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'That was just the complete performance': Do the Crusaders have a challenge on their hands?

By Sam Smith
Bryce Heem. (Photo by AAP Image/Scott Barbour)

Before the season kicked off, the Blues were considered by many to be the likeliest contenders to pose a problem to the Crusaders during this year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa season.

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While they managed wins against the Hurricanes and Highlanders to kick off their campaign, things soon turned to custard for the Blues, with the Auckland-based side suffering defeats to the Crusaders (twice), Chiefs and Highlanders, leaving them out of contention for a finals spot before their last round match against an under-strength Chiefs even kicked off.

The win over the Chiefs gave the Blues some momentum, however, and they’ve carried that form into the new Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition, where the slate was wiped clean and every time was on equal footing from the opening round.

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Blues fans would have rejoiced at the performance their team put on the park against the Rebels in Melbourne, with the visitors scoring an impressive 50-3 victory and showcasing all the attacking talents they have at their disposal.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, ex-Blues captain James Parsons has heaped praise on his former side for the ‘complete performance’ they showcased on Saturday night.

While there weren’t too many highlights in the first half, with penalties the only form of scoring until after the half-time hooter had sounded, the Blues buckled down and took control of a match that had some scrappy moments early on in the piece.

“It was a little bit scratchy, the first 30 minutes with a few errors,” Parsons acknowledged. “There were 11 unforced errors and most of those came in those 30 minutes but what I liked was the tactical shift and that patience.”

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The Blues started the match by peppering the corners with kicks, forcing the Rebels to play out from their own 22 and forcing them to make countless tackles on defence.

It was that suffocating play that forced errors from the home side and ultimately allowed the Blues to build some scoreboard pressure, going up 12-3 before the first try.

The Blues were at fault earlier in the season of turning down 3-pointers on offer to instead try and score tries – which ultimately cost them their first game against the Chiefs. They didn’t make that same mistake against the Rebels, however.

“We saw every time they got a penalty, they went for 3,” Parsons said. “Even from long distance, Zarn Sullivan’s got a good boot so they went for the long kick.

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“At 12-3, although for the amount of ball they had and their tactical kicking game it didn’t show on the scoreboard, you knew the Rebels were being run around a lot. They were having to make a lot more tackles and you knew [the reward] was going to come at some stage and it was just before halftime, obviously, it clicked. And that flowed onto the second half.”

Once the Blues had taken control of the match, they shifted their focus – and that’s when the tries started raining down.

Parsons also praised the willingness for forwards and backs to interchange their roles while the set-piece was also a clear weapon for the Blues, dominating scrums and lineouts.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the performance, however, was their work on defence.

While scoring 50 points is an incredible feat, conceding zero tries is a rare accomplishment and something the Blues have managed just three times since 2015.

“Bryce Heem’s denied try is the best example of their defence,” said Parsons.

“Finlay Christy shoots out of a cannon at the back of that lineout and Rieko Ioane closes it off and puts [the Rebels players’] skillset under pressure and it obviously bounces up into Bryce Heem’s hand and gets a little knock on from Rieko but that was the defensive pressure all night that the Blues showed.

“Although all that beautiful stuff on attack that I’ve just spoken about was great, it was more on the other side of the ball that it was most impressive for me and that was just the complete performance – but it was all done about by working them down in that first forty minutes to be able to open the flood gates and finish on top of them.”

Parsons, however, didn’t want to lump any undue pressure on his former teammates and was pleased that forwards coach Tom Coventry came out after the match and acknowledged that there’s still a long way to go before the end of the season.

The Blues will hope to continue their momentum against the hapless Waratahs at Eden Park on Saturday evening.

Listen to the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below:

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Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

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Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

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A
Adrian 59 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

8 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 7 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.

29 Go to comments
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