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Mitch Hunt opens up on the clash of cultures between the Highlanders and Crusaders
A year after his move south from the Crusaders to the Highlanders, Mitch Hunt has opened up on the contrasting cultures that drive the two franchises.
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Hunt made the move to Dunedin from Christchurch ahead of the 2020 Super Rugby season in search of more game time with his impact at the Crusaders limited due to the presence of star first-five Richie Mo’unga.
During his time with the Crusaders, the 25-year-old won a hat-trick of titles as part of one of the most successful teams in the competition’s history.
That success continued on through to 2020 when the Crusaders won an unprecedented fourth straight crown when they claimed the Super Rugby Aotearoa title while Hunt was playing in his debut campaign with the Highlanders.
The Dunedin franchise struggled in comparison to their South Island neighbours, with the side picking up just one win from six outings in Super Rugby prior to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Adding just three more wins to their tally from eight matches in Super Rugby Aotearoa, the Highlanders finished in fourth place, although Hunt enjoyed an impressive run of form, as reflected in his selection for the North vs South game.
It wasn’t just the field aspect that Hunt found enjoyable in his first years with his new team, as he got a taste for the famed off-field culture that has become synonymous with the Highlanders.
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That culture has often made the franchise an appealing destination for prospective Super Rugby players, with Hunt noting considerable differences in the way in which the Highlanders operate compared to the mightily successful Crusaders.
While speaking to the What a Lad podcast last November, Hunt outlined those differences to podcast host and former Hurricanes playmaker James Marshall.
“It’s sort of led and driven through the players,” Hunt told the What a Lad podcast of the Highlanders’ approach to training.
“You’ve got guys like Nuggy [Aaron Smith], Colty [Liam Coltman], Ash Dixon and stuff to lead the culture, and just the way things were driven around the team, and a lot of the young guys, they’re just good bastards in the group, and the middle group too, they’re just real good fellas.
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“I guess that culture of the mix [of players of varying statures] there was just awesome.”
The Chiefs have returned from last year's winless Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign with two first-up pre-season victories over the Blues and Hurricanes.https://t.co/mPmM0sa2cs
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 13, 2021
By comparison, Hunt suggested the weight of history, expectation and success led the Crusaders to their three successive titles during his time there.
“I guess the Crusaders culture was more driven around that hard work, you do your work, and the success just drove the culture,” he said.
“If we worked hard, we were getting results. That whole team flow was awesome too. Great guys there.
“Razor [head coach Scott Robertson] led that group really well in terms of his theming through the seasons, connecting everyone really well too.
“Slightly different tweaks [between the Highlanders and Crusaders], but just two great teams to be a part of.”
Hunt started at No. 10 for the Highlanders against the Crusaders in their Farmlands Cup pre-season clash in Temuka on Friday, guiding his side to 26-0 lead at half-time before being subbed, with his former side eventually running out 28-26 victors.
The two sides will do battle again in a fortnight’s time when they open the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa competition at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen 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.
25 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.
9 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.
25 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?
11 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.
11 Go to comments