The Crusaders have been forced to call for four injury replacement players as they count the heavy cost of their latest Super Rugby heroics.

In a match billed by some as a possible preview of the competition final, multiple champions the Crusaders won 20-14 in Cape Town over the Stormers, South Africa's leading team, in a bruising encounter.

Already without world class duo Richie McCaw and Dan Carter as well as fellow All Blacks Ben Franks, Brad Thorn, Andy Ellis and Sam Whitelock, the Crusaders paid heavily for their eighth win which left them second on the New Zealand standings, three points behind the Blues, and third overall.

Fullback Israel Dagg (leg), wing Sean Maitland (foot), halfback Kahn Fotuali'i (knee) and reserve back Adam Whitelock (chest) all joined the Crusaders' crowded casualty ward before halftime and were due to return home on the first available flight.

In their place, management called for Ryan Crotty, Steve Alfeld, Tom Taylor and Brent Ward to fly over from New Zealand as the Crusaders prepare for their next assignment against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein next Sunday.

The win rates among the most courageous of recent times simply because it was achieved despite the Crusaders losing four starting 15 players inside the opening 35 minutes.

Two tries to outstanding prop Wyatt Crockett helped their cause considerably before the Crusaders hung on a man down as they made tackle after tackle in the face of a Stormers onslaught in the final minutes.

Replacement Tom Marshall was sinbinned in the final minutes for a ruck infringement.

Flanker Matt Todd coped admirably playing much of the match on the right wing as the Crusaders lost all of their back reserves early.

The Stormers led 11-10 after a pulsating first half, with referee Chris Pollock seldom having to blow his whistle because of errors.

The Stormers only made two handling mistakes and the Crusaders slipped up four times.

For the most part it was rugby of high intensity between teams who retained possession well and defended resolutely.

But the momentum shifted in favour of Crusaders in the second half as the Stormers lost their sharpness, several times failing to find touch with clearance kicks and losing vital lineouts because of off-target throws.

It took two special tries to get across the line in the first half.

Crusaders were first to score after 14 minutes when a magical one-hand off-load by centre Sonny Bill Williams put Maitland away.

He passed inside to No.8 and captain Kieran Read, who fed Crockett and the prop bullocked over.

After a penalty by fly-half Lionel Cronje, the Stormers went ahead through a try by centre Jaque Fourie who outpaced the defence.

Cronje missed the conversion but landed a second penalty to give his side a slender lead.

Matt Berquist and Cronje swapped penalties early in the second half but it was not until the 63rd minute that either side could make a decisive breakthrough.

It came from Crusaders, when centre Robbie Fruean was tackled just short of the line but the ball was recycled and Crockett forced his way over, with Berquist adding the conversion.

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