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Richie McCaw on the charge against the Bulls in their playoff match. - Source: Photosport
Follow the action here for live updates of the Super playoff match between the Crusaders and Bulls.
Fulltime: Crusaders 28 Bulls 13 - Carter puts the final nail in the Bulls' coffin with yet another penalty from dead in front. The men from Pretoria outplayed with the Crusader's pack rugged and much more dynamic.
78 mins: Crusaders 25 Bulls 13 - TRY! Wynand Olivier goes over in the corner. Not fun being a back in this Bulls outfit as the forwards hog the ball for an eternity on the line before they spread and take advantage of a wonky defensive line. Conversion off the post.
70 mins: Crusaders 25 Bulls 8 - Carter converts from next to the posts. Another penalty from the Bulls who are content on killing the speed of the ball from the breakdown.
64 mins: Crusaders 22 Bulls 8 - TRY! Jacques Potgieter crashes over in the corner after the pack rumbles forward from the lineout. One of the Bulls' standouts. Steyn misses from the left chalk.
59 mins: Crusaders 22 Bulls 3 - Bulls caught not rolling away as another concerted attack pays dividends. Carter hits the right upright from 40 in front. That's two missed from straight for him tonight.
52 mins: Crusaders 22 Bulls 3 - Moderately late tackle on man of the moment Carter and he makes them pay with three points from 40 in front.
47 mins: Crusaders 19 Bulls 3 - The red and blacks storm forward after absorbing some rare pressure. Ellis is clobbered late and high after clearing the ball from the ruck and Carter bangs it over cleanly from wide right.
41 mins: Crusaders 16 Bulls 3 - Steyn starts the second stanza. Bulls need to get a bit more creative to stay in the game.
Halftime: Crusaders 16 Bulls 3 - One team is playing rugby, the other is holding on the best way they know how, defending stoutly. Score could be very lopsided if not for the Blue wall. Carter taking the game by the scruff and running often, all the ball is with the home side.
37 mins: Crusaders 16 Bulls 3 - Steyn gets the Bulls on the board. Crusaders dodge a bullet, hacking the ball upfield but they were over zealous at the next ruck, 40 out.
33 mins: Crusaders 16 Bulls 0 - Carter drop goal. Becoming a habit now but this one was on the right foot from the 22. Crusaders making all the attack, earning the penalty advantage out in front then McCaw's wayward pass gives DC the chance to show off.
25 mins: Crusaders 13 Bulls 0 - TRY! Carter makes amends with the absolute perfectly timed pass for Zac Guildford to bust the Blue line from twenty metres out. The winger flies in and dives in under the sticks. Conversion is good and the scoreboard now reflecting the match.
20 mins: Crusaders 6 Bulls 0 - Another penalty. The referee yelled 'release' twice and Flip van der Merwe didn't release. Bulls trying their darndest to slow it down. Two bizarre errors. Carter misses from 35 in front then Morne Steyn puts it into touch on the full from the 22 drop out.
10 mins: Crusaders 6 Bulls 0 - Dean Greyling has a brainfade, picking up the ball whilst standing next to Andy Ellis behind the ruck. Completely offside in front of posts, 30 out. An accurate start from Crusaders, building phases and Carter nails.
6 mins: Crusaders 3 Bulls 0 - Zane Kirchner gives away the strange penalty. Isolated from his team mates, he throws the ball up to them after the Crusaders drive over him and is penalised. Carter makes no mistake, the ball creeping in from 40 out near the right touchline.
1 min: Crusaders 0 Bulls 0 - And we're off for the playoffs. Dan Carter does the honours. Large crowd but not a full one.
Pre-Match
Two hardened old rivals go head to head in the first match of the Super Rugby playoffs.
After the extended 2012 regular season, the Crusaders edged the Bulls by two competition points and qualified fourth, one place above.
Week Seven saw the Bulls' 32-30 round robin triumph in a controversial contest in Pretoria with accusations of eye gouging against the Crusaders which were strongly denied.
The Crusaders expectantly made the playoffs but weren't without their issues, injuries and/or form related. When their captain Richie McCaw or Dan Carter have been absent there are some obvious chinks in the armour and since the shock loss to the Rebels in Melbourne before the international break, there has been a fire in the belly.
They have made the change in the front row with Ben Franks making way for Wyatt Crockett and Robbie Fruean back at centre after his rest for Sean Maitland. The worrying and continued absence of Kieran Read will be a challenge for the home side as they know full well their opposition will play it very close in.
The Bulls have steadily made their way to the playoffs, not setting the world alight. But have they ever?
Lock Flip van der Merwe is the only change for Wilhelm Steenkamp after they made hard work of dispatching of the Lions last week.
Morne Steyn will look to kick his side to the next round tonight in what is essentially a quarter final.
An overcast night in Christchurch but no doubt a dewy one with the temperature approaching three degrees.
Crusaders: 15-Israel Dagg, 14-Adam Whitelock, 13-Robbie Fruean, 12-Ryan Crotty, 11-Zac Guildford, 10-Dan Carter, 9-Andy Ellis, 8-Richie McCaw (c), 7-Matt Todd, 6-George Whitelock, 5-Sam Whitelock, 4-Luke Romano, 3-Owen Franks, 2-Corey Flynn, 1-Wyatt Crockett.
Reserves: 16-Quentin MacDonald, 17-Ben Franks, 18-Tom Donnelly, 19-Luke Whitelock, 20-Willi Heinz, 21-Tom Taylor, 22-Sean Maitland.
Bulls: 15-Zane Kirchner, 14-Akona Ndungane, 13-JJ Engelbrecht, 12-Wynand Olivier, 11-Bjorn Basson, 10-Morne Steyn, 9-Francois Hougaard, 8-Pierre Spies (c), 7-Dewald Potgieter, 6-Jacques Potgieter, 5-Juandre Kruger, 4-Flip van der Merwe, 3-Werner Kruger, 2-Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1-Dean Greyling.
Reserves: 16-Willie Wepener, 17-Frik Kirsten, 18-Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19-Deon Stegmann, 20-Jano Vermaak, 21-Louis Fouche, 22-Francois Venter.