KEY POINTS:
Countless words will be used to describe Robbie Deans' last seven days as Crusaders rugby coach. Chief among them will be surreal.
This week is all about plotting the downfall of the Waratahs in the Super 14 final in Christchurch on Saturday night.
But at some point in
the aftermath, his life, allegiances and thought process all spin 180 degrees.
Deans will shift almost immediately to Sydney to take charge of many of those same Waratahs players when embarking on his reign as Australian coach.
"It's going to be another week, which is what we wanted. It's going to be a new week," was all the Crusaders' mentor of nine seasons would offer when asked about the emotional strain expected over coming days.
"It's just great to have this opportunity but it's just another week essentially. I'm not sure why you say it's a huge week."
The departure of Deans and his Waratahs counterpart Ewen McKenzie casts a fascinating backdrop on a final between two teams who have emerged clearly as the best in the competition, emphasised by their one-sided semifinal wins on Saturday.
A 33-22 scoreline didn't do justice to the Crusaders' masterful defeat of the Hurricanes, and the Waratahs were all muscle and pump in a 28-13 drubbing of the Sharks in Sydney.
The Crusaders will chase a seventh Super rugby title without experienced hooker Corey Flynn, who broke his forearm. He had surgery yesterday and any chance of an All Blacks recall next week has also disappeared.
His early exit didn't put the Crusaders' forwards off their stride in the semifinal.
They dominated all facets in a virtually error-free display which saw possession and territory monopolised.
The pace was quicker than the usually upbeat Hurricanes could handle and the execution razor-sharp.
Deans' tactical planning was outstanding as first five-eighth Daniel Carter launched regular centre-field bombs to good effect while key Hurricanes ball-runners Jerry Collins and Ma'a Nonu were neutralised throughout.
"You do your homework," Deans said. "You know the intensity is going to be there and you know they're going to be prepared to do what it takes to disrupt and gain a point of advantage."
The Hurricanes scored the opening try inside two minutes through a charge-down of a Carter clearance by winger Zac Guildford to send hearts fluttering among the small crowd of 18,000.
But the next time they crossed it was for consolation tries to forwards Jeremy Thrush and Neemia Tialata. In between, it was one-way traffic.
Yet the Crusaders were somehow kept to just three tries themselves, two to bursting fullback Leon MacDonald either side of halftime and the clincher to outstanding flanker Kieran Read with 20 minutes remaining.
In a consummate team effort, Read and captain Richie McCaw were standout figures for their breakdown control, and Carter dictated the game's rapid rhythm with some precision passing.
"We wanted to go to width if it was there rather than try to bash away where clearly they were going to be willing," Deans said. "The Hurricanes defended superbly in that first half, they took a lot of pressure. [But] that physical effort we asked of them took its toll."
The match was as one-sided as the Super rugby record between the sides, with the Hurricanes having won just three of a competition record 17 meetings. They are none from four in playoff clashes.
Hurricanes hooker Andrew Hore said his side were done no favours by the Highlanders' final-round "towelling" of the Crusaders last week.
Long spells of tackling inside their own half meant when his team finally grabbed the ball they tried to make things happen straight away.
"So we fell into that trap," said Hore, the stand-in skipper for injured No 8 Rodney So'oialo. "It just shows, you can't defend for that long and win games.
"It would have been a good game to watch, it just wasn't so much to play when you're defending so much."
The loss ended a season in which the fourth-placed Hurricanes outclassed the competition's weaker teams but failed to beat any of those in the top six of the competition.
- NZPA
