Robertson: Crusaders must be better
Twelve months ago a skateboard riding, surf-loving footy coach with salt-drenched hair launched a rugby revolution in Christchurch.
His name was Scott Robertson, and in his first term at the helm of the Crusaders he was bold enough to make mass changes to the club’s programme.
In an attempt to jump-start the side’s Super Rugby title chances, a number of long-serving staff members were given their notice, the game plan was changed, and a fresh skipper in Sam Whitelock was appointed. Then Robertson plunged the key into the ignition and got to work.
It turned out that the club’s supporters were in for a marvellous ride.
The Crusaders suffered just one defeat in the regular season, to the Hurricanes in Wellington, prior to stunning the Lions 25-17 in front of almost 60,000 South African fans in the final in Johannesburg.
Now, whenever the Crusaders are mentioned, you can sense their opponents are preparing to windup the sirens to put themselves on high alert.
Their season starts against the Chiefs at AMI Stadium on Saturday night and Robertson expects the visitors, now being coached by Colin Cooper in the wake of Dave Rennie departing to Scottish club Glasgow, to attempt to hurt the Crusaders with their running game.
‘‘They have got a clear identity around keeping the ball alive, they challenge you … they are an unstructured side,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘Their ability to keep the ball alive. I don’t think they have changed too much from the year before.’’
Even with All Blacks Kieran
‘‘We have got to be better, everyone catches up and everyone knows how we play – a lot of our strengths and places to exploit us.’’
Scott Robertson
Read, Owen Franks, Israel Dagg, Joe Moody and Tim Perry in convalescence, this Crusaders side looks menacing on paper.
There are 10 All Blacks in the starting side, and although the injuries to loosehead props Moody and Perry has forced Robertson to call-up veteran Chris King, 36, off a building site and on to the bench, there is no shortage of confidence.
Last year the Crusaders had the third best attacking record behind the Hurricanes and Lions. Despite assistant backs coach Leon MacDonald severing his ties with the club and returning to work fulltime for Tasman, the retention of Brad Mooar and addition of former Irish international Ronan O’Gara means there is no excuse for the attack to be conservative.
Given what they achieved last year, being cautious with the ball won’t be encouraged too often.
‘‘We were lucky we got a bit of continuity last year in regards to our playing structure,’’ Robertson noted.
‘‘It was a big change around our defensive structure, and our attacking structure was different from years gone by. We have added to it on both sides of the ball – the continuity and momentum we have had from last year is important.’’
It would be foolhardy to believe that the 2017 success will automatically translate into an easy run.
If anything it will be more difficult for the Crusaders. Everyone will be lining them up in the cross hairs, and should they be scalped it’s sure to considered a highlyprized trophy by their conquerors. That isn’t news to Robertson.
‘‘We have got to be better, everyone catches up and everyone knows how we play – a lot our strengths and places to exploit us. During the off-season it was our whole focus about maximising who we are in our day-to-day (work) and being better individuals. That’s what we want to take on to the field.’’
The last four years the Crusaders have opened their campaigns in Christchurch, last season only managing to scrape past the Brumbies 17-13, after losing to the Chiefs 27-21 in 2016, the Rebels 20-10 in 2015, and the Chiefs, again, 18-10 in 2014. In 2013 they started with a bye then lost
34-15 to the Blues in Auckland. New Chiefs coach Colin Cooper said some historical success in Christchurch would indeed create belief in the ranks for his troops.
"It’s that confidence that it’s been done before, we’ll certainly carry that," he said.
For Cooper, it’s a return to a competition he was last involved in in 2010, in an eight-season stint with the Hurricanes.
The Chiefs have their new No
9-10 combination of Brad Weber and Damian McKenzie to unleash, and it could be a sublime show if it runs to script, but Cooper has a fair idea of what to expect from his opposite Robertson, after coaching against him at NPC level. "I know they’re going to be very very good up front," he said. "And it’s good to go down there with a group that can compete with them up front."