▁the ▁Cr us aders ▁held ▁on ▁and ▁stead ied ▁to ▁win ▁ 3 1 – 1 3 ▁with ▁a ▁last - min ute ▁try ▁to ▁C ale b ▁Ralph . ▁The ▁season ▁was ▁their ▁first ▁under ▁the ▁captain cy ▁of ▁Re uben ▁Thor ne , ▁who ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁captain ▁the ▁All ▁Black s ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁Rugby ▁World ▁Cup . ▁ ▁The ▁Cr us aders ' ▁winning ▁run ▁finally ▁came ▁to ▁an ▁end ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁be aten ▁ 3 9 – 5 ▁by ▁the ▁Blues ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁round ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁Super ▁ 1 2 ▁season . ▁Although ▁their ▁ 1 5 - match ▁un be aten ▁stre ak ▁had ▁ended , ▁Rich ie ▁McC aw ▁said ▁of ▁the ▁loss , ▁"... in ▁some ▁ways ▁it ▁was ▁almost ▁a ▁relief . ▁We ' d ▁finally ▁been ▁be aten , ▁the ▁run ▁was ▁over , ▁so ▁people ▁could ▁stop ▁talking ▁about ▁it ▁and ▁we ▁could ▁get ▁on ▁with ▁playing ▁it ▁week ▁by ▁week ." ▁The ▁Cr us aders ▁recovered ▁to ▁finish ▁second ▁on ▁the ▁table ▁with ▁eight ▁wins . ▁They ▁hosted ▁a ▁semi - final ▁against ▁the ▁H urr ican es , ▁who ▁were ▁co ached ▁by ▁Col in ▁Cooper , ▁a ▁former ▁assistant ▁coach ▁for ▁the ▁Cr us aders . ▁Despite ▁this ▁inside ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁team ▁by ▁the ▁Well ington ▁coach , ▁the ▁Cr us aders ▁won ▁the ▁match ▁ 3 9 – 1 6 . ▁In ▁the