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The players the Crusaders must axe to save their season
The Crusaders third straight loss to start the season has confirmed that the dynasty is well and truly over. It is clear the Mo’unga magic is gone, Razor’s energy has left the building. The growing pains with a younger side are there to see.
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Losing to the Drua at home is not a shameful defeat. They have proven to be a force at home against all the New Zealand sides and the bookies had unfairly written them off and put too much faith into the Crusaders’ reputation.
But with the side now 0-3 they need to save their season next week against the undefeated Hurricanes in their first home game of the year. Tough decisions need to be made to reverse course and win now, which requires some big personnel changes.
Willi Heinz
Having a 37-year-old halfback really showed in Luatoka. Veteran Willi Heinz is too slow to play Super Rugby Pacific, and after being capped by England is really of no benefit to the All Blacks.
In the early stages of the first half Cullen Grace chased down Drua fulback Ilaisa Droasese, forcing a bad pass and a net loss of 20 plus metres. Dom Gardiner secured the loose ball giving the Crusaders prime front foot ball in transition.
Heinz was nowhere to be seen to recycle that ball quickly. Prop George Bower had to play halfback instead, and passed directly to the No 9 trying to get to the ruck.
The shambolic passage saw Heinz drop the ball backwards unexpectedly and the Crusaders then lost possession when Taha Kemara coughed up the pill in contact.
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Great teams strike in those windows of opportunities and the Crusaders could barely string two passes together, lost 15 metres and turned the ball over.
With Heinz ancient legs getting around the park combined with a snail mail pass, it’s hard to see how they can get better at that.
Here’s the killer stat: Nearly a third (28 per cent) of the Crusaders rucks took six seconds or longer to recycle. At this level that is like super slow motion.
Mitchell Drummond should be starting if Noah Hotham is not. Hotham is still developing but Drummond can bring the tempo and accuracy needed at this level.
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George Bell
Hooker George Bell’s throwing is currently a chronic liability despite his reliable work rate and effort around the park.
He was picked off multiple times against the Waratahs and could not find his targets against the Drua. The lineout operated at 64 per cent in Fiji which is well below the required standard in Super Rugby.
Bell is a burly, mobile rake with lots to like, but if you can’t throw, you’ve got to go. The Crusaders need Codie Taylor back as soon as possible to stabilise the most important set-piece.
Taha Kemara
It’s rough on the young No 10 with so much on his shoulders early in the season. Last year’s New Zealand U20 first five wasn’t expected to be starting but Fergus Burke is still sidelined and Rivez Reihana is out with the knock.
Kemara’s execution has not been there. Passes hit the ground when giving and receiving, kicks do not find touch, kicks go out on the full, it’s been a display of unforced errors.
It doesn’t help when your second five isn’t taking the pressure off either, David Havili has been equally poor and haphazard. There is limited chemistry between 10-12-13.
Reihana, whilst not perfect in round one, needs to relieve Kemara of his duties. The 20-year-old needs to stay confident, hard work and be ready for his next shot.
He’s not ready for Super Rugby right now and what’s apparent is the Crusaders aren’t ready for him.
Thrusting a 20-year-old No 10 into a side with this many issues is a recipe for disaster. If the Crusaders keep starting him in this disorganised mess they will only ruin his confidence.
David Havili
The rested bunch of All Blacks don’t look fully up to it right now, which is a problem for the Crusaders because they need their stars to be leading the way. Havili has been the opposite.
He had three turnovers against the Waratahs, the most in the team, a charged down exit kick that gave away seven points, and two running metres from seven carries.
Against the Drua he had two more turnovers and his defensive channels against were like swiss cheese with a lack of communication outside and inside him leading to multiple line breaks for the Fijians.
They don’t have any other fit fullbacks so Chay Fihaki cannot be moved into the midfield, but Ryan Crotty can bring stability and accuracy to the position as an experienced All Black. Dallas McLeod is also more than capable. Levi Aumua can be moved into 12 to simplify the Crusaders game.
A left-field solution is to move David Havili back to fullback, a position he knows well after many seasons at No 15 in the early years of the Robertson dynasty.
There are plenty of options but they have got to get Havili out of the 12 jersey.
Dom Gardiner
The 22-year-old has impressed in spurts, but also has not been error-free. He was handed a yellow card against the Waratahs and turned the ball over often against the Drua. This would be a tactical change as someone has to make way for Ethan Blackadder.
The Crusaders desperately need Blackadder back who will bring more gain line carry than Cullen Grace at No 8. The physicality Blackadder has is something none of their current forwards bar Barrett can bring. The meek Crusaders pack needs some more explosive power.
Grace has been one of the best players, but he can move to blindside meaning Gardiner gets the chop from the starting side.
The good
It’s not all doom and gloom in Crusader-land. There have been some shining lights despite the poor results.
Scott Barrett is obviously world-class. Jamie Hannah has been a revelation as an impact player off the bench. Quinten Strange started showing some decent form on the trip to Fiji.
Sevu Reece has been sensational and has been almost a one-man-band coming back from injury. He scored two against the Waratahs and another in Fiji with a strike play that needed Reece to pretty much do it all.
Levi Aumua has been good the last two weeks after the Crusaders didn’t get him the ball in round one. Macca Springer looks to have elite level speed on the edge while adding size to his frame.
There is enough there to turn around the ship and get the season back on track.
However, the competition has been waiting seven years for this opportunity, and particularly the four other New Zealand teams.
If the Crusaders don’t take drastic action the Hurricanes will take full advantage and feast on the carcass of the dead dynasty next weekend in Christchurch.
No favours will be given and no mercy will be shown.
Comments on RugbyPass
I guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
43 Go to commentsWhat 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.
43 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.
43 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.
6 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.
6 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 comments