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Former Wallaby encourages fans to ‘enjoy’ Crusaders’ winless run
Former Wallaby Cameron Shepherd has encouraged Super Rugby Pacific fans to “enjoy” the Crusaders’ winless start to the season with the defending champions ranked second-last on the ladder.
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For the first time since the inaugural Super Rugby season in 1996, the Crusaders have started a season with three defeats from as many starts.
The reigning competition champions started their season with a tough loss on the road away to New Zealand rivals the Chiefs before falling to the NSW Waratahs 37-24 in a stunning Super Round upset at Melbourne’s AAMI Park.
But their loss to the Fijian Drua in Round Three sees them anchored towards the bottom of the ladder with the Christchurch-based franchise equal on competition points with the Western Force.
While the Force currently sit in last place, the Crusaders are only one spot above them due to their slightly better points differential which still reads -27 after the opening three rounds.
“Poor performance (in Round One) and then you come out, you do a huge comeback against the Force and then win on the weekend against a Moana Pasifika team that was coming off a win,” Cameron Shepherd initially said of the Melbourne Rebels on Stan Sports’ Rugby Heaven.
“Great to see the Crusaders down the bottom. If the Western Force won on the weekend they would’ve been in 11th and the Crusaders would’ve been 12th.
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“But then you look at that logjam in the middle and I think Sera you’d agree, this weekend really is going to separate and we’re going to start seeing some real differences within the group.
“But at the moment, it sort of is anyone’s tournament.”
With new coach Rob Penney at the helm, the Crusaders have had three different halfbacks start in the No. 9 jersey already this season and there has been some change at first-five as well.
The Crusaders no longer have the likes of Richie Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock or Leicester Fainga’anuku to call upon as they sail through practically uncharted waters this season.
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The last time the Crusaders started 0-3, one of Rugby Heaven’s pundits this week, Sera Naiqama, was only one. Host Michael Atkinson was about eight years of age.
“We might not get this chance again so we’ve got to enjoy it as much as we can,” Shepherd added with a smile.
But as they look to turn their season around, the Crusaders have their backs up against the ropes as they prepare to run through a Super Rugby gauntlet over the next few weeks.
The Crusaders will host the Hurricanes in Christchurch in Round Four before then facing the Blues in Auckland and the Chiefs back at home.
Comments on RugbyPass
Let’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
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