Crusaders ‘will get the turn’ against Rebels
Coach Rob Penney has vowed that the Crusaders will turn around their disappointing season today while captain Scott Barrett has called for urgent improvements up front.
The bottom-of-the-table Crusaders host fourth-placed Melbourne Rebels at Apollo Projects Stadium in their first home game for a month.
Penney, Barrett and vice-captain David Havili are all staying staunch in their belief the Crusaders can still win the Super Rugby Pacific title.
“For sure. Why would I turn up if I didn't think we could win? Havili said.
Penney put on a brave face to media this week, insisting he still had “a lot of belief in the group. I trust them implicitly’’.
“I don’t have any doubt they are capable of winning the competition. I think the coaching staff do an amazing job under pressure, and we’re only small margins away. Friday night will be the moment that we get the turn.”
The side’s senior leaders are savvy enough to know an eighth defeat would make an improbable dream more impossible.
Barrett, who has not played for six weeks due to a broken finger, is back at lock to lead the side. The All Blacks captaincy contender said it had been “tough’’ watching from the sidelines during the losing spree, ‘‘particularly when touring away you have limited influence. The last couple of weeks have been very testing, watching on, the boys are certainly hurting’’.
But he said, back home for the first time since their only win against the Chiefs was “the best place to make a start’’.
Penney still has faith in his players but wants to see the Crusaders be bolder on attack and “play with a bit more freedom’’.
He expects the Crusaders to not give away as many penalties and is demanding an uplift on defence, noting: “It only takes one person to make an error to cause a fracture in the defence and all of a sudden you’re on the back foot.”
Both coach and captain conceded the Crusaders forwards are “hurting’’ after conceding three rolling maul tries from lineouts in their last two games.
“The boys take a lot of pride in their defence around this area,” Penney said.
“Obviously, having Scooter [Barrett] in the group will bolster it. There’s been some deep learnings going on our maul defence. It’s part of the DNA of the Crusaders forward pack. They are hurting because of those two tries [against the Force] and the one against the Tahs.”
The Rebels have confounded pundits this year after being declared dead and buried after financial woes plunged them into voluntary administration.
But they are fourth on the table, third for most tries, and fourth for carries and clean breaks, and are higher than the Crusaders in other key categories, including metres gained and defenders beaten.
The Crusaders will be hoping that, with Barrett back to call the shots and Brodie McAlister having his second start at hooker, the lineout – currently the worst in the competition at a 75.9 execution rate – will again become a set-piece strength.