Rugby: Test series failure could boost Crusaders against other Lions

Experienced Crusaders Wyatt Crockett and Samuel Whitelock. Photo / Getty

In looking for crumbs of comfort before their team's Super Rugby final against the Lions at a hostile Ellis Park in far-flung Johannesburg, Crusaders' supporters could find hope in the result of the recent test series against the British & Irish Lions.

Not in the actions of referee Romain Poite in the third, drawn, test at Eden Park which left the series as a disappointing stalemate, mind you.

The appointment of three South Africans and one New Zealander as match officials for Super Rugby's showpiece on Sunday morning NZT is a hot enough topic as it is without stirring up memories of Poite's decision to change his mind on the potentially match-winning penalty awarded to the All Blacks with a couple of minutes left in the test a few weeks ago.

No, a bigger-picture view is required, and it hinges on this: The Crusaders will have 12 All Blacks in their match-day squad of 23, including nine of their forwards. They will feel that they should have beaten Warren Gatland's outfit in that third test but for Poite's bizarre about-turn and their own wastefulness, particularly in the first half, and there will be added resolve to get the job done this time.

Who's to say whether that would have been different had they been successful? What is certain is that mental toughness and determination will be crucial if they are to win despite the disadvantage of having to travel from a wet and freezing Christchurch across the Indian Ocean to a warm and sunny Johannesburg situated at 1700m above sea level.

The disappointment against the other Lions team could serve as an extra incentive and every little bit will help if they are to win their eighth title.

The other big motivating factor is related - the fact the Crusaders haven't won a championship since 2008. They have been close since - losing the 2011 final to the Reds in Brisbane and 2014 to the Waratahs in Sydney, and they will feel they are overdue for another.

Kieran Read and Wyatt Crockett started in that 2008 final against the Waratahs in Christchurch. So did Leon MacDonald, the former All Blacks fullback who is now a Crusaders assistant coach.

Their talented senior players such as Owen Franks, Sam Whitelock and Israel Dagg - all aged in their late 20s - have never won a championship. There must be a realisation that this opportunity has to be taken because there might not be another one.

Read, in particular, will be eager to make amends, for his disappointment at the recent test series result would have been more acute than most. In his 100th test, he experienced the rugby equivalent of a roller coaster. In the final minutes, the Lions equalised through Owen Farrell's penalty, with Read helping his side win a kickable penalty from the re-start only to see Poite change his mind and award the All Blacks a scrum.

That collective frustration could be the final ingredient in the Crusaders breaking their title drought.