The Crusaders again sent a stern warning to their Super Rugby rivals that they're a force to be reckoned with in 2011, after crushing the ACT Brumbies 52-10 in a ruthless display at Nelson's Trafalgar Park.
The Crusaders scored six tries to one and rattled up 46 unanswered points in the match moved to Nelson following last month's devastating Christchurch earthquake.
Winger Sean Maitland scored a competition record-equalling four tries and first five Dan Carter landed his first eight shots for goal accruing 20 points in the process.
Maitland gave the Crusaders the lead with his first try, before Carter kicked another penalty to give the Crusaders a 19-10 half-time advantage and they piled on 21 more points in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Maitland scored his second try 47 seconds into the second half, before former league international Sonny Bill Williams stepped around Wallaby Adam Ashley-Cooper and Maitland completed his hat-trick.
The Crusaders' centre pairing of Williams and Robbie Fruean were again impressive, with Williams scoring his second try in as many weeks and Fruean scything down Ashley-Cooper just short of the home team's line following a 60-metre chase.
