The match

First half

The Crusaders scored the first points of the game when fly-half Dan Carter kicked a penalty in the fourth minute, giving the Crusaders a 3–0 lead.^[4] The Waratahs scored their first points of the match when Kurtley Beale kicked the ball across field, and Waratah's winger Lachlan Turner caught the ball to score a try.^[5] The attempted conversion by Beale was unsuccessful, leaving the Waratahs with a 5–3 lead.

The next score occurred in the 25th minute when Waratahs flanker Phil Waugh intercepted a pass from Dan Carter. Waugh passed to Turner who chipped the ball and then collected to score his second try. Beale's conversion was successful and the Waratahs extended their lead to 12–3.^[5] Carter kicked a penalty in the 32nd minute to reduce the Waratahs lead to 12–6.^[6] The final score before half time came in the 38th minute when Crusaders No. 8 Mose Tuiali'i scored in the right hand corner.^[5] Carter's conversion was unsuccessful, and the half ended with the Waratahs leading by 12 points to 11.^[6]

Second half

In the 46th minute the Crusaders took the lead again by 14 points to 12 via a Dan Carter penalty.^[4] The Crusaders looked to have scored their second try in the 56th minute when prop Wyatt Crockett landed on a loose ball in the Waratahs in-goal area, but play was taken back 60 metres after touch judge Cobus Wessels reported that Crusaders lock Brad Thorn had thrown a punch. The try was disallowed and the Crusaders penalised. Thorn was given a yellow card and sent to the sin bin for ten minutes.^[5]

Despite having an extra man for the next ten minutes, the Waratahs were unable to score,^[4] and were further hampered by the loss of Kurtley Beale to injury. In the 70th minute Carter kicked a drop-goal to take the Crusaders lead to 17–12, and four minutes later kicked a penalty to further extend the lead to 20–12. With only minutes remaining Crusaders winger Scott Hamilton dropped the ball only metres from the Waratahs try-line. The score remained at 20–12, and the Crusaders won their seventh Super rugby title.^[5]

Match details

	31 May 2008	Crusaders	20 – 12	Waratahs	AMI Stadium, Christchurch
	19:35	Tries: Tuiali'i Pen: Carter (4) Drop: Carter	(Report)	Tries: Turner (2) Con: Beale	Attendance: 26,000 Referee: Mark Lawrence

Crusaders: FB 15 Leon MacDonald RW 14 Kade Poki CT 13 Casey Laulala SF 12 Tim Bateman LW 11 Scott Hamilton FF 10 Dan Carter HB 9 Andy Ellis N8 8 Mose Tuiali'i OF 7 Richie McCaw BF 6 Kieran Read RL 5 Ali Williams LL 4 Brad Thorn TP 3 Greg Somerville HK 2 Ti’i Paulo LP 1 Wyatt Crockett Substitutes: HK 16 Steve Fualau LP 17 Ben Franks RL 18 Reuben Thorne N8 19 Nasi Manu HB 20 Kahn Fotuali'i FF 21 Stephen Brett RW 22 Sean Maitland Coach: Robbie Deans

Waratahs: FB 15 Sam Norton-Knight RW 14 Lachlan Turner CT 13 Rob Horne SF 12 Tom Carter LW 11 Lote Tuqiri FF 10 Kurtley Beale HB 9 Luke Burgess N8 8 Wycliff Palu OF 7 Phil Waugh BF 6 Rocky Elsom RL 5 Dean Mumm LL 4 Dan Vickerman TP 3 Al Baxter HK 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau LP 1 Benn Robinson Substitutions: HK 16 Adam Freier LP 17 Matt Dunning RL 18 Will Caldwell N8 19 Beau Robinson HB 20 Brett Sheehan FF 21 Matthew Carraro FB 22 Timana Tahu Coach: Ewen McKenzie