Crusaders hammer Sharks 38-6 to reach Super Rugby final

The seven-time champions ran in four unanswered tries after the break, sending an ominous message to the Waratahs and Brumbies, their potential final opponents.

Kieran Read scored the only try of an entertaining first period as Crusaders opened up a 16-6 lead.

And the Sharks were blown away thereafter as Todd Blackadder's men turned on the style.

It could have been even worse for the disappointing Sharks, with Dan Carter landing just five out of nine attempts with the boot on a rare off-night for the Crusaders maestro.

The hosts hit the front via a penalty from Carter, who started at inside centre, in just the third minute.

Both sides were willing to chance their arm early, the normally conservative Sharks producing a 70m counter-attack as part of a frenetic start to the contest.

However, it was the Crusaders who crossed first when Read capitalised on a poor kick from Cobus Reinach, brushed off a tackle from Paul Jordaan and stepped inside SP Marais to score under the posts.

Richie McCaw threw the final pass and the third member of the Crusaders' back-row, Matt Todd, also had a hand in Read's score.

Carter converted to make it 10-0 and both he and Pat Lambie were successful with two penalties apiece prior to the interval.

The Crusaders increased their lead with a brilliant try from Nemani Nadolo in the 49th minute.

A no-look pass from Andrew Ellis found Carter, who speared an inside ball to Colin Slade. He then batted the ball onto Nadolo, enabling the giant winger to cruise over untouched.

Carter missed the conversion and was also off target with a long-range penalty attempt in the 55th minute.

The Sharks' curious decision to go for three points rather than an attacking lineout backfired when Lambie missed his second penalty attempt on the hour.

Willi Heinz subsequently darted over in the 64th minute after the ball spat out of a Sharks' scrum and straight into the hands of the Crusaders' back-up scrumhalf.

Carter added the extras before Johnny McNicholl and Todd completed the onslaught with tries in the final 10 minutes.

Crusaders would have home advantage in a final with the Brumbies, but must travel to Sydney if the Waratahs win the second semi-final.