Rugby: Crusaders lose initiative after upset loss in Perth

The Crusaders stumbled against the Western Force in Perth. Photo / Getty Images

A shock loss by the Crusaders to the Force has handed the Super 14 keys to the defending champions.

The Bulls, assuming they defeat the hapless Lions overnight and take a bonus point in the process, will be exactly where they want to be - in charge of their own destiny.

That's the true cost of defeat in Perth for the Crusaders - the next three weeks are no longer all about them.

They still have a massive role to play. They still have a good chance of finishing the round-robin in first place and securing the potential right to a home final.

But now it's outside their control. Now they need results elsewhere to go their way. Depending on confidence levels, the draw has either been a blessing or a curse.

Certainly if the Crusaders fall away as badly as they did on Friday night, then they have little chance of winning this week in Cape Town against the Stormers and even less of securing a win against the Bulls in Pretoria the week after.

"The Force were too good for us," said Crusaders captain Richie McCaw. "We put ourselves under pressure, they played on the front foot and we struggled to get our game going.

"You've got to be up for every game - it doesn't matter where anyone is on the table. And if you make mistakes like that, you'll fall over."

The Crusaders' history suggests they do blips rather than ruts and they will bounce back this week with a vastly improved performance. They will need to.

While the Stormers lost 16-13 on Friday night to the Reds, they have been tipped as the best team in the competition by All Black coach Graham Henry.

The Reds lacked much of the urgency and directness they showed against the Bulls the previous week, but they injected enough pace and aggression into their second-half effort to see off a Stormers side that looked to be feeling the effects of four weeks on the road.

The Crusaders know, however, that at home, even having travelled back to the Republic this morning, the Stormers will be an exceptionally tough proposition.

The Bulls won't be any easier and, even if the Crusaders should become the first side to win in Pretoria since the Hurricanes in 2008, bonus points could still see the defending champions stay in top spot.

That's the beauty of a five-point cushion and even if the Bulls lose to the Crusaders, they should still be able to finish first if they defeat the Stormers in the last game.

But what this weekend showed is that the final few weeks never quite end up the way everyone thinks.

The Reds, despite having beaten the Bulls the week before, were not fancied to follow it up against the Stormers. As much as they have improved under Ewen McKenzie, it's still hard to believe they can go all the way given how awful they have been in the past.

But the longer the competition goes on, the more belief they find and the more captain Will Genia looks to be head and shoulders the best halfback in the world.

With games against the Highlanders, Brumbies and Hurricanes to come, the Reds are a great chance of making their first playoffs since 2001. Who wouldn't back them to win against those three teams?

The Hurricanes will now have that final game in Brisbane in the back of their minds. All they can hope for is that they keep winning and that the shocks keep coming elsewhere - like the Cheetahs securing a draw in Hamilton. Who saw that happening?

The Blues, who play the Sharks overnight, are in much the same position. If they manage to win in Durban, then their run looks kind enough with the Lions and Cheetahs then Chiefs at home.

It's all about the Bulls, though. If they can win two of their last three games, they will most likely win the round-robin.