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'The surprise factor is gone': Crusaders boss Scott Robertson's blunt challenge to All Blacks star
Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson has called on young star Cullen Grace to make full use of his “incredible ability” following a subdued Super Rugby season in comparison to last year.
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Grace emerged as one of the standout rookies in last year’s editions of Super Rugby and Super Rugby Aotearoa, impressing with his defensive power and solidity at the set piece.
The 21-year-old utility forward – who can play lock, blindside flanker and at No. 8 – was subsequently called into the All Blacks squad for their Bledisloe Cup series and Rugby Championship campaign.
While he only made one appearance for the national side, a two-minute cameo off the bench during New Zealand’s 24-22 defeat to the Wallabies in Brisbane, Grace nonetheless announced himself as a long-term prospect for the future.
However, the youngster hasn’t provided the same sort of impact in his second season with the Crusaders, where he has predominantly featured at No. 8, despite starring from blindside flanker last year.
Failing to really assert himself in any of his five appearances for the Christchurch-based franchise this year, Grace was dropped from the side to face the Chiefs in Hamilton last week.
In light of their 26-25 defeat, Robertson has recalled the youngster into the starting side to face the Blues at Orangetheory Stadium on Sunday in a match that could secure the Crusaders a home Super Rugby Aotearoa final on May 8.
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The Blues also have plenty riding on the match as they need a win to keep themselves well within the hunt of featuring in the competition’s grand finale following the Chiefs’ last-gasp win over the Hurricanes at FMG Stadium Waikato on Friday.
With so much on the line for both teams, the Crusaders will need a point of difference to get them across the line against their traditional rivals, and Robertson hopes Grace can bring that extra edge upon his return to the match day side.
“He’s a real physical player, as you know. Incredible shoulder on him. Incredible ability to anticipate play, but just probably hasn’t quite got the opportunities he has [because of] the tightness of the games,” Robertson told media on Friday.
“He’s made a lot of tackles. He’s had a couple of niggles that have come right, so we’re looking for more from [him].
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“The surprise factor is gone, as you normally have in that first year. He’s not far away. He’s doing everything, the simple things really well, just hasn’t got his opportunities to make a big play yet and get in your newspapers.”
Robertson added that given Grace’s youth and relative inexperience at this level, there is still plenty for the former New Zealand Schools and New Zealand U20 representative to learn before he reaches his full potential.
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“The skills around No. 8 – when to go, when to work with the No. 9s, the variables of the weather or who you’re playing or the way their No. 9 defends – all of those things come into play, but he is learning his craft and he is getting better at it, and it’s just game time for him.”
Grace is one of four personnel changes to the Crusaders’ forward pack, with vice-captain Codie Taylor, Sam Whitelock and Sione Havili Talitui all welcomed back into the starting side after missing the defeat to the Chiefs.
Kick-off for Sunday’s game is scheduled for 3:35pm NZT.
Comments on RugbyPass
Both nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
1 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to comments