NSW Waratahs five-eighth Bernard Foley admitted last night his Super Rugby title-winning penalty goal was right on the edge of his range, but he accepted the responsibility to take it.

Foley’s penalty goal from 45 metres in the 79th minute gave the Waratahs a nailbiting 33-32 win against the Crusaders in the final at ANZ Stadium at Homebush in Sydney last night to secure their maiden title after 19 years.

The Waratahs were trailing 32-30 when referee Craig Joubert penalised Crusaders flanker Richie McCaw for entering a ruck from the side.

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Even though inside-centre Kurtley Beale is the Waratahs’ long distance goalkicking specialist, Foley had no hesitation about taking the pressure kick.

“I knew it was right on my distance. I knew I didn’t have much more left in it. I had to give it a lot. I think the rugby gods were smiling. It just snuck over,” Foley said.

“It was just reward for what the team has done this year. We have worked very hard all year. To win like that is a dream come true. It’s not good for the Crusaders, but we’ll take it every day of the week.

“It was my maximum range. Normally I let KB (Beale) take the long ones, but I had been hitting them well tonight. I thought it would be my responsibility.

“That’s why you kick goals, to take that extra responsibility. To do it out here on this stage was something very special.”

Asked whether he was confident it would go mover when he struck the ball, Foley said: ”No, not at all. I thought it was just going to sneak in if anything and it did just exactly that. Very lucky.”

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said Joubert’s decision to penalise McCaw was a 50-50 call, but McCaw said he should have known better in that situation.

“I guess that’s what pressure in those sort of moments come down to, being able to back your D, and perhaps I opened a door for the ref to make a decision,” McCaw said.

“Agree or disagree that’s the way it was and unfortunately he kicked the goal.”

McCaw admitted he was kicking himself after he conceded the penalty.

“Without a doubt, yeah, pretty annoyed, but can’t do much about it now. It’s just one of those things you have to live with.”

It was the Waratahs’ third appearance in the final, but their first at home. The Crusaders had denied them twice in Christchurch in 2005 and 2008. But they finally shrugged off their underachievers tag.

Foley’s 23 points for the game set a new Waratahs points scoring record for the season (252), surpassing Peter Hewat’s mark of 243, which was set in 2005.

Veteran outside-centre Adam Ashley-Cooper, playing in his first play-offs in 10 years, collected the first try double in a final since 2009 and received the man of the match award.

The Crusaders might have thought it a neutral venue, but ANZ Stadium certainly seemed like a home ground with a record Super Rugby final crowd of 61,823, helping the Waratahs to remain the only unbeaten team at home this season.

The crowd gave the Waratahs a standing ovation as they ran onto the field through a guard of honour of NSW legends, including Mark Ella, Simon Poidevin, Nick Farr-Jones and Phil Waugh.

Starting the game at a blistering pace, the Waratahs played expansively in attack and aggressively targeted the Crusaders’ first receiver in defence.

The Waratahs led 20-13 at half-time after both teams scored a try apiece. It was a good sign for the Waratahs, who had won all 13 games when leading or level at the break this season.

Foley opened the scoring with a penalty goal in the second minute after the Crusaders went off their feet at the breakdown.

Ashley-Cooper scored the first try of the game in the fourth minute. From a ruck 10 metres from the Crusaders’ line Beale passed to Ashley-Cooper, who crashed through three attempted tackles. Foley missed the conversion and the score stayed 8-0.

Foley edged the Waratahs further ahead 14-0 with two penalty goals in the 10th and 15th minutes before the Crusaders made their inevitable comeback.

Crusaders openside flanker Matt Todd got the visitors on the scoreboard when he finished a superb counterattacking movement in the 17th minute. Inside-centre Dan Carter added the extras to make it 14-7.

With Carter receiving treatment for what appeared to be an ankle injury, five-eighth Colin Slade slotted a penalty goal in the 26th minute after Waratahs captain Michael Hooper went off his feet at the tackle contest.

The Crusaders suffered a major setback when Carter limped off in the 30th minute, but he was replaced by another All Black, Tom Taylor.

Slade narrowed the gap to 17-13 with a penalty goal in the 35th minute after the Waratahs played a man in the air in a lineout, but Foley regained the seven-point margin with a penalty goal in the 37th minute after Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett was caught off-side.

Former Waratahs winger Nemani Nadolo levelled the score at 20-all with a converted try in the 43rd minute.

Nadolo was tackled in left hand corner by Beale. The replay showed he went close to putting a foot in touch, but the TMO (video referee) awarded it.

The Waratahs lost hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau in the 43rd minute with a medial ligament injury in his knee, which is expected to rule him out of the first Test against the All Blacks in Sydney in two weeks.

The Crusaders took the lead, 23-20, for the first time in the game when Slade landed a penalty goal in the 49th minute after Waratahs’ tight-head prop Sekope Kepu collapsed a scrum.

Foley evened up the score again at 23-all with a penalty goal in the 53rd minute after the Crusaders were off-side at a ruck, but Slade took them out by three again with a penalty goal in the 56th minute after Kepu tackled Taylor high.

Ashley-Cooper got the Waratahs back in front, 30-26, with his second try in the 62nd minute. From a ruck 15m from the Crusaders’ line Beale threw a long pass to Ashley-Cooper, who beat prop Owen Franks and second rower Dominic Bird to score.

Slade got the Crusaders within one point, 30-29, with a penalty goal in the 67th minute after replacement hooker Tolu Latu went off f his feet at a breakdown and then put them in front 32-30 with a penalty goal in the 75th minute.

It looked as if the Crusaders would deny the Waratahs for a third time until Foley stepped up and booted the matchwinning penalty goal.