Rieko Ioane after the defeat to the Crusaders. Photo / Photosport
Rieko Ioane after the defeat to the Crusaders. Photo / Photosport
Phil Gifford is a Contributing Sports Writer for NZME. He is one of the most-respected voices in New Zealand sports journalism.
OPINION
Memo to Split Enz: History can repeat
Over the years, Christchurch has been the place where the Blues went to have their hopes dashedby the Crusaders.
But it was still startling to see the 2024 Crusaders, pilloried even by some of their home crowd this season, show enough resolve, daring and skill to tip over a potent Blues side 29-27 in Christchurch on Saturday.
The key moment in the match came in the 39th minute. With his team down 15-7, Crusaders captain Codie Taylor, who has never been in better form, dared to risk a tap kick, rather than order an easy kick at goal from a penalty.
Talk to any top-level sportsperson, and they’ll all say self-belief is a massive element in success. As narrow loss has followed narrow loss this season, there have surely been times when confidence in the Crusaders must have started to drain away.
On Saturday, Taylor tapped the ball, ran a couple of metres and, while a startled Blues’ defensive line started scrambling too late, he fired a long pass to wing Chay Fihaki, who dived in for a try. The five points meant the halftime score was just 15-12 to the Blues. The boost in team spirit was priceless.
For the Crusaders to make the playoffs, they need to beat Moana Pasifika next weekend, the Force need to lose to the Brumbies, and, at home in Lautoka, the Fijiian Drua must lose to the Melbourne Rebels, who were smashed 53-17 by the Brumbies on Friday. Not an impossible sequence. But nothing like a safe bet either.
Almost certainly not. Pride took a hit with yet another loss in Canterbury, but if the Blues can win at home next weekend against the Chiefs in the last round of games before the quarter-finals, they could still finish top of the table.
There’ll be some tough analysis during the week. As they have been against most teams, the Crusaders were a potent force at the scrum. For the Blues to win the title, they’ll probably need to match a terrific Hurricanes scrum, which centres on a world-class tighthead prop, Tyrel Lomax.
There will no doubt be some sweaty, grim work in Auckland this week, but the bitter scrum lesson on Saturday night may yet prove a hugely valuable one.
Two in one
The most improved Crusaders player this year has been 21-year-old halfback Noah Hotham, who has overcome early season hesitations to be a constant threat with the ball. Hotham also scored the try of the match, in the 60th minute, started with a terrific break by first five-eighths Fergus Burke, whose return hasn’t come a minute too soon.
Keeping their cool
The Hurricanes faced plenty of hurdles in Hamilton against the Chiefs. Not least was the fact Waikato Stadium, one of the great Kiwi special-purpose rugby stadiums, where fans are really close to the action, was a 23,000-spectator sellout. Put the milk solids payout that about 99 per cent of the men, women and children packing the ground were there to cheer on the Chiefs.
In the Hamilton cauldron, the Canes overcame an early red card to hooker Raymond Tuputupu and actually led 14-0 at halftime. But terrific pressure from the Chiefs saw the match tied up at 17-17 with two minutes to go.
Jordie Barrett crosses the line for the Hurricanes against the Chiefs. Photo / Getty Images
It was a time for cool, considered thinking. First, Jordie Barrett – who would reasonably have been tempted to take the kick himself – decided to entrust the ball to his first five, Brett Cameron.
From exactly 40 metres out, Cameron, who at 27 has found his sweet spot with the Canes after a Super Rugby career that started at the Crusaders back in 2018, kicked the vital goal for a 20-17 Hurricanes victory.
As teams like the Reds, the Crusaders and the Waratahs have discovered, playing the Fijian Drua in steamy Suva or Lautoka can quickly become a nightmare.
On the other hand, Dunedin hasn’t been always the happiest of hunting grounds for the Highlanders, but after two home wins against the Force and the Crusaders, the Landers made it a home hat-trick in style against the Drua on Sunday with a runaway 39-3 win.
The Landers won with real style, and while facing the Canes in Wellington next weekend is a huge mountain to be climbed, be assured that with players as blindingly quick as wing Jona Nareki, who scored twice against the Drua, it could be a twitchy Saturday night for the Canes if they let their guard drop for even a moment.
