Aaron Cruden sparkled against the Crusaders © Getty Images

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Match Pack: Chiefs score thrilling win over Crusaders

Reaction: Cruden hails defensive intensity

Are we seeing the beginnings of a new Super Rugby dynasty?

The Crusaders in recent weeks had begun to show their championship mettle once again, having always been about timing and running their race to perfection to peak at the business end of the season. The difference now is that they are not leading the pack. They are part of the chasing bunch, and the Chiefs have become the franchise that seems to find a way to win. And the Chiefs haven't missed their opportunities when faced with the big occasions.

In round 15, they were seemingly well aware a victory over the Crusaders in Hamilton would almost guarantee them top spot in the New Zealand Conference while also protecting their position in leading all teams in Super Rugby. They wanted this because home-field advantage means everything to the title contenders in the play-offs; as much as an upset on the road is possible in the title decider, only the Bulls, in 2007, have won a grand final away from home since the Crusaders beat the Brumbies in 2000. So Friday's match-up between the Crusaders and Chiefs had something additional riding on it with the importance of securing home advantage.

Last year, the Sharks travelled to Hamilton for the final, and we saw what happened after they had previously beaten Queensland Reds in Brisbane and the Stormers in Cape Town. Imagine either the Chiefs or the Bulls having to travel halfway around the world to play the final while still performing at their best. But the Chiefs are unique because they talk about these scenarios. They use them as extra motivators. They don't treat each game just like any other game. Sometimes it is good to have the rewards, and the Chiefs' reward for victory in Hamilton is their 10-point buffer over the Crusaders in New Zealand, on top of the Super Rugby competition, going into the bye.

Is this something we should have expected? Have the Crusaders suddenly lost their lustre? Is this a performance from a Chiefs team who have found a way to win under all sorts of circumstances?

The Chiefs have suffered injuries like all other teams, and their game has fluctuated from week to week, but they have ended up in the right place when it counts: ahead on the scoreboard. The questions now: Is this truly a changing of the rugby guard? Are we looking into the future of the All Blacks when we look at the Chiefs? Where do the Crusaders go from here? Were they just simply out-played on the night by a better team or do the Crusaders have the fortitude to find a way back?

It's not like the Crusaders played poorly - they played pretty well - but when it came to lifting their game, and particularly finding a way to break the Chiefs' defence, they were found wanting. There is a clarity and accuracy about the Chiefs when they are at their best, and the pressure applied to the Crusaders from minute one to minute 80 was the difference between the two teams.

The match also saw the beginnings of debate around the All Blacks No.10 jersey.

You can't argue with what Dan Carter has done in that jersey. History tells us he is one of the greatest players of the game. He has set the standard for the next generation and beyond. And it would take a brave man to suggest Aaron Cruden is a better first-five than Dan Carter on the international stage at the moment. But Cruden has continued to impress, has grown a number of facets of his game, and has laid down the challenge to the All Blacks selectors to give him a chance.

Simply, the All Blacks are blessed. Depth has always been our strength, as Rugby World Cup 2011 showed - especially at first five-eighths. And New Zealand can count itself well placed with these two players in such fine form.