Lessons of the past help fuel Crusaders
A familiar feel from a couple of years ago filled the air at the Crusaders’ Rugby Park headquarters the past week.
Try the type of feeling that follows a lengthy, and proud, streak being snapped – such as the 18-year drought the Blues buried by edging the Crusaders in Christchurch last week.
But it’s not a lousy feeling, head coach Scott Robertson pointed out as the team prepares for the first of four straight matches on Australian soil, starting with the Rebels in Melbourne tomorrow.
Rather, it’s similar to the mood in July 2020, after the Hurricanes’ 34-32 win halted the Crusaders’ 36-match unbeaten run at home, a remarkable streak which stretched beyond four years.
‘‘When the Hurricanes beat us that night, we all [exhaled]. ‘OK, we can move on . . . forget the record and go deep and actually play some good footy’.
‘‘That’s what we’ve done this week, and looked at how we can get better as a group, what we need to do, how we need to evolve from the years gone by, and make sure we perform each week,’’ Robertson said.
That starts with the Rebels tomorrow as the Crusaders set their sights on a big six weeks to conclude the regular season.
With five titles in the past five years, the Crusaders know the importance of timing their run, building at the back end of the regular season, before peaking when it matters most.
So, there should be no surprise Robertson has refrained from making wholesale changes to his team to face the Rebels, a team they pasted 66-0 in 2019, and have beaten by an average of 44 points in their past five clashes.
Three points behind the table-topping Blues, and a year after coughing up bonus points against Australian sides cost them dearly in the compact Trans-Tasman competition, the Crusaders are eager not to make the same mistakes again.
‘‘It’s something I pride myself on, the consistency of my teams, a great coaching staff and making sure we prepare and do
What: Who: Where, when:
Crusaders:
Rebels: ■ everything we possibly can to set the team up,’’ Robertson said.
‘‘It’s not who we play, it’s how we’re going to play them and on what level we need to get to each week. That’s a thing that keeps us on.’’
With the Waratahs, Force and Brumbies to follow the Rebels, before the team returns home to host the Fijian Drua and Reds, gauging the Australian sides hadn’t been easy, Robertson said.
The 7-1 Brumbies and Reds shape as their best sides. But, a year after Kiwi sides won 23 of the 25 transTasman clashes, it’s unclear if they’ve improved on the back of a diet of local derbies.
‘‘It’s actually really tricky watching the games, you try and get a feel for ones that have made improvements, or recruitments or the cohesion has got better, and it’s probably like looking at us, it feels like you’ve seen the Reds play the Tahs again,’’ Robertson said.
‘‘Until you actually get out on the field, you don’t really get a true feeling for the players. But you never underestimate anyone. Our boys have done a lot of homework, just to make sure we’re up to play.’’