Crusaders Rugby

The Crusaders are well-known for their slow starts. Every year, they sputter along for the first month of Super Rugby, before igniting and embarking on a run that ends in making the playoffs. Yet it seems that every year, we all still question them after some ordinary performances in the first few weeks.

Indeed, even with all the doubters out in full force, the Crusaders have a record of four wins and three losses. This week, they sneaked into the last wild-card playoff spot.

It was on the back of a commanding display against the Sharks in Durban that the Crusaders announced to the competition that they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Sharks, who going into the weekend were on top of the South African Conference, lost 52-10 to a Crusaders team that looked threatening every time they had the ball.

Admittedly, the Sharks played half the game with only 14 men. But even with their opponents at their full complement, the Crusaders were too good and at one stage were the dominant team despite having three men in the bin at one time. New Zealand teams are normally happy if they can get a win in South Africa—such is the challenge of touring. That the Crusaders beat such a quality team so comprehensively in the Republic is ominous.

A few weeks ago, such a result seemed unlikely. The first three weeks saw the Crusaders go down to the Rebels, take a thrashing from the Chiefs and claim a sketchy win over the Highlanders.

Only after their bye week in Round 4 have they really looked anything like a playoff team. Even then, it was hard to read too much into their wins at home against the Cheetahs and Lions—the two bottom South African teams, both of whom never travel well.

Their win over the Sharks was the first indication that this team is the real deal.

They have their top players back and are playing a more direct, confident game. When Crusaders teams combine those two attributes, they are tough to beat.

In the forwards, they have plenty of grunt and mobility, something they missed in the early round with the absence of Kieran Read and Sam Whitelock. Both men are the best in the world in their positions and have been highly influential since their return.

Jordan Taufua has been in good form, providing go-forward with ball in hand and hitting hard, while Matt Todd and Richie McCaw have been highly involved.

The backs were just as good in the weekend, with Colin Slade going from strength to strength and showing that he must be an All Black in 2015. He is playing as he did prior to his horrific injury run, taking the ball to the line, distributing well and retaining a cool head to direct play. In Andy Ellis, he has one of the best scrum-halves in the world—another player who must surely be in the All Blacks this year despite somehow being overlooked for the past three years.

There is plenty of firepower out wide too. Israel Dagg had one of his best games in a Crusaders jersey, running dangerously and coming into the line well. That is good news for Crusaders fans, as Dagg has seldom found top form at Super Rugby level since heading to the franchise in 2011.

As a team, the Crusaders are looking more polished. They have their patterns sorted out and have discarded the lateral game that saw them struggle to gain any penetration in the first few rounds.

This week the Crusaders return home for a rematch with their southern rivals, the Highlanders. The Highlanders have been enjoying a run of good form, and you can bet they will look to take the game to the Crusaders and play an attacking brand of rugby against them.

Despite their apparent poor start, the Crusaders have a winning record and are once again hitting form. It would take a brave person to suggest they will not be there come season's end.

The defining moment from the 2014 Super Rugby final came when Richie McCaw was penalised in the dying stages. It was this penalty that enabled the Waratahs to sneak in front of the Crusaders and claim a one-point win (33-32) after an epic match.

There are few more controversial figures in world rugby than McCaw. It is not that he is a dirty player, but his work at the breakdown has always been the subject of debate. Some view him as a genius—others see him as a cheat.

Indeed, there is a fine line between the two. 

Likewise, when he succeeds he is a hero, and when he fails he is so often made a scapegoat.

The decision which saw him penalised has been heavily discussed over the past few days. Scour the comments sections of rugby websites, and you will find all sorts of opinions being put forth. Ditto if you have been listening to New Zealand talk-back radio over the past weekend.

McCaw himself admitted he "should have known better," per The Courier Mail. Perhaps he is right. He did open the situation up for interpretation.

But does he really deserve to be criticised for the penalty? 

Sure it was the incident that opened the door for the Waratahs to kick the winning goal. It was also an incident typical of the type that fans the world over have pointed to as being evidence that McCaw indeed is a cheat.

Did he actually infringe in this situation? Does he really deserve to cop any blame or feel that he should have done better?

The infringement he was penalised for was entering the ruck incorrectly. However, as is so often the case, one must question if there was ever a ruck for McCaw to incorrectly enter into.

Waratahs substitute hooker, Tolu Latu, went right from the pick-and-go and went voluntarily to the ground at McCaw's feet. There was never a tackle.

McCaw had all rights to the ball, standing over it, as Latu took his time laying it back for his team. As Law 16 of the International Rugby Board states:

A ruck is a phase of play where one or more players from each team, who are on their feet, in physical contact, close around the ball on the ground. Open play has ended. Players are rucking when they are in a ruck and using their feet to try to win or keep possession of the ball, without being guilty of foul play.

From here, players entering the ruck may not use their hands. They must also come through a "gate" which is the width of the tackled player's body on the ground from directly behind.

In other words, you must join the ruck from the back, not from the side. The exception to this is the tackler, who has rights to get up and play the ball immediately, as long as a ruck has not formed over the top of him.

This is what Richie McCaw was penalised for. Using his hands and entering the ruck incorrectly, while not being the tackler.

Clearly he was not the tackler. There was never a tackle.

But one must question if there was ever a ruck either. When Latu went to ground and McCaw first had his hands on the ball, there were no Waratahs players on their feet present. This would suggest that there was no ruck, meaning there was no gate he had to go through.

It was general play, and the appropriate law to apply would have been Law 14. By this law, a player who goes to ground with the ball must make the ball playable immediately. Latu did not. McCaw was on his feet and attempting to play the ball. He did little wrong; the law does not say anything about entry or a gate.

Does this mean the Crusaders were robbed—that the referee cheated them of a win?

No, of course not.

Craig Joubert simply called it as he saw it. Rugby is a game played at such a fast pace, and so much of what happens at the breakdown comes down to interpretation. 

The referee does not have the benefit of replays as the rest of us do. They get one look at an incident and have a matter of seconds to decide how to act.

In this case, by Joubert's interpretation, a ruck had formed. Indeed, a split-second later one had formed. Therefore, he implemented Law 16, seeing McCaw having entered through the side.

He saw a penalty, so he awarded it. You cannot argue with that. In the heat of the moment, he acted upon what he saw. Anyone who has refereed a game of sports will relate to this.

It was a timing issue. In reality, there was no ruck when McCaw contested the ball. By Joubert's interpretation, there was. It is such a fine line, and there are plenty of incidents in every rugby game exactly the same. 

Sometimes the player will get away with an infringement. Sometimes he will not. Others he will be penalised when he perhaps should not have been.

It is a stretch to say the penalty, or McCaw, cost the Crusaders the championship. Why isolate just one decision within an 80-minute game? There were plenty of other instances that were up for debate, just as there is in any rugby match. With each of these, the tie would have turned out differently, so to pin the game on one incident is far too reductive.

Of course, many will point to the debatable Nemani Nadolo try early in the second half as being the key incident which went the Crusaders' way.

It is irrelevant in this circumstance, really.

The key issue is whether McCaw deserves to be blamed for the penalty. When you break it down, it is hard to pin too much on him. He thought he had rights to the ball, and he probably did. Joubert saw the situation differently and rightly acted upon what he saw. 

It was just one of those things—the grey area in the game as it is known. You cannot dub McCaw a cheat for it. It was not his fault, but neither was it Joubert's.

As was expected, at least according to the bookies’ odds, the Canterbury Crusaders mauled their way past the Queensland Reds this weekend to book their spot in the Super Rugby semi-finals for the 12th season in a row.

In the end, the Australian visitors were more than a shade off the pace, and despite coming close on several occasions, they were prevented from scoring even a single try in their 38-9 defeat.

Depending on how the qualifier between the ACT Brumbies and the Central Cheetahs pans out, the Christchurch titans will now face either the Waikato Chiefs or the Blue Bulls in the next round of the postseason.

Focusing on the now, however, the following players were largely responsible for Crusaders’ most recent demolition. These stars chose to shine at the right moment yet again for the New Zealand franchise.

George Whitelock

One of four Whitelock brothers to have taken to the AMI Stadium pitch on Saturday, George’s contributions in both attack and defence currently put him at the top of the family tree.

The 27-year-old was unfortunate to have a try disallowed after getting held up just prior to halftime, but Whitelock had plenty of other occasions to add five to his side’s tally.

Crashing the ball up the middle of the pitch, the back-rower often drifted into the channels rather than get sucked in unnecessarily. He made himself available as a big, physical first receiver whenever possible.

Whenever that wasn’t the case, Whitelock ensured that his support was dangling off the shoulder of the ball-carrier, making it that much harder for the Reds to get any sight of the ball.

 

Ryan Crotty

Still a budding talent in the Crusaders system, Ryan Crotty showed his potential to become the team’s leading force in the middle of the pitch, grabbing two tries against the Reds this weekend.

The 24-year-old showed all the trademarks of a great centre against his most recent opposition—a great step, soft hands and the ability to turn on the afterburners when the slightest gap emerged in the opposition's back line.

Despite setting his teammates up for a great deal of chances, Crotty found himself on the end of a few opportunities this weekend—some almost completely independently engineered.

 

Dan Carter

While Quade Cooper could have had an easier time from the tee this weekend, Dan Carter was nevertheless reliable in his kicking duties. He was as omnipotent as ever when it came to that aspect of his game.

The Crusaders fly-half notched three penalties and three conversions, one of which was for a try he finished off nicely, showing good pace from short range to round off a lovely passing movement.

The official Super Rugby Twitter account took note of the move:

Classy as ever, the New Zealand international continued his trend of throwing his tees into the crowd with each kick, but that class extended into the back’s play.

An inconspicuous catalyst, Carter bided his time, acting as nothing more than a mediator amongst his back line. But with the slightest pause or the quickening of tempo, the 31-year-old helped to create numerous line breaks in his latest AMI Stadium outing.

The Super 15 regular season is over, with the qualifying stage set to begin in Round 21 with two intriguing clashes between sides in the top six.

July 20­­—Crusaders vs. Reds, AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand, 07:35 GMT

Fourth hosts fifth in the qualifying section, with Crusaders aiming to build on their excellent three-round winning streak. They haven’t missed a matchday since Game 17, and confidence will be high for the home side in New Zealand. Todd Blackadder, the Crusaders coach, confirmed to SuperXV.com Richie McCaw’s return to the squad, but he will only make the replacement bench in Christchurch.

There were doubts over All Blacks star Luke Romano, but he will start at lock with Sam Whitelock after recovering from an ankle injury. The play-off qualifier will also mark Matt Todd’s 50th appearance for the Crusaders.

The Reds won by only two points against the Waratahs, with Quade Cooper kicking two penalties to take the win 14-12. It was an excellent recovery from the Reds, who were 12-8 down at one stage, as the home side squandered some huge opportunities in the second half.

Despite injury concerns in their own camp, James Horwill and Will Genia will be back in the starting lineup. Ewen McKenzie, Reds director of coaching, expressed to SuperXV.com the importance of having both players back in the squad.

"Their influence can't be understated, and you need world-class players and strong leaders if you are going to win these games on the big stage.

"We have had to reshuffle our back line in some positions, and the players coming in now have an opportunity to contribute in a positive way.

This is the first time the two sides have met in 2013.

Prediction: Crusaders Win

July 21—Brumbies vs. Cheetahs, Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia, 06:10 GMT

The Brumbies are six points off top of the table, behind Australian compatriots the Chiefs and the Bulls from South Africa. Returning from a one-match lay-off, the Brumbies lost at Western Force by six, which is just their fourth defeat of the campaign. The club’s head coach, Stephen Larkin, described their qualifying final as needing a “do-or-die mentality” to SuperXV.com.

Prior to their two matchdays out of the fixture list, Brumbies had picked up a solid run of victories against the Melbourne Rebels and Hurricanes. George Smith will come in for the Brumbies, as confirmed by coach Jake White, coming back from a place on the bench in their defeat to Western Force.

The visitors will have a difficult job on their hands in Canberra, just qualifying for the top six on 54 points with a four-point lead over the Stormers. They’ve assembled 382 points in 16 games, which is 61 greater than fifth-placed Reds. The Cheetahs missed out on Round 20, but did win their last league match against the Blues by 21.

Prediction: Brumbies

Despite what was a rollercoaster of a 2013 Super XV season, Crusaders remain one of the strongest powers in southern hemisphere rugby and will continue to challenge for silverware throughout the postseason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSvL6T4JBSE

This weekend, the Christchurch outfit will go up against the Queensland Reds in an attempt to meet either the Bulls or the Chiefs in a semifinal fixture.

Irrespective of their extra qualifier, however, Todd Blackadder’s men should remain as favourites to take home the title.

This season, the Crusaders’ biggest problem was without a shadow of a doubt their lack of consistency.

At times, the star-studded cast at Christchurch Stadium would dazzle with the type of rugby patrons would pay to come and watch. At others, it seemed as if another set of players had turned up for the game.

For example, while the season has taken on many unsavoury turns at times, there’s always been an outcome on the other end of the spectrum to turn things in the New Zealand franchise’s favour.

Over the last five months, the Crusaders have fallen victim to some teams one might not have predicted heading into the campaign including the Blues and Western Force.

However, wins over the Chiefs and Hurricanes in Rounds 19 and 20 of the regular season show that perhaps the Crusaders are entering a favourable run of form, especially when considering the scrappy yet effective mode with which they dealt with the latter of those two.

With the mercurial Dan Carter at 10, the seven-time giants will always have an assured and classy presence from the tee, something journalist Ben Coles confirmed on Twitter:

While the likes of Israel Dagg and Zac Guildford stand out as two of the back line’s more potent assets, a talented forward pack is helped leaps and bounds by the figures of Kieran Read, Tom Donnelly, Corey Flynn, Owen Franks and others.

However, the forward set to have the biggest role in the Crusaders’ qualifying hopes is the returning Richie McCaw, recently coming out of his rugby hiatus.

According to ABC, the New Zealand legend will play off the bench against the Reds, making his first appearance of the Super Rugby season.

McCaw is one of the few players in rugby who can quite literally tip the balance of a game pretty much single-handedly, with his skills at the breakdown and overall knowledge of the game an incredible asset to welcome back at this stage of the year.

Even if the Crusaders progress past their home qualifier against the Reds, they’ll face the Bulls in their semifinal, who they beat 41-19 in Round 5 of the season.

With that being the case, a final with the Chiefs would seem the most likely should they then move into the climax of the campaign, where neutral territory would see both teams—having beaten each other on home ground this season—play on a level field.

Although they’re outsiders to win honours at the moment, one can bet that the 2011 Super XV runners-up have enough in their tank to go on and win this year’s edition of the title.

2011 was a tragic year for the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It was hit by an earthquake in February as well as a number of aftershocks. These hardships made the Crusaders' trip to the Super Rugby final last year all the more amazing.

AMI Stadium still hasn't been repaired so the Crusaders will be playing their home games at the much smaller Rugby League Park. But that shouldn't be a problem.

The Crusaders boast a team with so much talent that they were only allowed to select 30 players due to the salary cap. That 30 includes 13 players who have donned the black jersey. Only the Blues have more, with 14.

But two of those 13 are Dan Carter and Richie McCaw.

Todd Blackadder is privileged to have arguably two of the greatest All Blacks of all time leading his team. Not only that but they were good enough to win a number of games without them and away from their home stadium, which speaks volumes about the character of this team.

The front row features three All Blacks props, including the World Cup-winning Franks brothers and last year's Steinlager Super Rugby player of the year, Wyatt Crockett. Crockett was unlucky to miss out on the World Cup squad because of Graham Henry's gamble with Tony Woodcock. But with Woodcock becoming injury prone, Crockett could become the next great All Black loosehead.

Owen Franks has been improving every year and was not only a great scrummager but was one of the best defensive players for the All Blacks during the World Cup. Ben Franks is valuable due to his versatility, as he is able to line up at both sides of the scrum.

Rounding out the front row is All Black Corey Flynn. Due to his penchant for getting injured, Tasman hooker Quentin McDonald or rookie Ben Funnell are likely to get some game time this season.

Replacing the legendary Brad Thorn is Otago import and former All Black Tom Donnelly. He will be joining Sam Whitelock to form one of the top second rows in the competition.

Donnelly will be looking to regain the form that made him an All Black starter in 2010. He is a great scrummaging lock who wins lineouts and is good on the pick-and-go. Whitelock is better known for his high work rate, great ball running and getting turnovers at the breakdown. Backing them up are former Hurricane and Highlander Ross Kennedy and Canterbury player Luke Romano.

McCaw will be missing the start of the Super Rugby season as he recovers from his ankle injury, but that shouldn't be a problem.

The loose forwards still feature former Steinlager Player of the Year Kieran Read, who has been called a future All Black captain due to his leadership and outstanding consistency. He will be joined by one-test All Black George Whitelock, his younger brother and Baby Blacks captain Luke Whitelock, and Tasman's Joe Wheeler.

But perhaps the most intriguing prospect is openside Matt Todd.

Todd impressed when he played in McCaw's place last year and was even used to mimic David Pocock before the All Blacks semifinal game. I mentioned in another article that I think he will be probably be competing with Luke Braid as McCaw's successor, though Sam Cane could also be in the mix if he plays well for Waikato. His cameo at All Blacks training could be a sign of things to come.

At halfback is All Black Andy Ellis. Of the three halfbacks in the World Cup last year, Ellis was known for getting the ball out of the ruck the quickest. However he does have a tendency of trying to run the ball like a first-five. Canterbury man Willie Heinz is his backup.

Carter will be looking to get back to his winning ways after missing the World Cup playoffs last year. He is as good as it gets at the pivot position and his impact is seen in his teams' performances without him. His backup is Tyler Bleyendaal, who was nominated for the IRB Junior Player of the Year in 2010 in his second year of Super Rugby.

The centres do not include Sonny Bill Williams, who went to the Chiefs, but they still have a wealth of talent.

The bulldozer Robbie Fruean will be joined by a consistent performer in Ryan Crotty, who has quietly impressed for both the Crusaders and Canterbury over the past few years. Backup Adam Whitelock also had a great season for Canterbury last year.

The wings will feature All Black Zac Guildford and last year's leading try scorer, Sean Maitland. Guildford however will be missing the first month of the season due to his alcoholism issues, so 105 kg Fijian winger Patrick Osborne will have a chance to start. He combines pace with size and has played for the Fijian Sevens team.

At the back is the most electrifying player in New Zealand rugby, Israel Dagg.

Last year was his coming out party, cementing his position as the new All Black fullback. Whenever he touched the ball he created magic, either with a great touch-finding kick or with his amazing speed and agility. He is also a good goalkicker as he showed with the Highlanders. Tom Marshall is also a solid option, having played for the Crusaders last year and serving as a goal-kicker.

The Crusaders have a chance to win another title and re-establish themselves as the most dominant team in Super Rugby. But the wealth of talent in the other teams in their conference will make that a challenging job. Either way, if the Crusaders can win their eighth trophy, it will be a great distraction for the people of Canterbury, who really need something to smile about these days.

Stuart Barnes, the often cynical former England fly-half and Sky rugby analyst could hardly believe what he was seeing.

As the wonder of the Crusaders 44-28 victory over the Sharks unfolded in front of 35,094 ex-pats and bemused Londoners at Twickenham last night, Barnesie enthused, “This may be the first Super rugby clash in the northern hemisphere, but after this, let’s hope it’s not the last.”

Barnes, usually so caustic on rugby matters, is not alone. Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder agrees. He said, "If the powers that be decide they would like to see other Super 15 games here that would be good for our sport."

And how. We saw 80 minutes of scintillating rugby between the Christchurch side denied a home venue by last month’s earthquake and Durban’s never-say-die Sharks. An epic first half dominated by the Kiwis, a wonderful comeback from the South Africans...and a final, victory clinching try for the land of the long white cloud.

And of course, we witnessed the perfect boot of Dan Carter, the greatest kicker in the century-long history of the great All Black tradition. He scored 22 perfect points, including one of the nine tries, in 62 minutes before limping off, his heart no doubt filled with memories of that earthquake, which he felt shudder the walls of the changing room at Rugby Park in Christchurch on 22 February.

Over 160 people died that day. Yesterday’s match was as much as a sporting contest can do to pay tribute to those unfortunates. Sounds trite, but you can’t deny the gut-wrenching feeling was there for all to see at Twickenham yesterday.

Wonderful stuff and every one of the tickets sold will see £5 go to the Red Cross Earthquake Emergency Fund.

And all that after seeing South Africa’s footballers clinch an historic 1-0 victory over Egypt the night before, ironically at Ellis Park, the home of South African rugby.

Just what global sports fans needed really, after witnessing South Africa choke against New Zealand on Friday and England fail by a mere 10 wickets against Sri Lanka in the final cricket World Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

World champion Sebastian Vettel’s start-to-finish victory in the opening Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne, with Lewis Hamilton second, was hardly epic. England’s 2-0 Euro 2012 victory over Wales on Saturday was predictable, as was Brazil’s triumph over Scotland by the same score on Sunday.

But for me, this was a weekend dominated by two great moments. The manic screech of the commentator as Katlego “Killer” Mphela’s 93rd minute goal hit the back of the net to end the six year reign of the Pharoahs, seven-time African champions.

And the roar of “Beast” in West London every time the Zimbabwean-born Springbok prop Tendai Mtawarira got involved at Twickenham.

Fine moments.  And I full expect Wednesday’s first World Cup cricket semi-final between India and Pakistan to add a few more.

Who the hell is Neal Collins (nealcol on Twitter)? See www.nealcollins.co.uk.

Seven titles from thirteen attempts.  A better than 50% competition winning strike rate —need we say much more?

They have led the charge exhibited by New Zealand teams, who have won ten of the titles since the competition conception in 1996.

While New Zealand teams are known for their individual brilliance and often freewheeling attack and on field styles—it has been a distinctively unique approach that has allowed Canterbury to hold the maxim “a champion team is better than a team of champions”.

However the Crusaders have been fortunate to hold both, no doubt a champion team, but always littered with a healthy spread of champion players.

We think of Canterbury, and a plethora of words spring to mind - control, execution, poise and a magnificently balanced style of play.  That they have wielded world class coaches (Wayne Smith and Robbie Deans) and some of the finest players of the modern era has helped.  But as other equally equipped sporting teams can attest, this is not enough.

But they are as close to the complete package as Rugby team can be.  They are strong in all facets of the set piece, powerful in the scrum, reliable in the air, and nearly all powerful with the control of the all important ruck. 

But it is the execution of a game plan so simple but so brilliant that gives them there power.  They will happily play the percentages, defend with the marshalling prowess of an impenetrable army, but then implement the most dangerous element of their play.

That of capitalising on oppositions mistakes, driving down the field efficiently through accurate kicking or quick linking play that often ends in scoring tries.  No team in world rugby displays the military precision that Canterbury is known for.

And no team builds through the season, and knows how to shut out a game, like the Crusaders.

Boasting New Zealand’s oldest union, dating back to 1879, the beginning of professionalism was unkind to Canterbury.

They finished last in the inaugural Super 12 in 1996, and fielded just one All Black from the previous end of year tour to Italy and France.

It was here that Steve Tew, former Canterbury boss and now the head honcho for the All Blacks, decided to pull together the union and effectively re-write how the Crusaders and their seven provinces of the upper South Island operated.

They moved away from the recruitment of players, and focused on the culture and development of players and support staff in the region.  It was here that the conscription of Canterbury began, ensuring the blend of the province and Super franchise were analogous.

Over a hundred years of successful Canterbury culture was tapped – or loaned to the Crusaders franchise—as Steve Tew describes.   It was the repetition of the values and culture of the famous red and blacks that enabled them to become the strongest domestic power in world rugby.

Wayne Smith and his successor Robbie Deans were both Canterbury legends, both prominent in the 1982-1985 Ranfurly Shield reign—where the team held the log o wood for 25 successful defences (the joint  second longest reign in history).

Former Canterbury skipper Don Hayes has been the team’s campaign manager, former Canterbury lock Tony Thorpe has been the team manager.  Former hooker Mark Hammett is now an assistant coach, and now former red and black legend Todd Blackadder has taken over as the Crusaders head coach.

That the union is now regarded as one of the world’s preeminent production lines of world class players is no accident; it is the hard work of over ten years of blood, sweat and toil by men who hold the team and province in their blood.

The NZRU recognises this as well, with Jack Hobbs and Steve Tew, the chairman and CEO of New Zealand rugby both former Canterbury players.

From Duncan McGregor (a member of the 1905 Originals) Canterbury has fielded a who’s who of New Zealand rugby greats.  Wilson Whineray, Tane Norton, Fergie McCormick, Ian Kirkpatrick, Alex Wyllie and Kelvin Tremain are but a few legends of the game who wore red and black colours.

In the modern era it continued, with Norm Maxwell, Greg Feek and Scott Robinson – and more recently Andrew Mehrtens, Justin Marshall, Chris Jack and Aaron Mauger.  All of these mentioned players were pillars of the great team, but were also some of the finest men to pull on the dreaded black representation of the national team.

They now field two players mentioned as possibly the finest players of their generation that of All Black captain Richie McCaw and the world’s finest first five, Dan Carter.  Both will no doubt go on to become two of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

Carter and Deans will be absent from the Crusades this year, but as history and tradition have been strong to point out, no two men make the Canterbury team.

Canterbury Crusaders roll of honour

 

·         Champions (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008)

·         Runners Up (2003, 2004)

·         Only team to go through season undefeated (2002)

·         Most points posted in a season = 541 (2005)

·         Most consecutive home games won = 26 (Feb 2004 to May 2007)

·         Match record, most points (96), most tries (14), winning margin (77) V NSW 96-19 (2002)

·         Only team to win 100 games in Super Rugby

·         Best home and best away winning percentage

Likely Starting XV for 2009:

15 – Leon Macdonald, 14 – Jared Payne, 13 – Casey Laulau, 12 – Tim Bateman, 11 – Kade Poki, 10 – Stephen Brett, 9 – Andrew Ellis, 8 – Thomas Waldrom, 7 – Richie McCaw, 6 – Kieran Read, 5 – Ross Filipo, 4 – Brad Thorn, 3 – Ben Franks, 2 – Corey Flynn, 1 – Wyatt Crockett

With four of the five kiwi squad blessed with an abundance of All Blacks and an almost unfair amount of emerging talent—they look set to add another title to the cabinet.

The Crusaders and Blues are the only NZ teams to have tasted glory – between them they account for an astonishing ten Super Rugby titles.  Australia and South Africa have three titles shared amongst them since 1996.

We could credit Graham Henry for his obsession to build depth between 2004 and 2007.  But, despite grumblings that the state of the game in New Zealand is not sublime; their system is unequalled for maintaining player talent and this is painfully clear (to other national unions) when we see very strong squads—despite New Zealand losing approximately 20 front line All Blacks and senior Super 14 players in the last year and a half.

Current Super 14 and ANZC champions Canterbury will not present the usual overwhelming case for title favouritism—by virtue of the absence of two modern day greats, former coach Robbie Deans and arguably the world’s best player Dan Carter.

However, irrespective of this, no domestic union in the world can boast the production line that the Crusaders wield, and even with Carter gone, there are two class first five’s in Stephen Brett and Colin Slade—the latter of whom played for Canterbury in the majority of the ANZC. 

With the talismanic Richie McCaw combining with Kieran Read and Thomas Waldrom in the back row—who had an outstanding domestic season with Wellington in 2008, Canterbury will be a mighty presence in the ruck, as well as All Black enforcer Brad Thorn and the reliable Ross Filipo combining in the second row. 

New coach Todd Blackadder, a Canterbury legend, will come to the role after cutting his teeth with Edinburgh as a coach.  However, he is no Robbie Deans—and lack of top class three quarters and front row may hurt the Crusaders.  But, this is Canterbury, who is well accustomed to what is needed to accomplish Super 14 glory.  But the transition will see them just miss out on the top four.

The Hurricanes will field the most threatening side of any team in the Super 14, littered with All Blacks, with a stable coach in Colin Cooper and the heaviest of expectations.  Even without Jerry Collins, Chris Masoe (Europe) and Jimmy Gopperth (Blues) missing—they will field a most impressive starting fifteen, lacking in no position except that of first five, unless Piri Weepu is shifted out.

Five All Blacks in the pack led by the tireless Rodney So’oialo and Andrew Hore, the first choice All Black midfield in Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, and a deadly three quarter line with last year’s leading domestic try scorer Hosea Gear, along with Cory Jane, David Smith and Zac Guildford—and the team from the capital drip with class.

They will have learnt from their poor performance in the ANZC final last year and insipid semi-final capitulation in the 2008 Super 14—both times to Canterbury.  The team most likely to defeat them is themselves, and if they conquer the “almost” mentality, they will hoist their maiden Super 14 title.

The enigmatic Blues are quietly confident, and are not being talked up by the media much—due to its three main feeder unions having poor years in last year’s ANZC.  They have lost Nick Evans, Daniel Braid and Isa Nacewa, but if new coach Pat Lam can transform ability to results, they will threaten for the championship.

They boast a most impressive forward pack, with Tony Woodcock, John Afoa, Keven Mealamu, Anthony Boric, Ali Williams and Jerome Kaino all front line All Blacks last year—who will be joined by the brilliant back rower Josh Blackie from Otago.

Taniela Moa and Benson Stanley will continue their development as internationals in waiting; but it is feeding the ball to the backs that will be paramount for the Blues.

With a three quarter line boasting All Blacks Joe Rokocoko, Rudi Wulf, Anthony Tuitavake and Isaia Toeava—the recently underperforming Aucklander’s have the talent to make the Top Four, as long as the natural flair combines with a cold efficiency.

For Waikato to compete, much will depend on their pack.  Long a traditional power in the New Zealand game, since winning the ANZC in 2006 they have failed to live up to promise.  There is no shortage of class up front, with Hika Elliot, Liam Messam, Tanerau Latimer and Serge Lilo all products of the New Zealand academy systems.

But it could be in the back line where we see the aptitude come of age.  No less than five All Blacks will line up—with Brendan Leonard finally returning from injury.  Fringe All Blacks Stephen Donald and Richard Kahui will have points to prove, especially the former with Carter playing in Europe.  The Chiefs will wield one of the finer three quarter lines, with first choice internationals Sitiveni Sivivatu and Mils Muliaina.  But they will finish anywhere such is their inconsistency.

Highlanders coach Glen Moore and his men will as always be pragmatic and strong up front—but as always their lack of genuine X factor players anywhere will hurt their chances.  However, despite this, as last year they will not be embarrassed but will bring up the rear of the table.

CRUSADERS

Last year: 1st and champions                                                                           This year’s prediction: 5th                                                                               FIRST GAME: vs. Chiefs @ Christchurch

HURRICANES

Last year: 4th

This year’s prediction: Champions

FIRST GAME: vs. Waratahs @ Wellington

 

BLUES

Last year: 6th

This year’s prediction: 3rd

FIRST GAME: vs. Force @ Perth

 

CHIEFS

Last year: 7th

This year’s prediction: 9th

FIRST GAME: vs. Crusaders @ Christchurch

 

HIGHLANDERS

Last year: 11th

This year’s prediction: 11th

FIRST GAME: vs. Brumbies @ Dunedin