Crusaders building a new dynasty
There is good and bad news for supporters outside the Crusaders region following the franchise’s ruthless win against the Hurricanes last Friday.
The bad news is that the Crusaders are a young team – a lot of key players are in their early or mid 20s.
The good news is that Scott Robertson is a bit of clown, isn’t he? Well, no he isn’t.
In fact, he has sold us one of the biggest dummies of the past 10 years, and it was completely bought by mugs like me and others outside the Crusaders region.
Forget the breakdancing and the comical interviews, Robertson’s a brilliant selector and motivator.
After a period in which Super Rugby titles have been shared around New Zealand (except Auckland), the conditions are in place for the Crusaders to get multiple titles in the next five years.
Look at the players who did the damage on Friday night.
Richie Mo’unga has just turned 24. Jack Goodhue is 22. George Bridge is 23 and outplayed Ben Lam, showing how close he is to an All Blacks callup.
Up front Scott Barrett is just 24. Quinten Strange, the most promising young lock to emerge this year is 21, Michael Alaalatoa is 26.
Owen Franks, Joe Moody, Sam Whitelock and Codie Taylor have many good years left in them too.
That’s the core of a side that is going to be extremely hard to beat this year and beyond. That backline trio of Mo’unga, Goodhue and Bridge have the potential to write their own places in the franchise’s history.
They already have one Super Rugby title to their name and because none are All Blacks starters they have huge motivation to keep improving.
Clearly, too, there is a strong desire among the players to stay in Christchurch. Ma’a Nonu is leaving French giants Toulon and taking time out to assess his rugby future.
The double World Cup winner confirmed his intentions yesterday. ‘‘I have decided to take a step back from rugby to spend time with my family and assess my options for the future,’’ the 36-year-old midfield back said in a post on his Instagram account.
‘‘Thank you to the fans who have always shown unconditional support. Toulon and its people will always hold a special place in my heart,’’ he added.
Nonu joined Toulon after winning the 2015 World Cup with the All Blacks.
Other reports suggested he was toying with another stint in Japan to wind up his playing career.
This means the Crusaders are being serviced by two successful, wellcoached unions in Canterbury and Tasman, who are funnelling topquality players into the system.
Ethan Blackadder is another example of that fruitful pathway. The son of Todd looks like another hardnosed loose forward in the classic Crusaders mould, but take a closer look and you’ll see he has good hands too. He’s a real find.
And so the machine rolls on. In some way the modern Super Rugby environment is even tougher than in earlier eras, when the Crusaders won seven titles between 1998-2008. That’s because the talent in New Zealand has been spread so widely throughout the five franchises.
However, there is something special building again in Christchurch. They are the benchmark again, and the other franchises have a job on their hands to catch them.