Justin Marshall: Crusaders' crushing isn't whole story of the game

Sonny Bill Williams of the Chiefs breaks away during the round three Super Rugby match between the Chiefs and the Crusaders at Waikato Stadium. Photo / Getty Images

The game against the Chiefs got away from them but I certainly wouldn't be pushing any panic buttons with the Crusaders just yet.

While the scoreline read like the Crusaders were a shambles, that would be an exaggeration. I was really impressed with a lot of what they did.

I liked the way the Crusaders approached the game: they brought the same intensity they displayed the previous week against the Highlanders in Dunedin and, for large parts, they were in the contest.

They look to have better synergy in their game plan and that will suit them when they get some of their starts back out on the field.

Because that's crucial for the Crusaders - when you look at the team they're putting out there, they're nowhere near full-strength. You've still got your Reads and your Whitelocks out, Nemani Nadolo's not back and Dan Carter's currently out of the mix.

And that dynamic of not having the services of some of their key players could prove a positive. The Crusaders have probably figured out a few things and they won't have to go through what other teams will, in terms of giving their All Blacks mandatory rest.

They can now ease these guys back into the mix during a couple of home games off the back of a bye, and that will really kick-start their season. I would suggest the next time those two teams play, it'll be a different game because the Crusaders will be at a bigger and better level.

But that's not to detract from what the Chiefs achieved. You can see the quality of Sonny Bill Williams, Charlie Ngatai and the back three, but it was the pack which was particularly encouraging.

That was one area where I thought the Crusaders might have a slight edge, especially after the Chiefs lost Brodie Retallick, but that young forward pack really fronted up.

After three rounds, they're in the best position out of any team, along with a real surprise package.

I must admit I've had to swallow a big piece of humble pie because, for the past three weeks, I haven't picked the Hurricanes once.

I thought they'd get turned over by the Lions, beaten by the Bulls and then, because of their recent history coming off a couple of good wins, I thought the old Hurricanes would come back.

But they have totally impressed with their consistency. They have so far dispelled any of that Hurricanes enigma and it's great to see they can now string together those wins.

They've got some points on the board, they've managed to rest a couple of players and they're back in Wellington. Now what is really needed to ignite their season is their fans.

Last time the Hurricanes got on a winning streak, I went to commentate on their next game and there were 8000 people there. That just wasn't good enough.

If you're putting in the work and showing a real change in attitude, you expect a change in attitude from the supporters.

So it's now up to the Hurricanes' public to launch this team into the playoffs. And I'll start picking them.