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'This is my turn': The next openside flanker set to continue the Crusaders legacy
The Crusaders have a history of producing somewhat handy openside flankers.
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Matt Todd had a stronghold on the fetcher position with the red and blacks for the last four seasons while All Blacks legend Richie McCaw spent almost 15 years as the region’s preferred openside.
While it’s still early days yet, it appears that 22-year-old Tom Christie is the next man set for a long stint in the coveted No. 7 jersey.
Christie, who captained the New Zealand Under 20 side at the 2018 World Championships, was in exceptional form for Canterbury during last year’s Mitre 10 Cup but wasn’t anticipating getting too many minutes in Super Rugby this year, despite Todd’s departure overseas.
Billy Harmon, now in his third season with the Crusaders, was the man earmarked to take over from Todd but a pre-season knee injury parked him on the sidelines for the competition’s kick-off. In stepped Christie – and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I was really happy with how the year started off for me,” Christie told RugbyPass.
“Obviously, I knew there was going to be an opportunity with Toddy leaving but for me to see as much game time as I did, I definitely didn’t anticipate anything like that. I was just stoked to be out there, for one thing, and to get a taste of what Super Rugby’s like.
“I’m very competitive in what I do, so I want to strive for those honours but definitely, I didn’t have any anticipation of playing the six games that we got [before COVID halted the season] and playing quite a lot of minutes in those games too. It was the perfect dream run for me.”
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The downside, of course, is that Christie hasn’t spent as much time either training or playing alongside Harmon – a man a few years his senior who was an excellent mentor at Canterbury over Christie’s first two seasons with the province.”
“You’ve got to look at both sides of the coin,” said Christie. “I was gutted to see Billy get injured because he’s such a good player as well and when me and him are both in teams together, like Canterbury, it’s really good to have that kind of competition aspect
“Fortunately, he’s recovered now, so we’ve got that battle back and having more competition is going to be exciting.”
Even now that Harmon is injury-free, however, Christie’s still the Crusaders’ go-to man. Harmon started the opening two matches of Super Rugby Aotearoa, with Christie nursing an injury of his own, but Christie was reinstated for the Crusader’ games against the Highlanders and the Chiefs.
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That’s a credit to the work that the former Shirley Boys’ High student got through in the first six rounds of the initial Super Rugby season.
From the Crusaders’ opening round fixture against the Waratahs, it was apparent that Christie was something special. In that 43-25 win, Christie notched up 18 tackles – four more than any other Crusader player.
By the end of the Crusaders’ six matches, Christie had made 111 tackles – that’s over 18 tackles a game and 23 more tackles than Liam Wright, the competition’s second most productive tackler. Christie had also clocked up the second-most minutes of any Crusaders player and forced 5 ruck penalties, which placed him second overall behind Lachlan Boshier.
Those figures would put seasoned professionals to shame yet Christie is just in his debut season.
Still, despite defying the expectations anyone would have for a debutant, Christie is still just finding his feet at Super Rugby level.
“The focus for me was was just kind of getting settled,” Christie said. “Obviously, we won our first few games, but I was still reasonably nervous because I like to hold myself to high standards in anything I do.
“After the first games, it just became more about getting comfortable with the new level of rugby and just settling into what it was going to be like. It wasn’t too much about trying to do everything, it was just about getting that consistency in my game and just trusting myself at that next level.”
Christie, naturally, is well-aware of the legacy behind the Crusaders 7 jersey – and has made the most of the time he’s spent around Matt Todd over the last couple of years.
“I just watched, really, and picked up a lot of his mannerisms, a lot of his professional traits,” Christie said of the 25-cap All Black. “He’s just the perfect guy to model your behaviour off because everything he does in his preparation and stuff is spot on. Those are the big learnings I took from him, how you can really be a professional and deliver week-in and week-out.
“He and Richie obviously had different careers but they both gave a lot to the 7 jersey for the Crusaders. That’s why it’s one of those jerseys that’s just so special.
It's no exaggeration to say that the most recent round of #SuperRugbyAotearoa was the most exciting since the competition got underway.https://t.co/x2Dhpuv1fe
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 20, 2020
“I’m a Canterbury kid; I grew up watching McCaw first and then Toddy. Up at Nelson for my Crusaders debut, it was an awesome moment to first of all, kind of see the 7 jersey and hold it, and then secondly, to actually sit there and go, ‘This is my turn.’
“For someone who’s grown up watching those guys, it was quite a moment.”
Perhaps the greatest benefit of Super Rugby Aotearoa has been seeing players who are ultimately all vying for the black jersey go head to head every week.
Sam Cane and Ardie Savea will, of course, have large roles to play at the next World Cup but with Todd now based in Japan, there’s potentially room for another tearaway to make the step up to the next level. That presents an opportunity for the likes of Dalton Papalii, Lachlan Boshier, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Dillon Hunt and Christie, amongst others.
And while Christie is just focussing on Super Rugby Aotearoa for the moment, it would be disingenuous to suggest that playing for the Crusaders is necessarily the end goal for the 22-year-old.
“I’ve always backed myself, I’ve always had the dream of wanting to play rugby at the next level but you never really think it’s going to happen,” said Christie. “Obviously, just like any other Kiwi kids, when I was five, I wanted to be an All Blacks star. It’s something you’re kind of working towards but it’s never something that you’re like, ‘Right, that’s going to happen.’
“I’ve still got that boyhood dream now.”
If Christie keeps performing to the same high standard he’s already set in Super Rugby to date, then perhaps All Blacks honours could be on the cards sooner rather than later.
Comments on RugbyPass
What was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
27 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
27 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
27 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to comments