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‘Really positive’: Rob Penney insists winless Crusaders are ‘not far away'
Coach Rob Penney insists the Crusaders are “not far away” from where they need to be despite falling to their record-equalling 0-3 start to the Super Rugby Pacific season.
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For the first time since the 1996 season of Super Rugby, which saw the Crusaders collect the wooden spoon in the inaugural campaign, the Crusaders are winless from their opening few starts.
The Crusaders started their quest for an eighth title in as many years with a tough loss on the road away to the Chiefs before being caught on the wrong side of a Super Round upset against the Waratahs at Melbourne’s AAMI Park the following week.
But after being beaten by the Fijian Drua in Lautoka for the second time in two years, the Crusaders are now second last on the ladder above only the Western Force.
While the Force are 12th, the Crusaders are only slightly ahead with an uncharacteristically poor points differential of -27. But the defending champions don’t seem to be panicking just yet.
“The mood is really, really positive,” Penney said, as reported by Newshub. “0-3 is not pretty and there are some pretty disappointing images in that 0-3, but there are some really positive ones as well.
“We’re looking forward to being back at home. It’s been quite a tough travel program we’ve had, but that’s part of the comp and it’s no excuse.
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“We feel as though we’re not far away. If you look back on the game we’ve had, there were a couple of points in it against the Chiefs… had we closed out a bit better, we could have got a result.
“Waratahs, we were big moments of mess integrated with some really good play and some good fight.
“Drua was unique,” he continued. “We had the boys in the changing room, almost half a dozen moments away from needing ambulances, with the difficulty you face up there with a 1 pm kick-off.
“There are a lot of things that can tip the balance in our favour and we’re aware of that. The boys are proud men and we’re determined to put on a great performance.”
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Across the ditch in Australia, former Wallabies outside back Cameron Shepherd has commented on how “great” it is to see the Crusaders struggle so far this season.
Shepherd has called on Super Rugby Pacific fans to “enjoy” the Crusaders’ poor start to the season.
“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,” Shepard said on Stan Sports’ Rugby Heaven.
“But then you look at that logjam in the middle… 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.”
It doesn’t get any easier for Rob Penney’s men with the Crusaders set for three New Zealand derbies in a row as they search for their first win of the regular season.
The Crusaders host the table-topping Hurricanes in Christchurch in Round Four before matches against the Blues (away) and the Chiefs (home).
Comments on RugbyPass
What a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
2 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
40 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
40 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
2 Go to commentsLet’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.
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