Chiefs loss caps off worst period in Scott Robertson's reign as wheels fall off the Crusaders' machine
It shows how good the Crusaders have been since Scott Robertson took over as coach in 2017 that Saturday night’s loss to the Chiefs capped off the worst three-week period under Robertson’s tenure.
The Crusaders have suffered just nine Super Rugby defeats since 2017. In that period, they’ve played 76 games, giving Robertson a remarkable 88 per cent win-rate.
The Hurricanes and Chiefs are each behind three of those losses while the Highlanders (twice) and Waratahs have been the other sides to cause the Crusaders pain.
Just one of those defeats came in the first year of Robertson’s time in charge, with two coming in each of the four seasons following – but we’re the Crusaders’ 2021 campaign is still only half-finished, with potentially eight matches left to play (two in Super Rugby Aotearoa and six in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, should they make the final).
Whichever way you look at it, it’s a remarkable record – but Robertson won’t be looking back very favourably on the past three weeks.
Having kicked the season off with four straight wins, many picked that the Crusaders would go through the Aotearoa campaign undefeated. All things considered, it was becoming a bit predictable.
Entering Round 6 of the competition, few would have given the Highlanders even the smallest chance of scoring an upset in Christchurch but that’s exactly what they did – and they did it in emphatic fashion.
The 33-12 victory for the visitors marked one of the Crusaders’ heaviest-ever defeats at home and just their second in Christchurch under Robertson – to go with last year’s slip-up against the Hurricanes.
In fact, the loss was the Crusaders’ heaviest since the final round of 2016 when the Hurricanes triumphed 35-10 in Christchurch.
The expectation after suffering at the hands of the Highlanders was that the Crusaders would bounce back with venom last weekend – but they instead needed to snatch a last-second victory against the Hurricanes in extra-time.
Should this rule be scrapped? The use of the captain's referral raised concerns again in Super Rugby Aotearoa. #CHIvCRU https://t.co/bpiTYRpk31
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 17, 2021
Factor in last night’s 26-25 loss to the Chiefs and the Crusaders are sitting on one win from three matches and a three-week points differential of -19.
While the Crusaders did lose two in a row in 2018, against the Hurricanes (19-29) and the Highlanders (17-25), they were sandwiched by emphatic wins over the Stormer (45-28) and Bulls (33-14).
They’ve not had the luxury of playing against travelling South African sides over the past two seasons and, as the Chiefs discovered over 11 weeks’ worth of matches, it’s not easy to climb your way out of a hole when you’re having to battle against fellow Kiwi sides week-in and week-out.
Prior to Robertson taking over from Todd Blackadder as head coach, the Crusaders also suffered two defeats on the trot at the tail-end of the 2016 season (including that sizeable loss to the Hurricanes), but had dismantled the Rebels 85-26 the week prior.
You really have to head all the way back to 2010 to find a three-week period where the Crusaders struggled quite as much as they have over the last three rounds of action.
That year, they suffered back-to-back-to-back defeats to the Western Force, Stormers and Bulls – in Perth, Cape Town and Pretoria.
That, of course, is the flip side of not playing travelling sides – you don’t have to travel yourself.
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The past three weeks won’t have Scott Robertson sweating too much – they’ve improved from match to match after the flat performance against the Highlanders and came within a whisker of scoring a win last night despite having limited possession and territory to work with. They were also without a number of their key players for the game, such as All Blacks Joe Moody and Samuel Whitelock.
In many ways, the relatively poor results over the past three weeks really just emphasise how exceptional Robertson’s four and a half seasons with the Crusaders have been.
No Super Rugby coach has anywhere near as successful a record, especially not over such an extended period. If anyone can coach their side out of a rut, then Robertson would be a fairly safe bet.
The Crusaders will look to get their season back on track against the Blues next weekend before sitting out the last round of the regular season with a bye. While mathematically possible for them to miss out on the grand final a week later, it would take an absurd set of results for that to eventuate, with the likelihood being they’ll meet the Chiefs or Blues for a third time in the ultimate match of the competition.
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
55 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
55 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
55 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
55 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
55 Go to comments