Sevu Reece could not have scripted his 100th appearance for the Crusaders any better, scoring twice and even slotting the first conversion of his career as the defending champions beat the Hurricanes in front of a sold-out crowd at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.
The win, in the final round before the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs, kept the Crusaders on course to host a home knockout, and gave Reece a night to remember in what is his last season at the club.
Reece became just the 26th player to reach 100 games for the Crusaders, and the milestone clearly meant the world to the wing. "Honestly, lost for words," he said afterwards. "It's been a special journey. Just a big thank you to the people that have backed me. My whole village is all here behind me, so I'm just so grateful for their support and love."
Reece's name will now join the club's greats on the wall at Rugby Park. "I get to go up on the wall in the gym alongside the greats of our club," he said. "I'm just super grateful and very blessed for this opportunity."
The Crusaders led 26-7 at the break, the Hurricanes' early reply coming when captain Brad Shields forced his way over after a strong platform. But the home side were irresistible either side of half-time, with Johnny McNichol crossing for his fourth try of the season and Reece typically busy all over the park on his big night before the hosts ran out comfortable winners.
Fittingly, Reece capped the milestone by landing a conversion, by his own admission a rarity. "It's been a big, big week for me, quite an emotional week," he said. "But I can't thank our fans enough for all the support every week. A sold-out crowd, hopefully we get to play one more time here next week."
Asked what he had treasured most about life as a Crusader, Reece kept it simple. "For me it's probably just my mates here that I get to do it with every day, every Monday morning," he said. "Special group of boys. We'll miss these boys, but like I said, the job's not done yet. I look forward to another Monday."
For the Hurricanes, the defeat ended their regular season on a flat note. The Crusaders, meanwhile, march into the play-offs with their title defence, and Reece's farewell campaign, still very much alive.
