Timaru - The Crusaders crushed the Bulls, keeping them scoreless as they romped to a 27-0 victory over the reigning Super Rugby champions.

All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams, fullback Israel Dagg and replacement winger Tom Marshall scored the tries as the Crusaders won their fifth match in a row and first in their last four meetings with the Bulls.

The Crusaders simply starved the error-prone Bulls of possession, with Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn given precious few chances to get into the game and just one opportunity to show off his prodigious goal-kicking skills, which he missed.

"It was a great defensive effort in the first half ... just the way we continued to build that pressure showed where we are as a team at the moment," said Crusaders' stand-in captain Kieran Read.

Matt Berquist, standing in for injured All Black flyhalf Dan Carter, had already scored the first of his four penalties when Williams burst through the Bulls' midfield at halfway to score his third try in Super rugby.

Scythed down by the last line of defence just short, former rugby league international Williams got over with his second effort to the delight of the crowd packed into Fraser Park.

Berquist, who missed all three conversions, gave the home side a 14-0 lead with another penalty on the stroke of halftime and they returned to the field braced for a backlash from the team who beat them in the semi-finals for the last two years.

Bulls skipper Victor Matfield fumbled the kickoff reception, however, and the Crusaders were able to pile on the pressure again. A dozen phases later Dagg drove through two tacklers from five metres out to score the second try.

The Bulls did manage to cut down their penalty count and get some possession thereafter but their handling suffered from the greasy conditions and they had very little penetration.

"It was very poor, we couldn't hold onto the ball. We couldn't put four or five phases together, it wasn't acceptable," said Matfield, whose evening was made miserable by a disruptive display from his opposite number Chris Jack.

Marshall added the third try in the 71st minute after good work from Williams's impressive centre partner Robbie Fruean, although the Bulls will again be unhappy with their tackling.

The Crusaders will rue not scoring a fourth try to claim a bonus point but with inspirational skipper Richie McCaw and Carter yet to return, their campaign for an eighth Super rugby title is well on course.

Read said he was just happy to be able to hold his head high after that match given the basic facilities at the stadium, where the Crusaders were playing after their home ground was damaged in the deadly Christchurch earthquake.

"We're sharing showers, so it's good we've got a smile on our faces," he added.

Scorers:

Crusaders - Tries: Sonny Bill Williams, Israel Dagg, Tom Marshall; Penalties: Matt Berquist (4)

Teams:

Crusaders – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Matt Berquist, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Chris Jack, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Subs: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Jonathan Poff/Joe Wheeler, 20 Kahn Fotuali’I, 21 Tom Marshall, 22 Adam Whitelock.

Bulls – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Dean Greyling.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Francois Brummer, 21 Gerhard van den Heever, 22 Danie Rossouw.