes.
The game entered a holding period, with the Crusaders threatening through some strong backs play led by Geo and Liam at positions 10 and 12. However, we failed sustain possesion consequently struggled to convert our chances into points. Once again, due to poor discipline and turnovers, All France secured decent possession, culminating in another penalty that extended their lead to 6-0 midway through the first half. After some back-and-forth play, All France scored a long-range converted try just before halftime, stretching their lead to 13-0.
The Crusaders began the second half with strong territory and possession. After spending some time in All France’s half, they were awarded a penalty close to the line. In a moment of great initiative, Geo took a quick tap and scored. Unfortunately, as he dived for the line, his legs were taken out from under him, resulting in an injury, but the Crusaders were back in the game.
A few costly turnovers and a well-executed blindside play by All France led to a try near the end of the match, effectively sealing the contest with All France securing an 18-5 victory.
Full credit and congratulations to All France, who played a more consistent game overall and capitalised on their chances. The match was solidly officiated and played in a good spirit between two evenly matched teams. The Crusaders have some areas to work on moving forward but can take heart from the physicality displayed and the contributions of new players.
Match Summary
- All France: 18 (2 Tries, 1 Conversion, & 2 Penalties)
- Crusaders: 5 (1 Try – G. Louw)
Crusaders 3-2-1 Points:
- Geo Louw: 5
- Luke Mathers: 4
- Izak Faoa: 3
- George McIntyre: 2
- Reece Morgan: 1
All France MVP (as voted by the Crusaders):
- Paul Iturbide
Crusaders MVP (as voted by All France):
- Geo Louw
