Crusaders can get due reward
You have to give the Crusaders their dues. I will be the first to admit that there is something unsettling about the sight of a reporter tap, tap, tapping at his or her keyboard, crafting a sermon about why the local sports team is so grand.
But I tell you one thing: the numbers look pretty good for the Crusaders. So let’s start there.
Collecting 14 wins from 15 round-robin games isn’t just respectable. It’s a record that stands out as clear as a couple of fat diamonds sparkling in a bowl of black jelly.
The 14 victories were followed by the 17-0 triumph over a Highlanders side that got pulverised into the AMI Stadium mud during the quarterfinal last weekend, unable to compete against the Crusaders’ muscle and might in that first half. You could say the Crusaders have had their share of luck. There was the epic win over the Highlanders round 15, made possible because replacement playmaker Mitchell Hunt kicked a long-range drop goal in extra time. Don’t forget the late comebacks against the Highlanders in Dunedin (Seta Tamanivalu claimed the matchwinning try), and the Reds in Brisbane (Hunt slammed over a penalty after the final bell) in the early rounds. But good teams make their fortune in this tournament. New coach Scott Robertson has twisted the right dials to get the Crusaders machine humming at top speed. As we witnessed against the Highlanders last weekend, he gave them a gameplan that was simple but effective. He is also extracting the best out of his players.
Beat the Chiefs tomorrow night and they will either host the Hurricanes, or travel to Jo’burg to meet the Lions in the final.
There is a good chance they will get the job done.