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'They got the jump on us': Crusaders overwhelmed by fast-starting Highlanders
The Crusaders may be sitting pretty atop the Super Rugby Pacific ladder after two wins from two matches but neither of their victories over New Zealand rivals the Hurricanes or Highlanders came easily.
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Last weekend, the Crusaders slowly strangled the life out of the Hurricanes in Dunedin before letting their foot off the gas in the final 12 minutes, when the men from Wellington scored 19 unanswered points. The end result was a 42-32 win for the Crusaders but the margin of victory could have been much more comprehensive had the Crusaders maintained the same standards throughout the game.
In contrast, the Crusaders had to fight tooth and nail for their points against the Highlanders, with the home team racing out to a 13-0 lead before the Crusaders were able to claw their way back into the action to take a narrow 17-16 lead into the break. In a change of fortunes from last week, the Crusaders scored the final 17 points of the game and grabbed an unexpected bonus point late in the piece.
According to head coach Scott Robertson, the Crusaders got exactly what they expected from the Highlanders on Friday night, with the southerners trying to maintain their momentum throughout the fixture.
“[It was a] high-paced, highly-skilled, physical game,” Robertson said following the match. “We talked about the start and they got the jump on us, all the little things that we know is going to happen: long throws over the lineout, quick throw-ins, quick taps, all the things that the Highlanders are renowned for.
“They got the jump on us, put us under pressure with discipline, then we fought our way back with a couple of nice touches and then the second half, the last 20 we were right back to our strengths.”
The discipline issues will be of some concern to Robertson and his coaching staff with the Crusaders perhaps lucky to escape the encounter without anyone spending time in the sin-bin. For the second week in a row, the Crusaders’ penalty count hit double figures, with the bulk of those infractions occurring during the opening stages of the game when they were put under pressure by the speed at which the Highlanders were playing the match.
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“Yeah, [the Crusaders struggled] at times,” Robertson acknowledged. “Especially when we lost that initial contact and they got good ball off it by their blindside plays and just playing on top of you, especially with [Aaron] Smith’s pass.
“And we lost a lot of kick battles, which is something we’ll review. We’re a little bit disappointed about that in the [coach’s] box. The boys knew Hunty [Highlanders first five Mitch Hunt] can cover a lot of field with those little legs.”
Speaking of his own No 10, Robertson was again pleased with the development Fergus Burke showed on the field in his second start of the year, and just the third of his career – opportunities that have been presented thanks to the ongoing absence of Richie Mo’unga, who won’t join the competition for another week or two.
“Ferg’s still 22 and getting better with time on the field as any player does,” said Robertson. “One good thing about Richie taking some time, it gives [Burke] an opportunity and we’re just so pleased Ferg’s taken it. He’s taken control of the team. Richie does the same. When Richie’s playing, it’s his team, and Ferg’s owned it as well. We’re building depth.”
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Robertson revealed that All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor could be back in action next weekend – timely, given Brodie McAlister suffered a dislocated finger against the Highlanders – while the timeframe for Mo’unga is slightly less certain.
“Codie’s available for selection this week and [we’ve] gotta have a conversation with Richie, if he’s available in the next week or two. He’s missing [playing].”
The Crusaders are set to take on Moana Pasifika next weekend, a team who have yet to play a competitive game since joining the competition this year thanks to Covid restrictions.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
12 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments