A special occasion, Anzac Day, deserved a special match and the Crusaders brought the best out of a Blues team that had been wayward in recent weeks before taking a 26-22 win in their Rebel Sport Super 14 clash at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.
There were too many handling mistakes, especially from the desperate Blues who needed to win to keep their hopes alive, for the game to be regarded as a classic, but it had a tension in keeping with contests between the two sides.
Not wanting to suffer successive losses the Crusaders had their own reasons to want to win, and despite a scrum inferiority it held too many guns for the Blues who now face a season without a semi-final chance.
The match-winning try provided some controversy with wing Sean Maitland looking to have put his foot on the sideline during the set-up which produced the try for replacement hooker Ti'i Paulo.
The Blues threw everything at the Crusaders in the final quarter with two tries denied by the television match official before wing David Smith finally got across to get them back within four points.
The second lost chance to centre Anthony Tuitavake would have capped an outstanding break that split the defence only to be pulled down in the last gasp by wing Kade Poki.
Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn had a bizarre night. He scored two tries, committed a blatant obstruction on Smith in the first half, and then a high tackle on Smith in the second resulted in him getting sin-binned.
Crusaders captain Richie McCaw crossed first after they had been camped in the Blues half for the first 11 minutes.
Blues flanker Daniel Braid had been penalised three times within moments and from a free-kick scrum in mid-field, the Crusaders worked the right with No.8 Mose Tuiali'i feeding fullback Leon MacDonald running into the line to in-pass to the supporting McCaw.
First five-eighths Stephen Brett added the conversion.
The Blues managed to get a substantial period of possession and had several chances to reply but were guilty of pushing passes or lacking support at vital offload times, while the worst wastage occurred from an attacking scrum just out from the line.
Halfback Taniela Moa chipped a kick over the scrum but the Blues failed to secure the ball and the Crusaders cleared.
Back in their own 22m area the Blues tried to run the ball from a scrum, but ball was conceded and after a series of rucks the ball was moved wide to flanker Kieran Read who fed Flynn who sped through the gap to score after 25 minutes
The Blues responded immediately from the re-start and moved the ball on the blindside from a maul and flanker Jerome Kaino slipped Flynn's tackle and fed wing Rudi Wulf in for the try which Evans converted from the sideline.
The Blues took play into the Blues 22 area but when the ball was moved Nacewa couldn't hold it, and Brett was on hand to take play to the opposite end.
But the Crusaders' handling saw the Blues reclaim the ball, although it took a fine covering tackle by second five-eighths Benson Stanley halted wing Cade Poki just short of the line.
The Blues scored immediately after the resumption, No.8 Nick Williams grounding the ball at the base of the goalposts for fullback Nick Evans to add the conversion.
However, a breakout from their own 22m when second five-eighths Tim Bateman fended off Stanley and fed centre Caleb Ralph, halfback Andy Ellis who found Flynn in support to score between the posts.
While Flynn was sin-binned, the Blues produced a monster scrum to take the ball from a Crusaders scrum. The ball was kicked forward but Bateman placed a clever kick through and wing Sean Maitland gathered the ball, held his footing on the sideline and then fed McCaw who found Ti'i Paulo who scored.
The Blues then had two close calls denied by the television match official. Captain and lock Troy Flavell was out a fraction before touching down in the corner while Tuitavake was grounded just short with no evidence he grounded the ball on the line.
The Blues made a late change with Isa Nacewa, originally named at fullback, switching places with All Blacks second choice first fve Evans while the Crusaders Tuial'i to a hamstring injury midway through the first half
Eight minutes from the end, a free-kick was moved wide and replacement mid-fielder Isaia Toeava set up Smith with the chance and he crept along the sideline to score and bring the score back to 26-22.
Scorers:
Crusaders 26 (Richie McCaw, Corey Flynn, Paulo 2 tries; Stephen Brett 3 con)
Blues -22(Rudi Wulf, Nick Evans, David Smith tries; Nick Evans 2 con, pen)
HT: 12-7
