O’Gara returns to Ireland
New assistant backs coach Ronan O’Gara won’t return to work for the Crusaders until the team’s final pre-season match against the Highlanders in Southland on February 15.
Former Ireland international O’Gara, having joined the Super Rugby champions on a one-year deal, didn’t attend the Crusaders opening warm-up game against the Hurricanes in Greymouth last Friday because he had returned to Ireland to fulfill TV commentary duties ahead of the first round of the Six Nations Championship.
O’Gara will remain based in the northern hemisphere when the Brisbane Global Tens tournament is played in Brisbane this weekend, allowing him to commentate on the second round of the Six Nations.
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said the absence of O’Gara would not be a disruption because they knew from the outset he would have to honour the TV deal: ‘‘He comes back for the Highlanders game. It was always part of his contract … it was the only obligation he had, so he is honouring it,’’ Robertson said.
Given Brad Mooar, another assistant backs coach, has retained the portfolio of shaping the team’s attack and formulating the game plans that proved influential as the Crusaders steamed towards their title win last year, the absence of O’Gara is not expected to be a major drama.
The Crusaders lost 43-22 to the Hurricanes in Greymouth and with their All Blacks unavailable, they blooded 18 players.
Having trailed 36-5 early in the second half, they appeared at risk of suffering a heavy defeat prior to Tima Faingaanuku and Manasa Mataele scoring tries to give the scoreline a degree of respectability.
‘‘In the context of the game I really happy because we exposed some young fellows who trained really hard over the pre-season,’’ Robertson stated.
‘‘And we have got 20 guys who are yet to come back.
‘‘After halftime we actually showed a little bit more. Brad Shields was bullying us and they had it on us, they had some really good shape and took a couple of opportunities.’’
The 17 All Blacks who played last year will not be available for the Brisbane tournament because they are either still on leave, or injured. First five-eighth Mike Delany, who played one test in 2009, was the only All Black to represent the Greymouth.
A 21-man Crusaders squad will leave Christchurch on Wednesday to prepare for the Brisbane Tens.
Last year they met the Chiefs in the final, losing 12-5 at Suncorp Stadium: Seta Tamanivalu was the sole All Black in the squad. David Havili, Jack Goodhue and Tim Perry were also included, and later went on to earn national honours.
The team’s first game is against the Hurricanes on Friday evening.
‘‘We are going to give a young group an opportunity and a couple of older heads as well,’’ Robertson noted. ‘‘Tens for us last year enabled us to provide some exposure for a young group, and we found some nuggets that went to become All Blacks.’’ Crusaders in