Crusaders brace for vocal Brumbies fans
Ryan Crotty has vivid memories of the day the Canberra fans welcomed him with a series of colourful verbal volleys.
The midfielder was 21 when he perched himself on the Crusaders’ reserves bench for the Super Rugby match against the Brumbies in 2009, and he didn’t need an ear trumpet to listen to what the locals had to say about him and his team-mates.
Given Crotty has played 35 tests for the All Blacks, and 129 games for the Crusaders, he would be well placed to offer insights into which rugby grounds provide a hotter reception than others. Clearly, Canberra has done alright for itself in that regard.
‘‘I remember my first game, way back in 2009, in Canberra. I didn’t get off the bench and I got heckled and abused pretty badly from the sidelines, which is a good wake-up call for Super Rugby,’’ Crotty said ahead of the Crusaders’ match against the Brumbies at GIO Stadium on Saturday night.
Ryan Crotty has vivid memories of the day the Canberra fans welcomed him with a series of colourful verbal volleys.
The midfielder was 21 when he perched himself on the Crusaders’ reserves bench for the Super Rugby match against the Brumbies in 2009, and he didn’t need an ear trumpet to listen to what the locals had to say about him and his team-mates.
The ribald fans had the last laugh that day, with the Brumbies winning 18-16. You would also hope they savoured the moment, because the good times have not lasted in terms of getting one across the Crusaders in the years that have followed.
The two sides have met seven times since, with the Crusaders bulldozing through their opponent on every occasion. It’s a statistic that no doubt burns the parochial Brumbies fans who razzed Crotty that day, because these two teams have history. Between 1996 and 2007 the Brumbies won seven of 16 games against the Crusaders, including the 2004 final in Canberra. That was considered sweet revenge for the defeat to the same foe in the final at the ground four years earlier, and anyone in attendance on that chilly evening wouldn’t forget the wild scenes that greeted the victory.
The Brumbies’ results have modest this year: three wins from eight games, and losing class openside flanker David Pocock ahead of this game is a major blow.
Adding to the Crusaders’ fourgame winning streak is an obvious priority for coach Scott Robertson, who has changed half his starting side after the 33-11 win over the Sunwolves last weekend.
The competitive New Zealand conference demands excellence, especially with the Hurricanes being in such regal form since dropping their first game against the Bulls in Pretoria.
Winning possession shouldn’t be a problem for the Crusaders. Captain Sam Whitelock and Codie Taylor, who were rested from the Sunwolves game, will provide welcome reinforcements for the driving mauls and a rested Jordan Taufua has the ability to intimidate with or without the ball.
The Crusaders are among the competition leaders in terms of scoring tries, they average 30.5 points a game, but are yet to hit the lofty peaks of last year in terms of killing sides that concede sloppy turnovers.