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Former Wallaby encourages fans to ‘enjoy’ Crusaders’ winless run
By Finn Morton
Former Wallaby Cameron Shepherd has encouraged Super Rugby Pacific fans to “enjoy” the Crusaders’ winless start to the season with the defending champions ranked second-last on the ladder.
For the first time since the inaugural Super Rugby season in 1996, the Crusaders have started a season with three defeats from as many starts.
The reigning competition champions started their season with a tough loss on the road away to New Zealand rivals the Chiefs before falling to the NSW Waratahs 37-24 in a stunning Super Round upset at Melbourne’s AAMI Park.
But their loss to the Fijian Drua in Round Three sees them anchored towards the bottom of the ladder with the Christchurch-based franchise equal on competition points with the Western Force.
While the Force currently sit in last place, the Crusaders are only one spot above them due to their slightly better points differential which still reads -27 after the opening three rounds.
“Poor performance (in Round One) and then you come out, you do a huge comeback against the Force and then win on the weekend against a Moana Pasifika team that was coming off a win,” Cameron Shepherd initially said of the Melbourne Rebels on Stan Sports’ Rugby Heaven.
“Great to see the Crusaders down the bottom. If the Western Force won on the weekend they would’ve been in 11th and the Crusaders would’ve been 12th.
“But then you look at that logjam in the middle and I think Sera you’d agree, this weekend really is going to separate and we’re going to start seeing some real differences within the group.
“But at the moment, it sort of is anyone’s tournament.”
With new coach Rob Penney at the helm, the Crusaders have had three different halfbacks start in the No. 9 jersey already this season and there has been some change at first-five as well.
The Crusaders no longer have the likes of Richie Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock or Leicester Fainga’anuku to call upon as they sail through practically uncharted waters this season.
The last time the Crusaders started 0-3, one of Rugby Heaven’s pundits this week, Sera Naiqama, was only one. Host Michael Atkinson was about eight years of age.
“We might not get this chance again so we’ve got to enjoy it as much as we can,” Shepherd added with a smile.
But as they look to turn their season around, the Crusaders have their backs up against the ropes as they prepare to run through a Super Rugby gauntlet over the next few weeks.
The Crusaders will host the Hurricanes in Christchurch in Round Four before then facing the Blues in Auckland and the Chiefs back at home.
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I think France have made really good improvements. They have found several players on the bench and in the wider squad who are able to now operate at the level of their starters, they have power and devastation on the bench and can change the game. Their gameplan has also evolved and they are able to stay in the fight for longer. Fitness and conditioning seems to have become primary work ons. They have worked massively on breakdown where they forced so many turnovers and always slowed down Irelands ball. How many times did you see a French hand on the ball fighting the first and second cleaner tooth and nail for access before being shoved off of it? They become like a pack of rabid dogs on turnover and transitions, they counter so much better now and you can see elements of the Bordeaux and Toulouse game written all over the team. Its almost like a swarm when they counter. They have great alignment between the Top 14 and the national team and they have a group of players who are well versed in playing this style. You could see clearly in this game why both Galthie and Erasmus now fancy a 7-1 stack against Ireland. It is by and large to overpower them and demolish their breakdown. Irelands attack has devolved. Its now more metronomic than creative. It involves phase after phase of attritional attack and hordes of possession but it lacks creativity and purpose after the second or third phase. The Ireland attack of old kept teams guessing. You didnt know if they were gonna go wide or close in, you had to worry about the offload, the inside pass, the blindside and the hooker on the wing. Now it seems like they move the ball side to side while patiently waiting for the dam wall to break. They also lack pace and bite in the outside channels without Hansen and Lowe. Nash and Osborne were not on it and they struggled to contain the outside French backs who were incredible. France had more leaders that stood up, more grit and more power and it all proved too much for Ireland to handle.
Go to commentsKarefi is from the same mold as Savea, have him in the ABs in a heart beat.
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