Rob Penney issues public apology after latest Crusaders meltdown

Crusaders head coach Rob Penney has issued an apology following another disappointing defeat after his side lost 32-29 to the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium over the weekend.

After going into halftime trailing 26-14, All Blacks ace Sevu Reece scored for the Crusaders just after the restart but they didn’t score again for nearly 40 minutes, allowing the Highlanders to clinch the win.

This loss marked the Crusaders' ninth defeat in eleven games for the 2024 season, surpassing their previous worst record set in 1996. Now ranked 11th, the Crusaders' chances for playoff contention are looking decidedly slim.

The team's continued unravelling is a sore point for fans and Penney directly addressed them after the loss.  Sky Sports NZ commentator Justin Marshall attempted to comfort Penney in a pitch-side interview after the game, saying: "Keep your head up. The franchise and the people are certainly behind you and we appreciate your time."

Penney didn't attempt to spin the result, instead issuing an apology to the fans.

"Coming from you, that's awesome, but there are some hurt boys in there. They're not treating this lightly. We've had that week in, week out.

"The hurt's there. The evidence just needs to be more obvious, for the supporters and the public to see that the boys are really willing to do what they need to do to get the outcome or the performance that we would love to have.

"I'd just apologise to everyone."

Penney's side must regroup for upcoming matches against the Brumbies, Blues, and Moana Pasifika on May 31.

Crusaders captain Scott Barrett - sidelined with a back issue - is unlikely to play in the upcoming match against the Brumbies in Canberra.

The red and blacks will also host the table-topping Blues and Moana Pasifika; who are tied with them in points but ahead due to more wins.

The playoff race is tight. Fijian Drua are leading the chase in eighth place, followed by the Western Force and the struggling Crusaders and Moana Pasifika, with Penney's former club the Waratahs holding up the log in 12th.

Even if the Crusaders do make the playoffs, there are bound to be questions over Penney's tenure at the side.

The mood from Saders fans on X around Penney is increasingly downbeat. "Rob Penney is lucky he's managing a SR team and not a Top 14, Gallagher Premiership and URC. Rob Penney is lucky NZRU doesn't like firing people," wrote one fan, while another opined: " I thought at the start of the year he gets a free pass in his first year having to follow in Razor’s footsteps but his results are so bad, how can they keep him?"