Crusaders will win — All Blacks say so
History doesn’t decide football games. And they’re not played on paper either.
full of All Blacks. In fact, only about one of them isn’t. And he’s a winger, who plays for Fiji and isn’t a half bad player in his own right!
I look at the Crusaders and see an All Blacks mentality, which is why they are my favourites.
After what I saw them do to the Highlanders, I’m even more convinced of their ability to win this from here.
This is the part of the season they love. They have managed their All Blacks superbly and they know how to win big games.
Their performances this year, in what all fans would agree has been the toughest and most competitive Super Rugby season on record, continue to impress.
No Dan Carter? That’s OK, we’ll just bring in Colin Slade. Richie McCaw’s injured? Don’t worry, we’ll play Matt Todd there. George Whitelock has moved on, it’s cool we have this kid named Jordan Taufua.
They are the masters of introducing players into their system who immediately pick up the mantle.
You can see it in the franchise’s expectations annually. Anything other than a play-offs position is deemed an abject failure. The bar is set so high.
This is new territory for the Tahs and they are simply not as experienced as the likes of Todd Blackadder’s troops.
Finally, this has been the best and most even Super Rugby season we’ve had. Now we’re going to tinker with it in two years time and that’s a shame.
I really don’t get why we’re doing this.
I don’t really care whether Japan or Singapore gets the nod for the 18th side. I just want to know where the players are to come from and nobody seems able to answer that.
Are we looking at a foundation team driven by players from that country? Or are we looking at an Asian Barbarians side?
Either way, I’m unconvinced we need it.
What we have now is working perfectly fine.