CHRISTCHURCH — The Crusaders closed out their time at Apollo Projects Stadium in emphatic style on April 6, roaring to a 69‑26 victory over the Fijian Drua as Codie Taylor marked his 150th appearance in a night that blended milestone celebration with a rout on the scoreboard. Taylor finished the game with a hat‑trick before adding a fourth try, the hooker’s power in the set piece emblematic of the home side’s dominance across the contest.
The hosts survived an error‑ridden opening to seize control through a slick backline move that put Sevu Reece in for an early try. A potential Drua score was then chalked off for a double movement — a turning point the Crusaders exploited, with Leicester Fainga’anuku and then driving mauls finished by Taylor piling on points as the forward pack imposed itself. Reece crossed again as the Crusaders pushed the score to 31‑0 and put the Drua under mounting pressure.
Fijian resistance produced moments of fightback: Joe Tamani eventually breached the line after sustained phases, and Elia Canakaivata forced his way over from a lineout drive to offer a halftime respite for the visitors. But the second half belonged to Taylor and the Crusaders’ set piece. Taylor completed his hat‑trick early after the break and soon added a fourth, while Corey Kellow, Chay Fihaki and Seb Calder also touched down as the hosts ran away to the big win. Former Crusader Manasa Mataele crossed for the Drua, and Canakaivata grabbed a second, offering glimpses of the visitors’ attacking intent despite the wide margin.
Taylor, reflective after the game, placed the milestone in personal and spiritual context. “I just want to give all glory to Jesus Christ our saviour who gave his life on this holy day… yeah, what a special moment,” he told Sky Sport. “To go out like that on this stadium, to get the job done and to pull this jersey on for 150 times, I’m just so grateful. I love this team, I love this club.” Captain Will Jordan said the occasion provided extra motivation for the 2026 Crusaders, calling it a chance “to leave our mark on this awesome stadium which has had a lot of success for us.”
Drua captain Isoa Nasilasila pointed to missed opportunities as a deciding factor in the loss. “You can see they started off well, they are a hard team to stop when they do,” he told Sky Sport. “You’ve just got to live in the moments, and we lost a lot of those key moments… I think just build on good moments, our physicality was there, and just the conversion rate. I guess finding the balance between chaos and good footy, so I think just stick to our game plan.”
The result officially closes a chapter for the Crusaders at Apollo Projects Stadium, a venue where they clinched the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific title and built a long record of home success. The emphatic farewell will be remembered both for the scoreboard and for marking Taylor’s club longevity — a narrative the Crusaders will carry as they move forward in the season.
The Drua, despite the heavy defeat, will quickly shift focus to their next league fixture and a scheduled showdown with the Western Force as they seek to refine execution and convert pressure into points. In broader Pacific sport news, Vanuatu has been confirmed as host for next year’s Melanesian Spearhead Group Prime Minister’s Cup, a decision announced during recent MSG sports minister discussions.
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