'They're gone': Crusaders on the ropes as disastrous season continues

The Crusaders’ quest for another Super Rugby Pacific crown appears over this season with former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles claiming the defending champions are “gone” from the title race after another disastrous defeat.

One week ago on Stan Sports’ Rugby Heaven, Hoiles told Sean Maloney and Morgan Turinui that he wanted to give the Crusaders one more week. The serial champions were second-last with a 1-6 record ahead of a decisive fixture.

It’s not very often in sport that a bottom two clash at the halfway point of the season captures headlines, but this is the Crusaders after all. They had the Western Force up next in a crucial clash at Perth’s HBF Park.

But it wasn’t the Crusaders’ night. The Force took a 16-5 lead into the sheds at half-time and continued to control proceedings afterwards as they claimed a 22-point win which saw the men from out west leapfroged their opponents on the ladder.

The Crusaders are now last on the standings. They’re the only team yet to win two matches this season, and with the playoffs just around the corner, it doesn’t look good for the reigning champions.

“You’ve seen both sides of it. You’ve seen people saying this is the Force’s best ever win and the Crusaders’ worst-ever loss,” Hoiles said on Stan Sports’ Between Two Posts.

“I wasn’t surprised at the Force winning, I was surprised in how good they looked in several aspects of their play. The best they’ve looked defensively in a long time.

“It’s still hard to work out, is it just because the Crusaders are having such a terrible run this year?

“The Force looked better, they looked as good as I’ve seen them this year, but I reckon we can almost put a line through the Crusaders… they’re gone.”

The Crusaders’ aspirations of turning their season around against the lowly-ranked Force got off to a positive start with marquee off-season recruit Levi Aumua scoring just a few minutes into the contest.

But the next 37 minutes were practically controlled by the home team. With the HBF Park crowd spurring the Force on, the hosts scored two tries to none as they overcame a yellow card to Carlo Tizzano.

There were hints of a Crusaders comeback during the second 40 but the Fore proved too strong in the end, with the Crusaders unable to get to within seven points at any stage of that half. It was a famous, drought-breaking night out west.

“The Rebels now go to Christchurch next week… we cannot get our head around judging the career on 2024 form because you’re just waiting for the real Crusaders to come back,” ex-Wallaby Morgan Turinui added.

“You cannot bet against them, judge against or talk negatively about that red and black jersey because it just feels wrong.

“That shouldn’t be surprising… (the Force) never looked in trouble, even when they conceded early. They were smart, they handled 14 on 15 well because (Carlo) Tizzano was on the pine for 10 minutes.”