Super Rugby Pacific: How did the once-mighty Crusaders empire fall so fast?

ANALYSIS

By Jamie Wall of RNZ

It was somewhat fitting that the Crusaders’ season officially ended in Lautoka. Never mind that it was in a game that they weren’t even playing in, but it was back in round three, in the stifling humidity of Churchill Park, that they really began to fall apart.

It marked three defeats in a row to start the Super Rugby Pacific season, a slump they never recovered from, which meant that a sombre Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge faced the press while his counterparts at the Hurricanes, Blues, Chiefs and Highlanders all started making plans for this weekend’s playoffs.

Mansbridge refused to say whether coach Rob Penney would be retained and that the season would go through a review process with an external company. While that’s clearly the correct business procedure, it does feel a little redundant given that ninth place, four wins and 10 losses after seven straight title-winning seasons really does say everything you need to know.

But this is what the review probably will reveal – along with a ton of internal feedback that will likely never be uttered outside the walls of the Crusaders’ facility at Rugby Park in St Albans:

Turnover

Two very influential players and a top coach leaving – that’s been the usual line as to why the Crusaders have fallen on hard times. Except the exact same thing happened to the Hurricanes, who arguably had a steeper mountain to climb given the reigning World Player of the Year skipped this season and their new coach had never had a fulltime XVs gig before. End result for them: top of the table at the end of the regular season.

Injuries

Scott Barrett leaves the field injured during the Crusaders' loss to the Reds. Photo / Photosport

Yes, Scott Barrett was a big loss but there is enough talent there in the second row to get by and besides, everyone gets injuries. The Blues lost their first-choice first five-eighths for most of the season and the guy who replaced him is now in the All Blacks conversation.

Flights of fancy

The Munster team celebrate with the Clash Of Champions Cup. Photo / Photosport

What was the point of the pre-season trip to play Munster and Bristol? The Crusaders barely bothered to promote the games and they weren’t shown on TV, so it was a long way to go simply to lose one of their new signings for pretty much the whole season.

Selections

The Crusaders' Noah Hotham grabs the ball from Moana Pasifika's William Havili, going on to score. Photo / Photosport

One of the bright spots for the Crusaders has been Noah Hotham, who is clearly set for the big future many had already predicted for him. Which makes it really hard to understand why he was sitting and watching Mitch Drummond and Willi Heinz play halfback for most of the first part of the season.

Then there was the persistence with Riley Hohepa at No 10, last year’s All Black Dallas McLeod being almost completely ignored and no direction at all in the lineout in Barrett’s absence.

Forgetting their identity