Crusaders proceed with caution into semi-final

WELLINGTON: The Crusaders are taking a cautious approach to tomorrow’s all-New Zealand Super Rugby semi-final against the Chiefs, despite their opponents having made the trek back from South Africa this week.

The long haul trip from Australasia to Africa and back has almost always proved fatal come the playoffs, but the Chiefs have become something of a bogey team for the Crusaders in the nine years since the seven-times champions last won the title.

So while a 14-1 regular season record makes the Crusaders strong favourites to progress to a final against the Lions or Hurricanes, coach Scott Robertson is taking nothing for granted.

“Even though they are flying back it doesn’t mean the old mindset isn’t going to be right,” he told reporters yesterday.

“They can turn up and climb into us, like they have done in years gone by.”

Having beaten the Stormers 17-11 in Cape Town last weekend, the Chiefs will now be looking to restore their recent dominance over the Crusaders.

The Crusaders’ 31-24 victory in Suva in May ended a run of four defeats to the Chiefs stretching back to 2014.

The Hamilton-based Chiefs have won nine of the 13 meetings between the teams since Dave Rennie took charge in 2012, including semi-final match-ups that year and in 2013 when they went on to secure their two Super Rugby titles.

Unlike those matches, however, the Crusaders will be playing in Christchurch tomorrow.

“They used their home-ground advantage on those occasions, but this time we have earned the chance to play in front of our own supporters and that means a lot to us,” said Robertson.

While the Crusaders will put out the same team that beat the Highlanders 17-0 in last week’s quarter-final, the Chiefs will welcome back centre Charlie Ngatai from an ankle injury and have brought wing Tim Nanai-Williams off the bench.

It is up front, though, that the Chiefs might face their toughest battle as they take on a Crusaders pack which includes seven All Blacks starters and a further two international forwards on the bench.

“As long as I can remember they’ve always had the best pack in the competition,” Rennie said.

“They drive well, they’ve got a great defensive lineout. We’ve always known what that challenge is and we’ve got a group of men who are keen to measure themselves.”

Having slipped up in their last match of the regular season against the Hurricanes, the Crusaders will be relying on the reigning champions to beat the Lions in tomorrow’s other semi-final in Johannesburg to give them a chance of a home final.

Meanwhile, Stephen Moore is stepping down as Wallabies captain with immediate effect and will call time on his 12-year international career at the end of the season, the hooker said yesterday.

Moore is the 10th most capped player in the history of the game and his 120 Test appearances is second only to George Gregan (139) among Australian players.

The 34-year-old made his debut against Samoa in 2005 and played at three World Cups for the Wallabies, the highlight of his career being when he led his country to the final against New Zealand in 2015.

“It was a very tough decision but you talk to people who’ve done it and they say ‘you know when it’s time’ and I think I’ve got that feeling,” Moore told reporters.

“I just thought now was the right time, finish the year strongly and let the next crop of players take the team forward.”

“I just didn’t feel I could give it all I had until (the) 2019 (World Cup). I think it’s a smart decision personally and also for the team, which at the end of the day is my priority.”

Flank Michael Hooper is his most likely successor, having performed the same role under coach Michael Cheika at the Waratahs and for the