Can the Crusaders make it a three-peat? - Super Rugby 2019 Preview
The Crusaders have a lot to thank their head coach and former 86-cap loose forward Scott Robertson for.
Between his departure from Christchurch as a four-time Super Rugby champion in 2003 and his return to the club at the end of 2016, the Crusaders had reached their peak and were beginning to plateau after steady yet worrisome decline.
In the five years following Robertson’s exit to Europe and Japan, his former coach Robbie Deans steered the Cantabrians to three more Super Rugby titles, taking his grand total to seven before leaving for the Wallabies in 2008.
Former All Blacks captain Todd Blackadder signed on as Deans’ replacement, but what ensued was the most unsuccessful period in the Crusaders’ history.
Eight seasons they went without securing a Super Rugby crown, and although they came within a whisker of winning in 2011 and 2014, they never replicated the prolific success that Deans earned them.
The fall from grace climaxed when they missed out on the playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades in 2015, and so when Blackadder left for greener pastures the following year, the Crusaders faithful were desperate for someone to take them back to the top.
Now coming into his third season as Blackadder’s replacement, Robertson hasn’t just taken them to the top – he’s catapulted them there.
The 23-test former All Black has reinforced the Crusaders’ reputation as by far and away the most title-laden club in the competition by earning two trophies in his first two seasons on the job.
Throughout those 2017 and 2018 campaigns, no other side really looked like they would oust the Crusaders for the championship once the playoffs rolled around, and heading into 2019, it’s shaping up to be that way once again.
Robertson’s obvious passion for his club, players, and region is illustrated in his coaching and the style of play of which he’s implemented at the Crusaders, and those feelings are reciprocated towards him by his players and fans alike.
He’s become a firm fan favourite at AMI Stadium, and with his astute tactical awareness and unorthodox coaching philosophy which incorporates a large emphasis on having fun while achieving success, he’s made his side firm favourites to claim a third straight title as well.
It’s difficult to envisage another team denying the Crusaders a second-ever three-peat, not when they have got such an array of quality players, such a breadth of depth in their squad, and largely the same core of players who went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BteyAL0grZg/
The biggest name not to be returning is 203-match stalwart Wyatt Crockett, who has retired after a 13-season affiliation with the club.
Other significant departures include three-test All Black Seta Tamanivalu, who has signed with Bordeaux in the Top 14, and blockbusting loose forward Pete Samu, who has transferred to the Brumbies to pursue a test career in Australia.
However, despite the talent that trio of players possesses, those losses are mere blips in the Crusaders’ quest for a hat-trick of titles.
The holes left by those players were well and truly plugged up in the off-season, with the likes of exciting loose forward Whetu Douglas and powerful young winger Leicester Fainga’anuku coming in as their replacements.
They will complement the services of those who have already been in and around the squad for the past few seasons, which should only enhance the Crusaders’ fortunes.
Their all-star forward pack – almost entirely composed of seasoned All Blacks such as Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and Owen Franks – will continue to cause damage at the set-piece and at the breakdown, laying the platform for their backline, of which will again be orchestrated by the ever-impressive Richie Mo’unga.
He was so good from first-five last year that there were numerous calls for him to overtake Beauden Barrett as New Zealand’s starting first-five, and although that didn’t come to fruition, the 24-year-old will certainly put the pressure on Barrett over the course of the season.
Mo’unga looms as the Crusaders’ key man this year, as was the case in 2018, and should he reach that same level of brilliance, then those outside him, like Jack Goodhue and George Bridge, will flourish.
Keep an eye out for electric 20-year-old fullback Will Jordan.
Tamanivalu’s exit paves the way for the Tasman youngster to finally make his debut at this level, and should opposition defences choose to underestimate his capacity to strike from anywhere with ball in hand, they will be duly punished.
All in all, this settled side – bursting with quality and being led by a charismatic coach that knows how to win – are undeniable favourites to take out the 2019 edition of Super Rugby, and it’s going to take a monumental effort from anyone else to stop them.
2018 Predictions:
New Zealand Conference Placing: 1 st
Player of the Year: Richie Mo’unga
Rookie of the Year: Will Jordan
Best Signing: Whetu Douglas
Breakout Player: Andrew Makalio
Squad Movements:
Ins: Harry Allan (Canterbury), Whetu Douglas (Benetton Treviso), Ere Enari (Canterbury),
Brett Cameron (Canterbury), Leicester Fainga’anuku (Tasman), Ngane Punivai (Canterbury)
Outs: Donald Brighouse (released), Wyatt Crockett (retired), Chris King (released), Sam
Anderson-Heather (released), Sebastian Siataga (released), Heiden Bedwell-Curtis
(Hurricanes), Pete Samu (Brumbies), Jack Stratton (released), Mike Delany (retired), Seta
Tamanivalu (Bordeaux), Tima Fainga’anuku (Perpignan), Jone Macilai-Tori (released)
Squad:
Forwards: Michael Alaalatoa, Harry Allan, Owen Franks, Oliver Jager, Joe Moody, Tim Perry,
Ben Funnell, Andrew Makalio, Codie Taylor, Scott Barrett, Luke Romano, Quinten Strange,
Sam Whitelock, Ethan Blackadder, Whetu Douglas, Mitchell Dunshea, Billy Harmon, Kieran
Read, Tom Sanders, Jordan Taufua, Matt Todd
Backs: Mitchell Drummond, Ere Enari, Bryn Hall, Brett Cameron, Mitch Hunt, Richie
Mo’unga, Tim Bateman, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, George Bridge, Israel Dagg, Braydon
Ennor, Leicester Fainga’anuku, David Havili, Will Jordan, Manasa Mataele, Ngane Punivai
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments