Crusaders enter 2022 with more to prove as last year's worst All Blacks performers
In each of the last five seasons, Scott Robertson’s Crusaders have won a title of some sort. Three straight Super Rugby titles, followed by two Super Rugby Aotearoa titles between 2017 to 2021.
The Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition saw Robertson’s men miss the final purely on points differential even after five wins from five. The Crusaders are a well-oiled machine that seemingly can’t be derailed.
The four other Kiwi franchises have put together decent squads too, only for the Crusaders to keep trumping them time and time again.
Oddly, however, the All Blacks in Robertson’s squad enter 2022 having been categorically some of the worst performers in the national side last year, with the sole exception of Will Jordan.
As the All Blacks waned during their long tour like no other, it was often the Crusaders players who looked out of sorts and troubled under Ian Foster. Looking back on the biggest All Black losses, it was the Crusaders who came up short.
Joe Moody, Scott Barrett, Codie Taylor, Richie Mo’unga, David Havili and George Bridge were hampered by ill-discipline, poor errors, hapless kicking, panicked decisions, and yips under the high ball.
Even Braydon Ennor against Italy added to the Crusaders-centric woes, while all the hype around Ethan Blackadder was overdone. He is a hard worker that was largely ineffective in contact and at the breakdown.
You name it, a high-profile Crusaders player was there to butcher it against South Africa, Ireland and France.
They weren’t the only players to perform less than their best, but given how they perform in Super Rugby, the expectations around them are higher. They form the bulk of the All Blacks side by far. If they fail, the All Blacks fail.
Despite Foster taking aim at Jordan after the first Springboks test and hooking him during it, a little look over Bridge’s performance would have been wiser.
Bridge couldn’t catch anything kicked his way, and gifted a try to Sbu Nkosi early. His lack of finishing ability was a low point for the All Blacks backline all season.
A week later, five minutes into the second test against the Springboks, after Ardie Savea won a turnover, a wide pass from Havili to Taylor hit the hooker in the face and dropped to the turf inside their own 22.
The loose ball was recovered by the Springboks and Damian de Allende scored seconds later in the corner.
Havili’s and Mo’unga’s dreadful kicking in Dublin put the side under an enormous defensive load against Ireland. Caelen Doris running straight through Taylor to score under the sticks was a sight to behold.
How did Romain Ntamack escape from a mountain of in-goal pressure to instigate a sweeping French counter-attack in Paris? Firstly by shoving off the first up attempt by Mo’unga. What about Damian Penaud’s intercept? Gift-wrapped by Havili.
Aside from the errors, the lack of meaningful big plays to offset the bad weren’t there. Taylor had flashes, setting up Jordan for a try against South Africa and scoring one against Ireland.
Havili had the odd moment but Mo’unga didn’t produce any big plays on tour when it mattered. They were simply ineffective most of the time against the best opposition.
The list of the best All Blacks performers in the big games were Jordie Barrett, Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan and possibly Rieko Ioane.
This is one of the most puzzling aspects about the All Blacks in 2021. A side bolstered full of star players from a champion Crusaders team played well below par. Shockingly bad, in fact, compared to their usual high standards.
Is it that the Crusaders men are the only ones who know the difference between Ian Foster and Scott Robertson? Whenever Foster speaks, instructs or floats an idea, the men from Christchurch can compare that to what Robertson would have said.
After five years of Super Rugby under Robertson, some of the same in-game situations would surely have been discussed. The Crusaders players know the difference in how the coaches think. The others are none the wiser and ignorance is bliss.
Is this having such an impact? Who knows.
It is baffling to see such talented players put in floundering performances that don’t do their abilities justice. We’ve seen what they can do against the rest of New Zealand’s best for half a decade.
Because of such a poor showing at international level last year, the Crusaders enter 2022 with more to prove than ever before.
Robertson has had to watch his beloved players look unworthy of their All Blacks selections and couldn’t do anything about it.
He has had to bide his time for a shot at the All Blacks job and has had to watch this unfold in the meantime. The players themselves will be motivated after being set-up to fail and, quite frankly, be flat-out embarrassed.
Mo’unga, the MVP of Super Rugby Aotearoa the last two seasons, hasn’t dispelled the narrative that he can’t perform at international level in big games.
England had his number at the 2019 World Cup, and so did Ireland and France last year. Likewise, the Springboks controlled him in the final 20 minutes on the Gold Coast.
You know who does show up in big games? Beauden Barrett.
In that same Gold Coast fixture, it was ‘BB’ with the cross-kick to set-up Reece and the monster line break to spark Savea’s try. In the 100th against Wales, Barrett scored a couple of intercept tries to bookend proceedings.
Say what you want about his game management at times, but it’s indisputable that he makes big plays and his defence is outstanding. The amount of tries he has saved in test rugby is not talked about enough.
Mo’unga got hung out to dry multiple times by his opposite Ntamack against France. If he needs any more motivation, there it is. If you need a new goal this season, become the best defensive 10 in the country, in addition to being an attacking superstar.
The last thing any of the other New Zealand franchises need is a Crusaders side with a chip on their shoulder, but it feels like one is coming in 2022 despite all their past success.
The Blues have all the attention now with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and an incredible roster of talent. They celebrated with the Trans-Tasman trophy after beating the Highlanders, while the Crusaders could only sit back and watch despite winning all their games.
A new title, Super Rugby Pacific, is up for grabs, which no team has claimed before. Robertson will find a theme and mould his squad to show what those All Blacks can really do.
A sixth title in six straight years would be a remarkable feat by any standards, not just in rugby, but in professional sport.
If they do achieve it, perhaps the All Blacks can get some of that form too.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben 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.
19 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.
7 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.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments