Robertson welcomes more wet weather for semifinal
It is likely to be a case of same players, same approach for the Crusaders in their semifinal against the Chiefs tomorrow night, with Scott Robertson sticking with the 23 who beat the Highlanders last weekend and the Christchurch weather expected to be just as formidable.
“The wetter, the better,” Crusaders coach Robertson said yesterday after his side trained in the wet and cold at their Rugby Park headquarters. “Embrace it and enjoy it. Tactically, we were good last week. That gave us a lot of belief. We’ve had a look at how we can be better — making a few slight adjustments depending on what the Chiefs throw at us.”
The heavy and cold conditions expected for kickoff — the overnight temperature for tomorrow has been forecast at -3 — could make life difficult for a Chiefs team who will likely want to use the ball more than the Crusaders.
Both sides will employ a kicking and rush defence strategy and while the Chiefs scrum performed well in the team’s quarter-final win over the
The wetter, the better. Tactically, we were good last week. That gave us a lot of belief.
Stormers in Cape Town, the Crusaders will hope for gains here, too.
The Crusaders were more accurate than the Highlanders in the constant rain last weekend and that quarter-final victory will likely be the blueprint again for Robertson.
An insight into Robertson’s thinking has been the selection of former Blues player Bryn Hall at halfback. Hall’s kicking game was far better than All Black Aaron Smith’s last weekend and so he gets the chance to start again to fulfil what is likely to be a similar role ahead of close rival Mitchell Drummond.
“They’ve got some great athletes and individuals who make a lot of line breaks,” Robertson said of the Chiefs. “They’ve got a good tactical game. They’ve obviously got a world class 10 in [Aaron] Cruden and a pretty effervescent fullback in young Damian McKenzie.
“Just because they’ve had to travel back won’t change their mindset. They could turn up and climb into us, as they have in years gone by.
“We got off the plane and six days later beat the Hurricanes 20-12 in a tough old battle at home. Of course it can be done. If you start thinking you’re getting benefits because a team has travelled, you’re taking your eye off what’s in front of you.”
Robertson, in his first year in charge, confirmed the Crusaders had changed their defensive structure slightly this season.
As has become the trend, they also now employ a rush defence, a strategy which shut out the Highlanders and put a lot of pressure on Beauden Barrett during their victory over the Hurricanes in May.
“They’re a great defensive side — probably a bit like us, a good linespeeding team,” Robertson said. “The New Zealand teams this season have probably ramped up their defence in general — they’ve been much more aggressive. We’ve changed the way we’ve defended as well. We understand it’s hard to play against it if you get it right.”
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson