Crusaders won’t be ambushed
If one scenario should be binned when predicting the outcome tonight’s South Island derby, it’s the prospect of the Crusaders being ambushed by a desperate pack of Highlanders.
Forget it. The competition leaders are on high alert ahead of the 36th match between the teams, and not just because their 12th-placed neighbours can’t afford for their winless streak to close in on two months.
The southerners are also set to mark fullback Ben Smith’s 150th Super Rugby match in the fixture at Christchurch Stadium, a venue no visiting side has tasted success at in almost three years.
‘‘They will be desperate. We need to be desperate. If anything, we need to be more desperate than them,’’ Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall said during the week.
He and the rest of the Crusaders have paid close attention to the Highlanders’ wobbles since they beat the Reds in round two.
All Crusaders players and coaches interviewed this week agreed on one thing: the Highlanders are better than their 2-1-4 record indicates.
For one, Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has seen enough to know his team has a scrap on its hands, even though the Highlanders will be without the injured Aaron Smith, Waisake Naholo and Luke Whitelock.
‘‘They’ve had a lot of close losses. A bounce of the ball away. As a coach, you’re sitting up there hoping you get a couple of decisions, or someone makes a great decision for you on the field, to get that result. Sometimes it doesn’t work that way,’’ he said.
‘‘Down there with injuries they’ve had, it sort of compounds it. They’re good men and a good coaching group, and the depth of their squad is really tested and we know Friday night is a big night for them to turn it around. We are aware of it.’’
The Highlanders were their own worst enemy during last week’s 31-28 defeat loss to the Hurricanes in Dunedin when, after the visitors were reduced to 14 men at the death, they failed to take advantage of multiple attacking lineouts.
It’s a wonder head coach Aaron Mauger’s cap didn’t pop off his head in frustration.
Robertson knows Mauger and Highlanders forwards coach Mark Hammett well, having played alongside them for the All Blacks, Crusaders and Canterbury. Robertson and Mauger also coached Canterbury together.
They remain in touch and Robertson, who has lost just four games in 21⁄2 seasons since taking over as Crusaders coach, isn’t getting any thrills out of their recent struggles.
‘‘The bond is there. They are Crusader men. We’re in professional sport, they coach other teams but more importantly they’re just good men and we stay connected.
‘‘You play them so much the personal side goes out of it. You just prepare your team the best you can. You have a beer afterwards, but you just make sure you’re respectful. You don’t want to get any trash talk going, it doesn’t work that way.’’
The Crusaders, who lead the head-to-head stakes 23-1-11 against the Highlanders, will be without injured prop Owen Franks (shoulder) and hooker Codie Taylor (calf) for what is expected to be a wet-weather match.
That could mean plenty of scrums, an area Australian referee Ben O’keeffe, who will take charge of the South Island derby, hammered the Crusaders in during their 32-8 win against the Hurricanes a fortnight ago.