Crusaders eye first win against Chiefs
AFTER a poor start by their standards, the Crusaders will be hell bent on victory against Chiefs in round six.
Making a place for themselves in the top eight of the DHL Super Rugby Pacific has become the challenge for the winless Crusaders as they take on the Chiefs in Christchurch today.
Coach Rob Penney said while the Crusaders had made it hard for themselves with their start to the competition, cementing a playoff place would make them as competitive as any other side.
“On a day we can beat anybody. We’ve just got to get ourselves there. We’ve talked a lot about performance, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
The Chiefs are standing in their way before they have a chance to regroup during the bye week. They are a side that has progressed and is brimming with confidence, while the Crusaders would probably have gone the other way.
“It’s a real challenge for us.” Penney said it was a case of the side working through its processes and taking the necessary lessons from the Blues loss last weekend.
“It’s a new opportunity, and we’re digging deep. Not too many things alter; we’re sticking to our processes. The players worked hard in the early part of the week to review and take what we needed from the Blues game and move forward quickly.
“It’s a short turnaround. We don’t have a lot of time, so it’s critical that we stick to our processes and trust and believe in the direction we’re in.”
Penney said it was good to have lock Quinten Strange back after he was a late withdrawal from the Blues game.
The captain will be halfback Mitch Drummond.
“Drummy is a legendary Crusader. He loves his red and black and loves this region. It’s a great opportunity for him to be run on captain. He’s had a wee bit of experience as a captain, but he has had a lot of experience as one of our leaders for a long time.”