Crusaders star George Bridge issues Super Rugby warning
By Patrick McKendry, NZ Herald
Crusaders wing George Bridge politely suggests those thinking the Super Rugby champions are due for a dip this year – after losing a wealth of experience in Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock, Ryan Crotty, Matt Todd and Owen Franks – may want to think again.
He says Scott Robertson’s men, hoping to blaze yet another trail by winning four championships in a row, have been invigorated by the new, impressive, talent coming through.
Robertson, determined to put the disappointment of missing out on All Blacks head coach behind him, has again gone outside the square in selecting former Wales international wing Mark Jones as an assistant coach, and in an interview with the Herald, Bridge added that it was business as usual for the man known as Razor.
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“Four in a row is the main objective but I think the fact we have a couple of new coaches and new leadership group brings a couple of new factors which is really exciting,” Bridge said. “It changes things a little bit for the better – there are a few new voices around.
“We just want to keep getting better and better which I think is a really good mindset. We’ve had a really good pre-season and have quite a few young lads coming through who are bloody exciting to watch – I experienced that [last] weekend for the first time.
“Super Rugby is such a tough competition so having that depth is really important. I feel we’ve got that so hopefully we can be consistently performing every weekend.”
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Keeping the consistency of the past three years will be a challenge in this season of rebuilding, but it’s the same for just about every other team in the competition.
There is no denying the experience the Crusaders have lost. But with captain Scott Barrett, Joe Moody, Luke Romano, Codie Taylor, Mitch Drummond and Whetukamokamo Douglas in the new-look leadership group, there is still a steely look to their squad.
“And I see myself as a leader coming through,” Bridge added. “Even though we lost a lot of caps, a lot of us having been playing four-plus years of Super Rugby now. It’s not like we’re inexperienced at all.”
Bridge, 24, enjoyed a massive breakout year in 2019. He had been on the All Black scene since late 2018 but it was starring role in the rout of the Wallabies at Eden Park – on the opposite wing to Crusaders teammate Sevu Reece – which really launched him into the stratosphere.
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He handled each challenge with calmness and control, scored tries in the big World Cup tests against the Springboks and Ireland, and now must be considered the incumbent for the black No 11 jersey.
“I enjoyed last year,” he said. “It was a long year. I had that disappointment at the end of it which has given me a real drive to keep improving. Obviously Super Rugby is such a quality competition and I just want to keep getting better. We’ve got some quality outside backs too which has been keeping me on my toes.”
Coach Robertson endured his own personal challenge when losing out to Ian Foster for the All Blacks job before Christmas but Bridge said there was no sign of that at Crusaders headquarters.
“Obviously he was pretty disappointed not to get that but he loves our team and he has put so much time and effort into it over the last few years. I don’t think anything has changed. He’s made that pretty clear. He cares about the team. I’ve only been in for a week but what I’ve seen is business as usual.”
This article first appeared in nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Except 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.
33 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.
2 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
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
33 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.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments