Super Rugby power rankings: Crusaders feel the heat
There’s arguably no worse place for the Crusaders to be headed this week than Lautoka.
Steamy hot, energy sapping conditions, a big and raucous crowd, and a Fijian Drua team that morphs into a fearsome beast when operating there.
Hardly enticing for the banged up reigning champions, the Drua’s first big scalp there a year ago, who are staring down the barrel of their first 0-3 start in Super Rugby history.
While they have dropped two of their first three games a few times, including last year under Scott Robertson, they’ll need to cut back their dreadful error-count if they’re to even get there.
Here’s the third power rankings instalment of the year, in which staff will ignore the official ladder and rank the 12 teams each week.
1. CHIEFS (2-0) PREVIOUS RANK: 1
Talk about making it look easy - the Chiefs had their way with the Brumbies in Melbourne, making a mockery of supposedly the best team from across the ditch.
While some teams make attacking, errorfree rugby look as difficult as splitting the atom, the Chiefs look ominously slick so early in the season.
2. BLUES (2-0) PREVIOUSLY: 2
Vern Cotter’s rotation policy looked like it might come back to bite him at times against the Highlanders last week, but standout performances by Hoskins Sotutu and Stephen Perofeta got them home.
While first-year coach Cotter has made it clear rotation would continue, let’s see if he pulls it back a notch with the unbeaten Hurricanes in the capital looming on Saturday night.
3. HURRICANES (2-0) PREVIOUS LY: 4
Needed golden point to beat the Reds after Jordie Barrett’s red card but, just like last season, they’ve started with back-to-back wins against Australian sides to start the year.
A year after the Blues beat them in the capital in round three, the Auckland-based franchise are again coming to town - and Barrett’s looming suspension only makes the Canes’ job more difficult.
4. REDS (1-1) PREVIOUSLY: 8
Had multiple chances to put the Hurricanes away in Melbourne, only to make crucial errors and concede the last 12 points of the match.
While the Reds look a much better unit than they did during last year’s shambolic season under Brad Thorn, let’s wait until they face the Chiefs in Brisbane on Saturday before judging them too closely.
5. WARATAHS (1-1) PREVIOUSLY: 9
What is it about the Sydney-based Waratahs getting up for the Crusaders?
The only Australian team to beat (twice) the Crusaders during the Scott Robertson era, the Waratahs’ three wins over the red and blacks since 2017 is bettered only by the Chiefs (five) over that span.
6. HIGHLANDERS (1-1) PREVIOUSLY: 7
A bunch of pre-season wins and a season-opening victory against Moana Pasifika had Highlanders fans cock-a-hoop, but there’s nothing like a NZ derby to bring them back down to earth.
Yep, after going down to the Blues, it’s rapidly approaching three years since they last beat a New Zealand franchise, and they’ll have to topple the Chiefs in Hamilton on March 23 if they’re to stop the rot that is 17 straight defeats.
Not that they can afford to overlook the Waratahs (Sydney) and Brumbies (Dunedin) in the meantime.
7. MOANA PASIFIKA (1-1) PREVIOUSLY: 10
Two rounds. That’s how long it took Moana Pasifika to match the total number of wins (one) they mustered all last season.
Fresh from holding on to beat the Drua for the first time since both sides entered the competition in 2022, they’re halfway to their win total from their inaugural campaign, too.
8. FIJIAN DRUA (0-2) PREVIOUSLY: 6
Their road woes have continued with back-to-back losses to start the year, but nobody needs reminding what a different beast they are at home.
That especially counts for the Crusaders, this week’s opponent, who went to steamy Lautoka in the corresponding round last year and lost 25-24.
Surely the Crusaders don’t leave key players at home this time round.
9. BRUMBIES (1-1) PREVIOUSLY: 5
Let’s roll out a statistic that ought to make Brumbies fans cringe, particularly given they’re accustomed to supporting a side that preaches physicality and strong defence.
Yet the two-times champions were marshmallow soft on Sunday, missing a whopping 32 tackles during their embarrassing 46-12 pasting by the Chiefs in Melbourne.
The good news for them is they get a chance to get back on track against the 0-2 Force in Canberra.
10. CRUSADERS (0-2) PREVIOUSLY: 3
A grim week both on and off the field for the Crusaders, after their defeat to the Waratahs was followed by their latest newsletter being titled ‘learnings from Melbourne’. [Insert vomiting Emoji here] Lessons, anybody?
11. REBELS (1-1) PREVIOUSLY: 11
What on earth got into the Rebels during the final half hour of their win against the Force last weekend?
Down 34-19, the financially-stricken franchise rattled off 29 unanswered points to surge to an emphatic 48-34 victory.
12. FORCE (0-2) PREVIOUSLY: 12
Just as well Simon Cron doesn’t have any locks on his head. After all, he’d be reaching to yank them out watching his side defend. Or perhaps that should be attempting to defend.
The Force have conceded 92 points through losses to the Hurricanes and Rebels, 19 more than the next worst (Drua).