Crusaders prepare for bombing

Israel Dagg knows a fool would rely on luck to win a finals match. So does Crusaders team-mate Matt Todd.

Both have played in excess of 100 Super Rugby games, but like most of their team-mates, have never earned the right to party through the night after a final and greet the dawn chorus with a delirious smile.

Of the current squad only Kieran Read, Wyatt Crockett and Tim Bateman were on the club’s books when they beat the Waratahs in the final at Lancaster Park in 2008. Yes, it’s been a while hasn’t it?

A win over the Highlanders in the quarterfinal in Christchurch on Saturday night would fuel the Crusaders’ fire, allowing them to advance into the semis and host the Stormers or the Chiefs.

It also inches them closer to the glory that men like right wing Dagg and flanker Todd have plotted for, and discussed, each pre-season since they joined the Crusaders in 2011.

So what salient lessons have they absorbed from their previous near-misses, which includes losing the 2011 and 2014 grand finals?

‘‘Yeah, it is a tough question,’’ Dagg said. ‘‘I have spoken about it this week, it is about the small moments. If you can win those it goes a long way to winning finals footy. You saw last week [when they lost 31-22 to the Hurricanes], we switched off for a few seconds and they scored tries. It’s about staying ‘on’ for the full 80.’’

It was a sentiment echoed by Todd.

‘‘It goes back to execution, when you get chances you have got to take them. When we get down there, we need to take points … We have to make sure we are disciplined, and don’t get sidetracked by the occasion or caught up in the pressure.’’

As he watched the rain tumble down yesterday, Dagg expected his opponents to imitate the precipitation with their kicking game.

‘‘We know the ‘Landers love the contestable kicks, so the outside backs have spoken about that,’’ Dagg said.

‘‘If we don’t go out there and act excited and give it our best, we are going to be packing our bags and getting ready to run some blocks and do some fitness next week.’’

Until Super Rugby went into hibernation for the test window, the Crusaders took a sledgehammer to everything in their path and won 14 straight.

Three consecutive losses, to the British and Irish Lions, in a ‘‘friendly’’ against the Highlanders in Timaru, and to the Hurricanes last weekend, exposed their vulnerabilities.

A win would inch coach Scott Robertson closer to making a dream start to his first year in charge of the Crusaders; now it’s up to the players to stick to the strategies.