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Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has performed what has become his customary post-Super Rugby final breakdance, after his side defeated the Jaguares 19-3 in the season decider in Christchurch.
- Scott Robertson has performed a breakdance after all three of the Crusaders' title wins under his helm
- The Crusaders matched the achievement of their 1998-2000 squad to win three-straight championships
- Only one try was scored in the final, with Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor crossing in the first half
It is the Crusaders' third-straight title and in the celebrations that followed the full-time siren on Saturday night Robertson delighted both his players and the crowd by turning the playing area into a makeshift dance floor.
He performed a similar dance when the Crusaders beat the Lions in the final in Christchurch last year, as well as when they won in Johannesburg against the same opposition in 2017.
Robertson had much to celebrate, as the win saw the 44-year-old become the first person to claim three consecutive titles as coach (2017-19) and as a player (1998-2000) with the Crusaders.
It is also the Crusaders' 10th Super Rugby championship.
Cold, slippery conditions in Christchurch turned the final into a defence-dominated contest, which would always be won by the team who took their opportunities best.
Argentina's Jaguares, contesting their first final, shaded most of the match's possession and territory statistics and created three of the clearest try-scoring chances, all to winger Matias Moroni.
None of the try opportunities were capitalised upon by the visitors, however, with Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor bagging the only try of the match, midway through the first half.
The other 14 points came via five from five shots at goal by Richie Mo'unga.
Jaguares five-eighth Joaquin Diaz Bonilla scored his side's only points with the opening penalty goal of the match.
The two teams had scored 148 tries between them before the final but neither found their rhythm, with Taylor's score against the run of play handing his team a flattering 10-3 half-time lead.
The try capped some fine build-up work by fellow-All Blacks forwards Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and Matt Todd, who ripped the ball clear in a maul.
The closing minutes of the first half proved pivotal.
Moroni botched a clear try-scoring chance close to the line and his team fell asleep defensively after the siren, allowing the Crusaders to launch a sweeping attack which resulted in a penalty goal to Mo'unga.
It gave the Crusaders a flattering 10-3 lead and they slowly built on that in a grinding second spell, with three further Mo'unga penalty goals.
ABC/AAP
Topics: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand, argentina