FULLTIME: CRUSADERS 33 - 11 SUNWOLVES
80mins: CRUSADERS TRY - STRATTON: Romano puts Crotty into a bit of space down the right wing, he finds Bridge and with just one to beat, flings it to Stratton who races away 30 metres to score a try on his debut!
78mins: Crusaders now try the drive and are about 10 metres out. They shift left and Hunt takes it up. Labuschagne puts a great shot on Samu and forces the knock on. Great defence. They're having a look upstairs at Moore's tackle. Ref rules there was no arms. Jeeze. Nothing in that.
76mins: Crusaders well over 20 phases now but find themselves not really going anywhere. Sunwolves doing really well on defence but Labuschagne is harshly penalised for not rolling away.
74mins: Delany finds touch with a beautiful kick and it JUST finds the chalk around the Sunwolves 10m. Parker sends a torpedo down field and Tamanivalu takes it up over halfway.
72mins: Crotty absolutely beasts Parker but the first-five somehow manages to find the ground so it's not a turnover. Sunwolves building without going anywhere and Moore coughs it up.
70mins: Mataele does well to beat his man and keep the ball in play. Labuschagne wins another penalty at the breakdown as the Crusaders are pinged for holding on. Parker finds touch around the 22m for the lineout.
67mins: Delany spots a half-opening but Little tackles him just over halfway before Romano drops it. Sunwolves kick and Bridge does well to take it in but it comes loose at the breakdown. The Wolves shift right and Wykes drops it cold. So many errors in that one minute peroid.
65mins: Parker puts the bomb up and Delany takes it well. Delany gets it back and sends it deep before another Parker bomb and the tall Tupou takes it and he's in space! He passes to Wykes and the lock is just taken down five out. Crusaders force the turnover and clear.
62mins: CRUSADERS TRY - MATAELE: Crusaders counter-ruck brilliantly and Barrett takes it up over halfway. There's space and Delany beats one. Mataele is free down the left, but Little makes a great cover tackle. Bateman does so well to free up Mataele with an offload and he streaks away 20 metres for the try.
59mins: Todd pinged at the breakdown for hands in the ruck on halfway and Parker can't find touch thanks to a great bit of skill by Mataele and the Crusaders clear.
57mins: CRUSADERS TRY - CROTTY: The Crusaders are keeping it tight, taking it up through their forwards but the Sunwolves are fronting well on D. They finally shift wide and find a bit more ground that way. Crotty steps a front-rower, spots a gap and puts the foot down to race away for his second try.
55mins: Sunwolves sack the lifter and it's another penalty. Another lineout. The throw's not taken cleanly by Barrett and Labuschagne has it. Sunwolves clear but it doesn't go very far and the Crusaders with another chance.
53mins: Sunwolves fluff another restart and they knock it on inside their own 22m. It was a case of miscommunication and Saumaki drops it. Crusaders monster the Sunwolves scrum for a penalty. It'll be a five-metre lineout.
51mins: SUNWOLVES PENALTY: Crusaders look to apply pressure at the scrum but they went too early and it's a Sunwolves penalty smack in front. They want three and Parker does just that to bring them closer.
49mins: Saumaki bumps off Delany, before picking the ball up again making even more metres. Sunwolves just 10 metres out. Crusaders rip the ball away but it's unplayable and it'll be a Sunwolves scrum. Another great chance.
47mins: They go left from the scrum and they're just a couple of metres out. Little goes close! Crusaders fronting up well on defence and they force the knock on to survive. Sunwolves guilty of not going out wide sooner.
45mins: Sunwolves make a mess of the restart and Strange pounces on the ball and the Crusaders are up to the 22m. Himeno turns it over and Tupou drives the ball deep into the hands of Dagg who takes it up to halfway. The ball is loose! Hatting grabs it, finds Labuschagne and puts the grubber through and Bridge is tackled into his own goal area. Scrum five!
43mins: SUNWOLVES PENALTY: Labuschagne points to the posts and Parker will have a shot at goal on a fairly tough angle. He curls it around beautifully and the Sunwolves strike first in the second half.
41mins: The weather seems to have improved at the break, so here's hoping play improves. We're back underway by the way. Parker sends it deep from the kick-off and Strange takes it into contact before Drummond puts the box kick up twice and the Crusaders are penalised for be offside.
HALFTIME: CRUSADERS 14 - 5 SUNWOLVES: Well, that was a scrappy first half. Crusaders started the game very hot, but the rain, hail and thunder has meant they've been forced to play a more conversative style. But credit to the Sunwolves, they've matched up well, scored a try, improved throughout at the set piece and look well up for the game. Should be an interesting second forty.
40mins: The win the free-kick and force a lineout on halfway. Moore gets up and does enough to force the error and now they'll have the throw. The win it and drive, but Crusaders defend it well and the ref blows for halftime.
39mins: Fukuoka tries his hand at being a forward but he's penalised at the breakdown. Delany finds touch but it's a poor kick and it'll be a lineout around the 22m. Crusaders fluff the lineout and the Sunwolves will have the scrum. Danger not over yet.
37mins: Mataele beats Fukuoka for space on the outside, he's in open space, passes it on the inside to Delany, he tries to offload but the Crusaders can't hold on to it and it goes over the sideline.
35mins: Crusaders shift wide but conditions continue to trouble them and they cough it up. Parker tries a cheeky chip but doesn't go anywhere and the ref calls it back for the scrum.
33mins: Strange impedes in the air at lineout time and the Sunwolves win the penalty. Parker finds touch around halfway. Strange makes up for it and wins the lineout! Saumaki takes out Drummond without the ball and the Crusaders win the penalty. They'll have the lineout near the 22m.
31mins: Oh no, another injury for the Crusaders. Sanders it is and he's helped off the field. Samu replaces him.
29mins: As you could guess, the Crusaders are just too much for the visitors at the scrum and it's a penalty. Time for another one. Sunwolved do much better second time around the Crusaders are forced to go left. Sunwolves defending very well and LABUSCHAGNE wins the turnover. He was right over the ball.
27mins: Labuschagne puts boot to ball and the Crusaders are forced to clean up through Bridge near halfway. Delany puts the kick through with NOBODY home and Bateman is chasing! Tupou does well to win the race, pick it up, but the tackle him inside his own in goal area and it's a Saders scrum.
25mins: Crusaders flexing their muscles again at the scrum and they win another penalty. Delany finds good contact with the boot and they'll have the lineout just over halfway. Delany stabs a kick through and it's a Sunwolves lineout deep inside their own terrority.
23mins: Bregvadze's throw is poor and it's called not straight. Crusaders will have the scrum just outside their own 22m. As good as the play's been despite the conditions, it's clearly still hampering the teams.
21mins: Koo runs about 20 metres from a scrappy lineout and the Sunwolves are up to the Saders 22m. Parker stabs a kick through and it rolls into the corner. Meanwhile, Koo is down in a heap. He's copped a blow to the head it seems. Ouch.
19mins: While they're looking at that, the rain has picked up a bit. Sanity prevails and it's just a penalty. Was a tip-tackle, but really wasn't much in it. Wow, it's hailing now. And you can add thunder and lightning to that. Shocking conditions.
17mins: Funnell's night is over. He's done himself an injury and he's replaced by Makalio. We're back underway and the Sunwolves cough it up inside their own half. Crusaders go wide but they lose it and the ball's on the deck! Lafaele wins the race with an incredible pick-up, finds Parker and he's tackled inside the Crusaders 22m. They look to grubber but Dagg cleans up and they survive. Meanwhile, Labuschagne's tackle is being investigated further.
14mins: SUNWOLVES TRY - LITTLE: Sunwolves win the lineout and they're keeping it tight, going through their forwards. They're inside the 22m and have the advantage for offside. Crotty crushes Little but they got the penalty and Tanaka takes the tap! They're just a metre out and have had several of advantages. They shift left, put it through the hands and Little is over in the corner! Well deserved.
11mins: Funnell comes in a the side of the ruck and he's duly penalised. Parker finds touch around the 22m for a lineout. They need to hit back.
9mins: CRUSADERS TRY - TODD: The Crusaders pack make mince meat of the Sunwolves scrum and they win the penalty. It'll be another lineout, but only five metres out. This time it's a good throw, they maul, and wow, the Sunwolves are sent marching backwards and Todd crashes over. Too easy.
7mins: The Sunwolves creeping up on defence and Koo is penalised for offside. Crusaders will look for touch and they do just that. Lineout just inside the opposition's 22m. Great attacking platform. Funnell's throw is poor and they lose the ball.
5mins: Tupou can't handle the high ball and the Crusaders have it straight back. Blackadder is racing down the left wing but he's tackled well and the Sunwolves have it now. Another Parker kick can't find touch and the home side have it.
3mins: CRUSADERS TRY - CROTTY: Delany gets it, he steps one, he steps another and he's into a huge hole! The first-five sees Crotty on his outside and launches the ball and it's a simple run-in for the second-five for the game's opener. Well, that was fast.
1mins: Delany gets us underway and Hattingh gathers it in. Parker clears up to the 10m but it's not out and Bridge returns. Crusaders already in great field position.
7:35pm: Just moments away now! Should be an action-packed game of footy.
7:32pm: The Last Post now playing in honour of the ANZACs.
7:31pm: Crusaders have made their way out of the tunnels, and now the Sunwolves. We're just a couple of minutes away from kick-off.
7:30pm: Looking forward the two team's skippers going at it. Two players who aren't the usual captains, both number sevens - Should be fun!
7:26pm: So Mike Delany will lead the Crusaders around the park tonight. A veteran of New Zealand rugby.
7:23pm: Welcome, welcome, welcome! One thing is for certain tonight, there will be tries. Both teams like to throw the ball around, but who's defence will hold up?
Kia Ora and welcome to AMI Stadium as the Crusaders host the Sunwolves in round 10 of Super Rugby.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, (BE SURE TO REFRESH YOUR BROWSER), and all the action. Video will be available as soon as the final whistle goes.
Commentary will start at 7:20pm (NZT)
Lineups
Crusaders
15 George Bridge, 14 Israel Dagg, 13 Tim Bateman, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Manasa Mataele, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Tom Sanders, 7 Matt Todd (c), 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Quinten Strange, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Ben Funnell, 1 Tim Perry.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Makalio, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Chris King, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Jack Stratton, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Seta Tamanivalu.
Sunwolves
15 William Tupou, 14 Hosea Saumaki, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Michael Little, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Pieter Labuschagne (c), 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 James Moore, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Craig Millar.
Replacements: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Shintato Ishihara, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Sam Wykes, 20 Edward Quirk, 21 Yutaka Nagare, 22 Ryoto Nakamura, 23 Semisi Masirewa.
Match officials
Referee: Brendon Pickerill
Assistant Ref 1: Jamie Nutbrown
Assistant Ref 2: Cam Stone
TMO: Glenn Newman
Previous meetings
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 Crusaders v Sunwolves 50-3 Christchurch
Pre-match banter: Kiwi second-five Michael Little loving life at the Sunwolves
Forced to venture abroad, former North Harbour second-five Michael Little has found greener pastures with the Sunwolves in Japan.
Little was a standout for his province, helping them to promotion to the NPC Premiership in 2016 and was duly nominated for the player-of-the-year honours.
Despite his success, he was unable to seal a contract with any of the five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises - the closest he came was the Blues development squad.
Instead, the 25-year-old ventured to Japan, where he played for the Mitsubishi Dynaboars in the Top Challenge League, before Sunwolves coach Jamie Joseph came calling.
Little has thrived under the former Highlanders boss this year and is confident the team's diversity will lead to a turnaround in fortune, with the formidable challenge of the champion Crusaders up next.
"This has the same sort of feel as a lot of the other teams I've been a part of, but you've obviously got your Japanese boys, South Africans, Aussies, Kiwis and Island boys, and it's pretty awesome," he told Newshub.
"We've got the culture right, guys love to come to training and they love to hang out. We love to play rugby and you see through some of our attack, the guys like to express themselves and they enjoy themselves.
"I think every time we step out onto the field, it's an opportunity to express and I know the results don't speak for themselves, but we're still really positive, our coaching environment is really positive and we're hoping to fire some bullets again against the Crusaders this weekend."
Little is one of eight New Zealand-born players in the squad, with former Highlanders players Jason Emery and Hayden Parker among them.
Add Joseph and Brown to the mix, and you have a very Kiwi-influenced style of play, something Little's loved being a part of.
"Jamie and Brownie, they've got their routines and stuff, so it's not too dissimilar to how I've been coached over in New Zealand and a lot of the boys enjoy," he told Newshub.
"It's bit of a shock to your South African boys, those Aussie boys and especially the Japanese guys, but Jamie's been involved for a long time now and guys get used to it."
Little hopes to join a long list of Japan-adopted internationals and with Joseph in charge of that as well, he's got the inside lane.
However, he hasn't ruled out returning to New Zealand should the opportunity arise.
"I could see the next couple of years in Japan and hope that opportunity comes up, but at the moment, I'm taking it one step at a time. For me now, it's focusing on the Crusaders, and hopefully get in next week and the week after, and try to build some confidence, some rhythm," Little told Newshub.
"I'm enjoying myself here, and Jamie and Brownie are awesome coaches and some of the best coaches, if not the best I've had so far.
"So we'll see what happens, I guess. If an opportunity comes up. I'll have a look, but I'm not too sure."
Newshub.
