The NSW Waratahs will return home to Sydney empty-handed after squandering a second-half lead and falling 34-7 to the Crusaders in Friday night's Super 14 match in Christchurch.

The Crusaders showed their class to pile on four unanswered tries in the final 27 minutes to preserve their undefeated record this campaign with a sixth successive victory.

The Waratahs - with three wins, two losses and a bye - remain precariously placed in sixth position entering a vital stretch of four home games in the next five weeks.

"There's still plenty of football to go in this season, so we just need to go back to Sydney and hopefully improve on that effort," NSW skipper Phil Waugh said.

NSW briefly hit the front when barnstorming No.8 Wycliff Palu capitalised on a great bust and offload from halfback Brett Sheehan to cross for the Waratahs' only try in the 50th minute.

Five-eighth Kurtley Beale's successful conversion gave the Waratahs a 7-6 lead, but it was one-way traffic after centre Casey Laulala celebrated his 100th game for the Crusaders with a five-pointer to restore his team's lead just three minutes later.

Laulala out-leapt Sheehan to reel in a Tim Bateman midfield bomb, then palmed off Waratahs fullback Lachie Turner and raced 35 metres to score in the corner.

Flyhalf Dan Carter nailed the sideline conversion to put the home side up 13-7.

It was 20-7 nine minutes later when No.8 Mose Tuiali'i drove his way over next to the posts after 17 phases of pressure from the Crusaders.

Replacement forward Wyatt Crockett put the issue beyond doubt with the Crusaders' third try in the 75th minute before fullback Scott Hamilton secured the bonus point with his team's fourth try in the final minute.

Carter finished the match with a personal tally of 14 points, kicking four conversions and two penalties without a miss.

Waugh couldn't fathom how the Waratahs had nothing to show for keeping the Crusaders - the most potent attacking team in the competition - tryless for almost an hour.

"We tried our hearts out," Waugh said.

"It's hard to explain how a match can be so even but then one team can score four tries to one.

"We couldn't consolidate as we needed to after we got that try after halftime. We couldn't get any field position and that hurt us in the end.

"They hung in there and grinded it out."

Handling errors let both sides down in a dour first half that ended with the home side leading 6-0 and Crusaders coach Robbie Deans used the interval to call for more patience from his charges.

The tactic paid dividends as the Crusaders eventually broke down the Waratahs' resilient defence.

"We knew if we could hold onto the ball the opportunities would come," said Crusaders captain Richie McCaw.

"That's the way it goes with tough games of rugby. They can be very close for a long time then open up in the last five or 10 minutes."

The Waratahs host the Cheetahs in Sydney next week, while the Crusaders travel to Wellington to tackle the Hurricanes.

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