The Crusaders' unique and rousing haka Takina te Kawa, led by All Blacks centurion Codie Taylor, followed. It was answered by NSW Waratahs No.8 Peter Samu and replacement hooker Ioane Moananu who were once Crusaders.
The Waratahs settled the quickset. Southpaw Sid Harvey kicked two penalties, punishing offside infractions by winger-turned-openside Leicester Fainga'anuku and centre Braydon Ennor.
The first try came in the 11th minute from winger Dallas McLeod, a late replacement for Super Rugby’s record try scorer Sevu Reece. The Crusaders built several phases before Noah Hotham’s snipe left the visitors reeling. Swift handling by Johnny McNicholl found McLeod unmarked. The former All Black lunged over in the right corner. A sideline conversion by Taha Kemara nudged the hosts ahead.
The next 20 minutes were largely a stalemate. Tempers flared ten minutes before halftime when Miles Amatosero received a yellow card for a cynical foul after a scuffle.
Undermanned, the Waratahs scored a shock try in the 35th minute. Fullback Max Jorgensen was pushed towards the sideline by a chariot of Crusaders but managed to offload to his support. With the Crusaders outstretched, Jack Debreczeni sent a vortex cross-kick from right to left. Harvey caught it on the full and scored.
It wouldn’t be Crusaders real estate without a Codie Taylor rolling maul try. Hands in the ruck by the Waratahs saw the visitors dispatched to within five meters of their own line. The Crusaders ploughed ahead from the lineout, and Kemara was accurate again from the sideline.
Patient, vigorous close-quarters possession was the Crusaders' approach at the start of the second half. The frustrated Waratahs committed repeated infringements, and former Crusaders hooker Ioane Moananu was yellow-carded. As Exponents' classic Why Does Love Do This to Me, sung by local legend Jordan Luck, echoed through the restless crowd, Leicester Fainga'anuku muscled over.
Suddenly, things opened up. In the 56th minute, a Kemara cross-kick landed in the hands of rampaging Dom Gardiner. The blindside flanker charged 40 meters before passing to McLeod. McLeod rounded the fullback with a silky finish.
Waratahs replacement halfback Teddy Wilson, son of Wallabies Rugby World Cup winner David Wilson, skipped through two tackles to revive fleeting hopes at 28-20. But when Macca Springer scored with a 40-metre burst following decoy deceptions and polished handling in midfield, it was Goodnight Irene.
The Crusaders won all 14 lineouts while the Waratahs won only 64 per cent of their possession. Gardiner had an outstanding night, claiming half the Crusaders lineouts and adding eight tackles, a line-break, and topping the Crusaders carries and metres carried count. Fainga'anuku grew into his role, and Kemara was steady. Angus Scott-Young, with 21 tackles and Samu, with 16, were industrious for the visitors. Harvey was the liveliest back.
The referee was Nic Berry from Australia. Head-to-head, the Crusaders lead this rivalry 24-10.
The first official attendance of Super Round was 25,237.
Crusaders captain David Havili was lost for words upon arriving at the new stadium. He described the Crusaders performance as “scratchy” but was proud of the hearty forward effort.
Waratahs coach Dan McKellar said: “It's a special occasion. Test match intensity was required and for large parts we achieved that. Discipline and set piece cost us. I'm proud of their fight and effort.”
Crusaders: 35 (Dallas McLeod, Codie Taylor, Leicester Fainga'anuku; Macca Springer tries; Taha Kemara 4 cons, Rivez Reihana con) NSW Waratahs: 20 (Sid Harvey, Teddy Wilson; tries; Harvey 2 pens, 2 cons) HT: 14-13