'Look at everything really': Crusaders searching for answers after losing to 'dogged' Waratahs
The Crusaders became the second Kiwi side to go down to an Australian side on a weekend where all the New Zealand sides have been put under pressure.
The Chiefs held off the fast finishing Reds to secure a two point victory 27-25 on Friday night, the Blues were pressured on the way to a 22-18 victory in Perth over the Force and the Highlanders escaped a rampant Drua coming away with a 27-24 win in Suva.
The slow starting Crusaders couldn’t prevent the Waratahs from joining the winner’s circle as they were outplayed from the get go.
The Waratahs raced out to a 17-0 lead at halftime a they controlled proceedings in the slippery conditions on a dewy night at a packed Leichhardt Oval and closed out a 24-21 win, their first since 2019 over the Crusaders.
“We were on the back foot straight away, fourteen points down under a lot of pressure,” Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson said.
“A lot of simple stuff we proud ourselves on, we didn’t get right. They got a lot of momentum.
“In the last 20, we got plenty of opportunities and still didn’t finish.”
Of concern was the way the Crusaders started for the second week in a row. They were slow out of the gate against the Rebels in Melbourne, struggling to a 7-3 halftime lead before exploding in the second half.
It was a similar story this week but the Waratahs were good enough to shut them out completely heading into the sheds which proved too much to overcome in the second forty minutes.
Head coach Scott Robertson admitted the side is looking for answers themselves and they would need to look at ‘everything’ to turn things around before they head into the finals.
“We are looking for the answer ourselves, to be fair,” he said.
“We had a really good week, connected, good mindset, we know playing Aussie teams are a little bit different, how desperate they are, they are a dogged side the Waratahs.
“They put us under that pressure cycle that we just couldn’t quite get out of.
“How do we get better? We are going to have to have honesty, look at our week, look at everything really.
“Because it’s all there, we just have to complete some stuff.”
Crusaders captain Codie Taylor said that the loss mirrored the last time they were undone by the Waratahs in 2019, with similar conditions challenging the visitors which they didn’t adapt well enough too.
“I think the last two losses we’ve had against them it has been the same conditions around the weather and us not starting well,” Taylor said.
“They played really well to the conditions, they got that try straight away, they controlled the ruck really well, put the ball in the air and made it 50-50s.
“When it is dewy, even though it wasn’t raining, that’s the sort of game that if you don’t nail those little moments, you are straight under pressure.
“That was it in the first half.
“We struggled to get a roll on, then came out in the second half and got a couple shots but just didn’t finish.
“The Tahs played well and took their opportunities and they obviously wanted it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments