Kiwis counsel caution in step up from Super 12

A day after Canterbury completed the most dominating performance in seven years of Super 12 rugby, the Crusaders coach, Robbie Deans warned New Zealanders not to expect the same in Test matches.

The Crusaders beat the Australian defending champions, ACT Brumbies, 31-13 on Saturday, finishing the season 13-0 and winning the Super 12 title for the fourth time.

"History shows there is no correlation between Super 12 form and what happens in the international programme," Deans said yesterday.

With the disappointment of losing the 2003 World Cup co-hosting rights still lingering in New Zealand, the build-up to the final had an atmosphere of the Crusaders doing battle for their country's honour. "We could sense a much greater support for us here, which was great," Deans said. "But we had motivation enough."

The Crusaders showed their class in the final eight minutes on Saturday after an intercept try by the Brumbies winger Andrew Walker left Canterbury leading just 14-13.

Lifted by the Jade Stadium crowd, the Crusaders replied with a dropped goal by Andrew Mehrtens and two tries from winger Caleb Ralph, wjo was playing in his 50th Super 12 match.

The 96-19 hammering of New South Wales two weeks ago is the most abiding memory of a Crusaders' season which has featured several narrow wins.

The Brumbies coach David Nucifora said Stephen Larkham's elbow injury in the first half – a hyperextension that will put him out of action for four weeks – was pivotal.

"When you lose a player of Stephen's calibre that early in such an important match, it obviously has an affect on the team," Nucifora said. "It hurt us. But that first 40 minutes was very damaging to us, we didn't control the ball well at all."