O’Gara wary of Super predators
Ronan O’Gara and his fellow Crusaders coaches won’t suddenly turn into ogres and start holding players to ransom this week.
It could be tempting to do so, though. Imagine telling a bloke that unless he produces a fivestar performance against the Blues on Saturday night, he can forget about being involved in the Super Rugby quarterfinal the following weekend.
Given the Crusaders are guaranteed to play in Christchurch for as long as they remain in the playoffs it could be a handy, if somewhat blunt, line to drop on a player.
Irish international O’Gara is having none of it. He says the Crusaders coaches are more sophisticated in their methods.
‘‘Certain players know they will be playing in the quarterfinal, other players wouldn’t be too sure, so for them to make that decision easier, they need to perform,’’ O’Gara said.
‘‘But it’s not a threat hanging over them. We have hopefully created an environment where Saturday is a culmination of a good week’s work. It is not as if there is a negative or a threatening or kind of ‘if you don’t perform you won’t feature’.’’
Apart from All Blacks loosehead prop Joe Moody, who took no part in training on Monday and requires a scan to determine the extent of the knee injury he suffered in the 45-22 win over the Highlanders last weekend, the Crusaders have a roster bursting with fit men wanting to be involved in this final roundrobin game against the Blues in Christchurch.
O’Gara refused to write Moody off, but there is likely to be zero chance of him playing at AMI Stadium. Given Wyatt Crockett and Tim Perry can operate at loosehead, it would be nonsensical to push Moody, who is also nursing an ankle strain, back into action even if he made a miraculous recovery.
‘‘He [Moody] needs a little bit of luck and momentum now, too,’’ O’Gara said. ‘‘The great thing, I suppose, for these boys, too, is they all want to play for the All Blacks as well; the season doesn’t end for them in four weeks time, either.’’
Midfielder Ryan Crotty, who experienced tightness in his calf last Saturday night, could be deemed fit to play but the coaches may prefer to give him a break before the sudden-death phase.
O’Gara, who made 128 appearances for Ireland and toured with the British and Irish Lions three times, is well versed in the physical and mental preparations required for big games.
A shock loss to the Blues won’t alter a thing for the Crusaders who cannot be removed from the top of the competition log. But there is the potential to create self-doubts, or worse, fuel their next opponents – expected to to be either the Brumbies or Sharks – into hounding them like madmen in the quarterfinal.
Eleven consecutive victories has powered-up the Crusaders with self-belief, and trust in each other. O’Gara, who has made a seamless transition into the management team following the shock resignation of Leon MacDonald after one year as Scott Robertson’s assistant, stressed the importance of maintaining momentum.
‘‘It is really important to keep it, but you have got to work it. Because when you lose it, you can’t get it back in a short space of time. We are well aware of the teams in the long grass excited to play us, and putting together a plan to beat us.’’
❚ Makalio aims up P33