No SOS call for All Blacks
There is zero chance the Crusaders coaches will attempt to coerce their injured All Blacks stars to make an early return.
In the wake of the 25-17 loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin last Saturday night, questions as to whether internationals Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Joe Moody, Israel Dagg and Richie Mo’unga should be fast-tracked back to help dig the team out of a hole began to surface.
The Super Rugby champions have now suffered two consecutive defeats and if captain Sam Whitelock and Ryan Crotty, who were both unfit to face the Highlanders, fail to recover from their concussions ahead of the game against the Bulls in Christchurch on Friday night the debate as to whether their All Blacks team-mates should answer an SOS could gain considerable heat.
Forget it, says Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar. All Blacks Read, Franks, Moody, Dagg - none have played this year - and Mo’unga will be allowed more time to mend their injuries. Mid-April has been the earliest timeline issued for their return; Mo’unga, who broke his jaw in their second game against the Stormers, will possibly be later.
‘‘The answer is a clear ‘no’,’’ Mooar said in reply to the query about the All Blacks making an unexpected comeback.
‘‘When they are ready, then we will think about picking them. If a player is injured and unable to play, then that is a medical scenario and we will totally respect it.’’
The declaration means the Crusaders will be also without the wounded All Blacks for the encounters against the Lions and Jaguares in Johannesburg and Buenos Aires in early April.
Head coach Scott Robertson just has to roll with it - he has no other option but to name a depleted side.
‘‘If you had asked me four weeks ago if I would put this team out, I would have thought ‘wow, really?’’’ Robertson said.
‘‘I thought we generally had chances to win it (against the Highlanders). We just didn’t take our key moments, the scrum went well, the lineout was good for the majority of it. Mitch Hunt (at first five-eighth) played bloody well, we just lost a few kicks that were contestable and the Highlanders were extremely good in the air.’’
Without the experienced Crotty on his shoulder to offer advice, Hunt had to keep trucking against a superbly organised Highlanders defensive line. A duffed 22m drop out in the final minutes won’t be his fondest memory, but Mooar reiterated Robertson’s message that he was satisfied with Hunt’s performance.
Mooar was surprised the try to Jordan Taufua, minutes prior to halftime, was disallowed after referee Nick Briant consulted TMO Glenn Newman.
‘‘I have to take the eye patch off, really. But I saw it on the highlights reel after the game, and I thought it was a try - I thought it was knocked out of the hands (of Tim Bateman) by a Highlander and went back in any event,’’Mooar said.
‘‘But the officials had a good look at it, and Ben Smith did a good job in seeking that to be looked at again. And ultimately the decision was a no-try.’’
Last year the Crusaders lost just one Super Rugby game, against the Hurricanes in their final round-robin game in Wellington. The title holders have now failed to secure a competition point in their last two outings.
No toys have been flung out of the cot, said Mooar.
‘‘If the performance was poor and there was no effort, we would be despondent. However, with an effort like that - which cannot be questioned and opportunities created - I think in the words of Rog (assistant backs coach Ronan O’Gara) were were disappointed with the result but not the performance.’’