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'I'm smashing my TV': Former All Black unhappy with Crusaders coach Robertson

By Sam Smith
(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Former All Black prop Neemia Tialata has taken exception with Crusaders coach Scott Robertson, with a public plea to stop his post-match antics following the Crusaders 21-7 win over the Blues in the Super Rugby Pacific final.

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The Crusaders coach is famous for his celebratory breakdancing routine which he has been brought out whenever the Crusaders claim a title.

However, Tialata took to Twitter to voice his opinion and asked for an end to the ritual for ‘the sake of rugby’.

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“No breakdance please for the sake of rugby…. NO!,” the 43-test All Black wrote.

“Let your boys enjoy the win! I’m smashing my tv if he does.”

Robertson proceeded to dance on the turf of Eden Park after the Crusaders claimed their sixth title in six years under the super coach.

 

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Springboks Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus also took to Twitter to praise Robertson’s effort, sharing adulation for the way that the Crusaders coach expresses himself after success.

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In his post-match press conference, Robertson said he was ‘extremely proud’ of his Crusaders side who replicated the feats of the 1998 side by beating the Blues at a ‘special’ Eden Park in the final.

“Extremely proud. Through the week we dug pretty deep into what it takes to win a championship and reflected on a lot of the other teams that had done it and why,” he said.

“That connected us probably into how hard it was going to be. There was a lot of messages from (past) players, coaches and captains that just reflected that probably first 50 minutes.

“It is special to win at the Garden. We talked about it. It’s very hard for any team to win here, – any team playing the All Blacks or the Blues.

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“It’s a pretty special place and we had to go to a higher level if we wanted to [get the win] and step up, and we did that.”

Of the five titles the Crusaders had won under Robertson previously, just one had been won away from home against the Lions in Johannesberg.

Whilst their sixth title at Eden Park was special, it couldn’t be compared to their victory at Ellis Park due to the differing circumstances.

“Yeah we’ve done it a few times [winning the competition] but Ellis Park… Take nothing away from this but I think because it was the first, it was unique,” he said of the team’s 2017 championship.

“That was pretty special. You were away from home. There’s a few more, where the air is thin and you’ve got a lot of different elements.

“But just this group and led by some great men and a great captain.”

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Bull Shark 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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