That time everyone in New Zealand DID support the Crusaders
‘We’ll be cheering on the Lions next week’. That was the post match reaction of Hurricanes captain Dane Coles, after their semi final loss in Johannesburg. Cue the debate about whether it’s unpatriotic to support a non-Kiwi team in the 2017 Super Rugby final.
Let’s get one thing straight here – there is a lot of angst between NZ Super Rugby teams. Everyone hated the Blues back when they were winning titles, then everyone hated the Crusaders. There’s well-documented hate between the Chiefs and all other teams, while the Highlanders harbour resentment for their habit of getting the best out of everyone else’s discarded players.
While what Coles said isn’t exactly a unanimous sentiment, it shouldn’t come as any surprise. But there was one time that even the most cold-hearted Kiwi rugby fan couldn’t help but admire the feats of a rival team.
2011 was, from a Super Rugby perspective, a long time ago. There were only 15 teams and no break in the middle of the competition. The Blues and Reds were actually good, as opposed to the ongoing travesties they are now. One of this year’s finalists, the Lions, came in a paltry second to last overall with a 3-1-12 record.
But the story of that season was that of the other team still alive in 2017 – the Crusaders. It’s one of suddenly finding themselves homeless, traveling to the other side of the world and coming within a try of winning a competition they could’ve legitimately dropped out of and no one would’ve held it against them.
On February 22nd, 2011, Christchurch was hit with an earthquake that measured 6.3 on the Richter scale. Unlike other parts of the country where faultlines were well-known, Christchurch was ill-equipped for the event. The mostly stone central city crumbled and fell and, tragically, 185 people were killed.
The Crusaders’ home ground of Lancaster Park was among the many structures rendered unsafe. As well as that, the playing surface was wrecked due to the amount of silt that the quake had driven to the surface.
It was a week into the season. The team had suffered a first round loss to the Blues, and were drawn to play the Hurricanes in Wellington in round two. There was no way that fixture could happen, given the amount of disruption the quake had caused that week. But the decision was made for the Crusaders to play out the season, making do with the resources that were still left to them.
That included a pretty handy team. Dan Carter, Sonny Bill Williams and Kieran Read were the biggest names, but the year also was the high water mark for the careers of Robbie Fruean, Shaun Maitland and Zac Guildford. Richie McCaw sat out most of the season with injury, but a young Matt Todd was a more than useful replacement.
In a cruelly ironic twist, the Crusaders’ first game after the quake was supposed to be a tribute to another tragedy that struck the region a few months earlier. Wearing the jerseys of the tiny West Coast union to honour the 29 men who were killed in the Pike River Mine Disaster, the Crusaders ran out 34-18 winners over the Waratahs in Nelson.
Other home games were hastily rescheduled for Nelson and Timaru, however the most ambitious workaround came in the form of a proposed game at Twickenham against the Sharks. To everyone’s surprise, it got the green light. The two sides put on a memorable display of Southern Hemisphere rugby in front of 35,000 spectators, and raised almost a million dollars for the earthquake relief fund.
By the end of the round robin, the seven-time champions had fashioned an 11 win, one draw and four loss record to sit in third behind the Reds and Stormers. They managed to breeze past the Sharks again at Trafalgar Park in Nelson – a somewhat less grand venue than Twickers – then surprisingly comfortably beat the Stormers in Cape Town to book a place in the final with the Reds.
By that stage the team had traveled well over 100,000 kms. These days the Sunwolves rack up that sort of distance too, but at least they know about their schedule earlier than a week into the season.
If it were a Hollywood movie, then it would’ve been the Crusaders that scored the match winning try off a piece of brilliance. Except someone read the script wrong and it was Will Genia that dashed 65 metres to score the match winner.
The Crusaders returned home empty-handed to a broken city. However, they’d won endless respect for their achievements against adversity.
Later in 2011, the All Blacks won their first World Cup in 24 years. Christchurch’s games were all rescheduled for other cities, and ever since fans in the Garden City have had to put up with a makeshift stadium made out of scaffolding. To this day, Lancaster Park still stands, abandoned.
A lot of the key men have gone – Richie to retirement, Dan to a big pile of cash in France, SBW to the Chiefs, the NRL and the Blues, Maitland to his recently discovered Scottish roots and, sadly, Fruean to indifferent form.
So while there will definitely be a lot Kiwis supporting the Lions this Sunday morning, at least the Crusaders can boast about the time that they were the only Super Rugby team everyone got in behind – and the unbelievable circumstances it took them to do it.
Comments on RugbyPass
Oh 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?
26 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?
2 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!
2 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.
7 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.
26 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 commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to comments