Rob Penney concedes Crusaders missing playoffs 'could easily happen'
There’s no rest for the wicked and no respite from the Crusaders’ gruelling schedule, next up being a date with the Chiefs that could see the reigning champions fall to their sixth straight loss and further cement their standing at the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific table.
Needless to say, that’s quite the falloff for a team with seven titles in as many years. But, traces of that championship DNA still linger in the background and give opponents pause before anticipating an easy win. Should the team recover to make the playoffs, it could make for quite the quarter-final matchup.
A playoff birth is a dream that is slowly fading though, as a loss this weekend would send the team into the season’s halfway point without a win to their name.
“That could easily happen if they’re not well connected, if the group start looking out the window instead of in the mirror,” Crusaders coach Rob Penney said following his side’s loss to the Blues, as reported by Newshub. “That’s collective, that’s all of us.
“It could spiral uncontrollably, but my hope is in the fact the group is well connected and they’re proud men. We’ve got some talent to come back to us after the bye.
“Who knows, if we can secure a position in the top eight, we’re in the hunt.”
That bye is just a week away and comes ahead of a run against four Australian sides. With names like Scott Barrett, Tamaiti Williams, Ethan Blackadder, Codie Taylor and Fergus Burke in line to make a potential return during that stretch.
Any momentum the squad can generate ahead of those players returning could well aid a resurgence later in the season, but kickstarting that winning streak against a side like the Chiefs is easier said than done.
“That will be a challenge,” Penney conceded. “It’s getting to a point where that’s obviously going to start to affect all sorts of dynamics within a team, when you have results we’ve been having.
“It’s a collective responsibility to ensure we don’t fall into a deep hole, and we just keep looking for light at the end of the tunnel and grasp onto it, and just keep fighting.”
A major component of Saturday’s 26-6 loss to the Blues was a stark lack of line-out execution, an area the Crusaders have traditionally led the competition in. But, for Penney, it’s just one of the many problems to solve.
“You can’t fix everything. You’ve just got to pick the critical few and hopefully, they make a big enough impact that we can get a result.
“We thought we had some good line-outs to go to, but they got up in front of us, put us under pressure and we threw them a bit wonky. There are a number of reasons, and we have to be better and better educators.
“It was a combination of things, never just one thing. One percent might have been a little bit of dampness… a combination between having a 22-year-old caller and a 20-year-old front-of-the-lineout guy and 22-year-old thrower.
“We’ve got to be better at educating them and developing them, but there are some reasons why it imploded.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bit 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.
35 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
1 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…
1 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.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe 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
4 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 Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 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!😭😭😭 !!!
33 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
33 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 comments