Last night the Crusaders took the mile, and some more, as they beat the Highlanders 51-18 in Christchurch, after leading 32-13 at the break.
The home team had too much momentum, and composure at the right time, and the Highlanders played their worst game of the season - by some distance.
The Highlanders lost the game in a 10-minute period near the end of the first half.
Englishman James Haskell said before the game he owed his side big-time after missing four weeks because of a suspension.
The openside flanker, though, is going to be on kitchen duty for a good while yet after receiving a yellow card which started the Crusaders blitz.
Haskell went off for a ruck indiscretion after 25 minutes when the score was tied 13-all.
When he was off the field, the Crusaders piled on 19 points, which was a too big a gap for the Highlanders to make up, and they were simply not allowed to.
They leaked vital points when Haskell was off, with winger Zac Guildford the chief beneficiary, picking up two tries with his express pace.
The visiting team tried to come back in the second half but it was like climbing Mt Everest in a pair of Jandals, and the Crusaders kept adding to the scoreboard.
It was one of those nights for the Highlanders, as the scrum was in reverse gear, and there were too many mistakes at critical times.
It was not all bad. Centre Tamati Ellison had a fine game while lock Josh Bekhuis threw everything into it, but the Highlanders made a nightmare start, conceding a try after just two minutes.
Flanker George Whitelock barged over from a breakdown after the Crusaders rumbled the ball up from a scrum.
Carter knocked over the conversion and it was looking ominous for the Highlanders.
Carter then banged over a penalty, though he seemed in pain doing so, and the home side was 10 points clear after just seven minutes.
Chris Noakes finally got the Highlanders on the board after 11 minutes with a penalty from 40m out.
Whitelock then undid much of his good work when referee Steve Walsh caught him infringing in a ruck and gave him a yellow card.
Ellison put the Highlanders ahead with a fine individual try after 18 minutes.
The centre received the ball 15m out and pushed off both Ryan Crotty and Ben Franks with brute strength to go over.
Noakes added the extras and the Highlanders were ahead with a quarter of the match gone.
But just a few seconds before Whitelock came back on the field it was the Highlanders' time to be short-handed and jeepers, did they feel it.
After Carter had banged over the resultant penalty, the first five-eighth then put in a delightful grubber kick and Guildford pounced on the ball and had the wheels from 50m out to score in the corner.
The left winger went in again just over five minutes later, after another fine grubber kick from Carter following a nice bust up the middle by the Crusaders forwards.
The rout looked on when Robbie Fruean broke through the defence then looked inside and his midfield partner, Crotty, went in under the posts.
The Highlanders were 19 points down at halftime, but the second-half points blowout was even greater.
Highlanders v Crusaders
The scores
Crusaders 51
Zac Guildford 2, George Whitelock, Ryan Crotty, Richie McCaw, Wyatt Crockett, Matt Todd tries; Dan Carter 5 con, 2 pen
Highlanders 18
Tamati Ellison, Hosea Gear tries; Chris Noakes con, 2 penHalftime: 32-13.
Crowd: 21,000
