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As they surveyed their hurdles to another Super rugby title, the Crusaders took an oath of allegiance about their defence.
They had just been humbled by the Highlanders in the last round before the playoffs and appeared as though their form had flattened out. If ever the Crusaders'
bond was needed, this was it.
"We knew if we were going to win we had to be big on defence," captain Richie McCaw said of their collective vow before a semifinal win against the Hurricanes and Saturday's 20-12 title fight triumph against the Waratahs.
McCaw was sensational at the forefront of the tackle line, getting back on to his feet again and wrenching out some incredible turnovers, driving himself and his troops towards a victory they wanted so strongly for themselves and departing coach Robbie Deans.
Even when they had a try denied and were a man down with Brad Thorn sent to the sinbin for punching on the evidence of a touch judge, the Crusaders could not be broken. Their line was bent, it buckled, it sagged but they held out without conceding a second half point.
The Crusaders had to be formidable as the Waratahs led 12-11 at the interval and kept charging throughout the match. They grabbed two tries, not by breaking tackles but when Lachlan Turner leaped high over Daniel Carter to claim an AFL style try and then outflanked the cover chasing his own kick.
It was stirring stuff as the Crusaders edged back through the driving play of their pack, Carter's tactical kicking and then crucially, a try to Mose Tuiali'i just before the break.
It was classic Crusaders, and a try which Waratahs skipper Phil Waugh conceded had "hurt" his side. The try altered the psychological balance of the match.
"We came back and did not consolidate and they went on with it," he said.
NSW coach Ewen Mckenzie thought his side had four scoring chances, two forward drives and two others on the flanks which were all snuffed out by the resolute defence.
"We just did not do enough to beat a side who led the competition all the way," he said. "In the pressure of a big game we came up a bit short."
The Crusaders had their misfires too. Casey Laulala squandered one draw and pass chance and while Tim Bateman was also collared when he went alone with men outside him.
They were rare errors of judgment though from a champion team.
The formula for their triumphs, as explained by both Deans and McCaw, always sounds so simple.
"The success is built on teamwork not individuals," McCaw reiterated on Saturday night.
Deans' departure would be felt keenly. But he, like other players and staff who have left the Crusaders, had laid down and delivered on the core values of putting the team first.
It was always the same ethos, the same characteristics and everyone in the squad was treated equally.
"You play for your mates, you play for the jersey," McCaw said.
Those sentiments shone through as Deans was urged to talk about how he had restored the Crusaders momentum after the flat month before the playoffs.
"They [Crusaders] deserved the victory, the defence was remarkable. I am stoked for the blokes and it is great to be part of it."
McCaw felt victory was always there for the Crusaders but it had been a struggle throughout. However he felt the punishing hits his side delivered, the counterattacks they created from turnovers, all added up to an unstoppable second half momentum.
They had to show how resilient they really were when Thorn went to the bin and had to dig deep in the final 10 minutes before a final Carter penalty eased them beyond a converted try margin.
