Kieran Read has made a successful return to Super Rugby with a smashing victory over one of the newest teams in the franchise.

The All Blacks captain scored just 12 minutes into his first top level match in close to five months, setting the Crusaders on their way to a 50-3 victory over the Sunwolves in Christchurch.

Read says his surgically-repaired wrist is feeling great and is no longer worrying him on the field.

"I have to strap it and look after it for the rest of my career," he said. "It's just the nature of the injury and where it is."

"Other than that, it's strong."

The Crusaders notched up their seventh successive victory scoring eight unanswered tries, with winger Manasa Mataele running in a first half hat-trick. Read says it was nicely controlled game from their point of view.

"Certainly the conditions made it difficult underfoot, but the guys obviously dominated the game and did pretty well."

The Crusaders are now a perfect seven from seven this season and sit seven points clear at the top of the New Zealand conference.

Prop Wyatt Crockett meanwhile surpassed Keven Mealamu as the most-capped player in the competition's history, playing s record-breaking 176th Super Rugby match.