Crusaders just want to have fun
Wellington
The Crusaders have long been seen as a brutal, uncompromising and brilliant side but few would have called the Super Rugby titans “fun” until breakdancing coach Scott Robertson took the reins last year.
In his first season in charge, Robertson ended eight years of frustration by delivering an eighth Super Rugby title with an away win at the Lions.
Rugby League Park might be in for a similar treat on Saturday when the Crusaders host the Johannesburg-based side at their Christchurch stronghold in a repeat of last year’s final.
Few, barring the Lions themselves, give the South Africans any hope of upsetting a team whose dominance has echoes of the golden years when they claimed seven titles from 1998 to 2008.
A former All Blacks loose forward capped 23 times, Robertson featured in the first four of those triumphs during his playing days under Wayne Smith and Robbie Deans.
Despite his pedigree and a coaching CV featuring three titles with Canterbury’s provincial side, along with a World Cup win with New Zealand’s Under-20 side, Robertson seemed a left-field choice to replace the departing Todd Blackadder at the end of 2016.
Blackadder’s tenure featured two finals, four semifinals but no trophies, and Robertson, a coach with no Super Rugby experience, was entrusted with ending the drought.
It took little time for him to build a deep bond with an All Blacks-laden squad which had suffered a few knocks to its confidence in the last couple of years under Blackadder.
Happy to leave some of the more technical aspects of coaching to his assistants, Robertson focused on the motivation side. A meeting at a pre-season camp where the players hammered out their goals for the 2017 campaign ended with a jam session after the coach unveiled a team band.
Pranks, singing contests and a more welcoming reception to the families of the players around the club have also marked Robertson’s time in charge.
“I’m not big on ruling by fear, I want to make sure that we enjoy it, we have fun, and people want to come to work and engage so they can be better,” Robertson said after his team roared to a 12-0 start in 2017.
Playing the Crusaders has been anything but fun, however, as the Hurricanes would attest after their 30-12 semifinal hiding in Christchurch last week.
With a pack made up mostly of Test forwards and a potent backline featuring winger George Bridge and centre Jack Goodhue, the Crusaders are equally comfortable playing with width or keeping the game tight.