'We're Crusaders; we don't make excuses'
Israel Folau has become Super Rugby’s joint record try scorer as the NSW Waratahs cast sentiment aside to shatter the Crusaders’ aura of invincibility with an emotion-charged 20-12 victory over the reigning champions.
In the titleholders’ first outing since the Christchurch terror attacks rocked their city eight days ago, the Crusaders had their record 19 match-winning streak come to a screeching halt at the SCG on Saturday night.
Early tries from lock Jed Holloway and winger Cam Clark, in his first start of the season, and Folau’s 59th five-pointer for NSW earned the Waratahs a famous win.
Folau’s strike six minutes from fulltime not only sealed the Waratahs’ stirring victory but also pulled the superstar fullback level with former All Black Doug Howlett for the most tries in Super Rugby.
The Crusaders hadn’t lost for more than a year, a 25-17 round-five loss in 2018 to the Highlanders in Dunedin, before the competition giants reeled off 14 successive wins to claim an unrivalled ninth title.
But, whether it was the slippery conditions or the mental drain of dealing with last week’s tragedy, the Crusaders were off their game against a Waratahs outfit playing as though their season was on the line.
“It’s a tough week but, look, we’re Crusaders; we don’t make excuses,” said Crusaders coach Scott Robertson.
“We were really desperate to play well and represent our people and show how much we care.
“And you could see how hard we worked, but I think we dropped enough ball for the whole season.”
In a poignant start to the night, the Waratahs and Crusaders entered the playing arena side by side before huddling together, coaches included, for a minute’s silence before kick-off to remember the 50 victims killed.
But the Waratahs wasted little time getting down to business, with Holloway charging through some uncharacteristically soft defence from the Crusaders to score under the posts in just the fourth minute.
When Folau leapt high to collect a midfield bomb from Bernard Foley before putting Clark away down the left wing for the Waratahs’ second try, the hosts were 12 points in front after as many minutes.
Only a desperate try saver on the line from winger Breydon Ennor on Foley saved the Crusaders from falling in an even deeper hole, before the champions struck back with a dubious try to George Bridge on the half hour.
Replays showed the inside pass from hooker Codie Taylor to the scorer was forward, but the try stood.
A Foley penalty put the Waratahs 15-7 ahead at the break and, unlike last year in Christchurch when they relinquished a 29-0 lead to the Crusaders, this time there was no such second-half collapse.
“It’s probably the first time tonight we’ve played that tactic,” Gibson said of the aerial kicks sent in Folau’s direction.
“We haven’t been really kicking him a lot of ball, nor been good enough to put it in the right areas for him.
“Tonight we had a different game plan around getting to these guys through the air. Like the champion player he is, when you ask him to pull out something special he does.
“We learnt a large deal from last year’s fixture with the Crusaders and this year we were able to be far more consistent and apply that pressure for longer.”
NSW’s third win from five starts this campaign lifted the Waratahs above the Melbourne Rebels into top spot in the Australian conference before next Friday’s trip to Newcastle to face the Sunwolves.
NSW WARATAHS 20 (Cameron Clark, Israel Folau, Jed Holloway tries Bernard Foley con pen) bt CRUSADERS 12 (George Bridge, Will Jordan tries Brett Cameron con) at Sydney Cricket Ground. Referee: Jaco Peyper.
-RugbyPass/AAP
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments