New era for Crusaders begins
In June last year the Crusaders club began to experience one of its biggest convulsions since its formation in 1996.
The upheaval began when Scott Robertson was named as a shock replacement for departing head coach Todd Blackadder, the latter having declared his eighth season in charge of the Christchurchbased team would be his last.
The domino effect was swift. The appointment of a new boss in any organisation inevitably results in changes, and Robertson moved fast.
He brought in new assistant coaches in Leon MacDonald and Jason Ryan (another, Brad Mooar, remains), and several key support staff have either moved to different jobs, retired or been replaced.
Captain Kieran Read, also the leader of the All Blacks and not expected to be available until April following surgery on his wrist, was asked to step aside so Sam Whitelock could be the skipper.
Manager Angus Gardiner switched to the role of general manager professional rugby, Deb Robinson decided not to continue a long-term role as doctor and strength and conditioning coach Mark Drury was replaced.
Such a major clean-out has rarely happened at a club noted for its stability and old-fashioned values.
Why was the appointment of Robertson, a former All Blacks and Crusaders loose forward who had steered Canterbury to NPC title wins in 2013, 2015 and 2016 and was also in charge of the NZ under-20 side when they won the world title in 2015, such a surprise?
You need to look at the wider context of this story. In 2015 Crusaders assistant Tabai Matson had contemplated switching to the Blues organisation, where former coach John Kirwan hoped to hatch a daring plan that would eventually see Matson appointed head coach with Kirwan working in a high performance role.
That idea was sucked down the drain, as was Kirwan’s coaching career at the Blues, when Matson elected to remain with the Crusaders.
While no promises were made, and no-one said as much publicly, the implication appeared to be that if Matson remained loyal to the Crusaders he could expect to be given more than a fair go when it came to replacing Blackadder in 2017.
Not quite a done deal, but close enough. That was what many thought, anyway.
INTERVIEWS
Among the applicants granted interviews in mid-2016 were another Crusaders assistant, Dave Hewett, along with Matson and Robertson.
Each addressed an interview panel comprising Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach, Crusaders board chairman Grant Jarrold, board member Simon Forrest and NZ Rugby representatives Don Tricker and Mark Robinson.
Although he had more head coaching experience than Hewett and Matson, Robertson’s biggest drawback, it seemed, would be his lack of exposure at Super Rugby level. Unlike Hewett and Matson he had never worked at the Crusaders, or with another other Super Rugby team.
It is understood Robertson interviewed well, presenting a convincing case as to what needed to change at the Crusaders if they were to win a title for the first time since 2008.
Only when The Press got wind of Robertson being a surprise selection for the new head coaching role, did it seem possible that Matson or Hewett would be be overlooked. The story went to print suggesting a shock announcement was imminent, and the next day it was confirmed Robertson had accepted a threeyear contract as the new head coach.
If ever there was a time to sweep a broom through an organisation which won the last of its Super Rugby titles in 2008, this was it. And the changes have been far from cosmetic.
Riach denies the suggestion this was a premeditated exercise, that bringing in a fresh face – in this case Robertson – would trigger a movement for a good old fashioned clean-out.
‘‘I think clean-out is the wrong word to be used,’’ Riach says. ‘‘What we did was replace the head coach and there were a lot of consequential kind of impacts, or outcomes, from that somewhat simple decision.
‘‘But I do understand your point in that there has been a lot of change, and that has certainly given a lot of freshness, or newness, simply because of the different people. That is true.
‘‘There was no conscious cleanout of an entire group of people. That was simply a consequence of
making a decision around the head coach.’’
DECLINED Robertson asked Matson if he wanted to work as his assistant backs coach, but the latter declined and elected to join Blackadder at England premiership club Bath.
Hewett didn’t reapply for his job as forwards coach, accepting that would be a pointless exercise given his former All Blacks and Crusaders team-mate Robertson had the skills to do the same role.
So in came Jason Ryan to assist as a scrum coach, with Leon MacDonald to mentor the backline along with Brad Mooar, who still has a year to run on his contract and is the only survivor from the Blackadder era.
The next step for Robertson was to ask Read to step aside to allow Sam Whitelock to take over the captaincy.
It wasn’t a bombshell. Blackadder had executed a similar move a few years prior when he asked then-All Blacks captain Richie McCaw to relinquish his post, believing the great flanker wasn’t able to give his best to the Crusaders while he was also the national skipper.
Whitelock shouldn’t feel isolated. Having played 84 tests since 2010, the lock has been repeatedly exposed to stressful situations and learned what is required to emerge with a win; he will also be surrounded by fellow All Blacks, in addition to Read when he returns to action.
TITLE
Winning a title isn’t the only thing driving the Crusaders. They desperately want to attract decent crowds to the 17,300-capacity AMI Stadium in Addington.
That, in turn, should add some punch to the Crusaders and the Canterbury Rugby Football Union’s reasoning that the new stadium proposed for the central city would be a worthwhile investment for ratepayers.
A new venue would also give the Crusaders the chance to increase revenue through larger crowds, and also ensure NZ Rugby allocate test matches – something that is likely to be problematic in the immediate future given the small stadium at Addington can only attract small crowds.
Modest financial returns since the 2011 earthquake ruined Lancaster Park have been a reality for the Crusaders.
If the Crusaders could return to the winners’ podium it would add some impetus to the argument that the upper South Island, a region that has regularly filled All Blacks squads with quality players for more than a century, deserves a new stadium.
The person charged with helping to make that happen is Robertson.
It’s a big responsibility for the man who was known as ‘‘Razor’’ during his playing days.
Speak to those work who alongside him, or his players, and they often remark that he isn’t the sort of fellow who lacks enthusiasm for the job.
Robertson knows he has to get things right as he counts down the hours until the first match against the Brumbies in Christchurch.
‘‘There is a lot of emotion around the game already, with what has happened with the Brumbies and Dan Vickerman (the ex-player who died last week), being at home on a lovely night in the Garden City,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘The expectations are high.’’
Riach said the pressure has always been on his members of staff to deliver, and that applied to Robertson just as it did to his predecessors.
‘‘Since I have been here we have never gone into a season, as an organisation, not wanting, planning and dreaming of winning it,’’ Riach said.
‘‘That is what we do. We are a footy team in a competition and everyone is motivated to do their very best they can to win it.
‘‘Is there expectation on Razor and his new crew? Absolutely.
But is it even greater than it was on Todd (Blackadder) and the old crew? No it’s not.
‘‘We have the same expectation and desire, regardless of who the person, or people, are in control of that.
‘‘It is what we have always wanted.’’