Super Rugby Pacific: Sam Whitelock returns to boost Crusaders in battle of the defences

Sam Whitelock missed the Crusaders' semifinal win over the Chiefs. Photo / Getty

Scott Robertson and the Crusaders know a bit about producing a determined defensive effort.

They conceded the fewest points in Super Rugby this season and proved their mettle while spending much of last weekend's semifinal tackling the Chiefs to submission.

So Robertson is judging from a place of expertise when assessing the defensive credentials of the Blues, the foe standing between his side and a 13th title in tomorrow night's final at Eden Park.

While his own defence will be boosted by the return of Sam Whitelock, the All Blacks lock having overcome the thumb injury that saw him miss the Chiefs match, Robertson knows merely keeping out the Blues won't be enough. The Crusaders must find a way past them, too.

"They've got good belief - we know it's been built off a lot of great defensive effort," Robertson said of an opponent who conceded the second-fewest points in the competition this year.

"I know Leon [MacDonald] – I coached with him long enough – and like our team everything's been built off great D. They've defended and scrambled at key moments to give themselves opportunities.

"We know they're a disciplined team and can defend for long periods of time."

That was certainly true of Robertson's side last weekend, frustrating the Chiefs with their tireless tackling to book a sixth final appearance in as many seasons. All the defensive work caused plenty of sore bodies but the Crusaders emerged this week as healthy as they could have hoped, with fellow All Blacks Codie Taylor (calf) and David Havili (head knock) joining Whitelock in overcoming injury concerns.

"Post-game on Saturday morning there was a good, long email from the medical group about the casualty ward, but the extra day has been superb for us," Robertson said. "We've freshened up and those guys have trained well all week. They're back to as good as we could hope."

Whitelock's inclusion alongside skipper Scott Barrett in the second row is a particular boon, given he missed his side's round-robin loss to the Blues with a broken finger.

The 33-year-old captained the Crusaders to three of their 12 Super Rugby titles, including the last time the red and blacks lifted the trophy on the road.

That was in 2017, when the Crusaders went to Johannesburg and upset the Lions to silence a parochial Ellis Park crowd, and Robertson hoped that experience would be invaluable at a sold-out Eden Park this weekend.

"We draw from the past and from history – we obviously have a lot of finals to draw from and the experience of where we've been successful and where we could've been better," Robertson said.

"We went over [to Johannesburg] as extreme underdogs - the narrative of this year is probably a bit different. But the Blues have been exceptional all year, they're on a hell of a run.

"The last time they lost at Eden Park, it's been a while. They've made the Garden pretty special. So it's a hell of a week to go up there and a hell of a rivalry – just what Super Rugby needs."

Crusaders team to face the Blues at Eden Park:

Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, David Havili, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Richie Mo'unga, Bryn Hall, Cullen Grace, Tom Christie, Pablo Matera, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett (c), Oli Jager, Codie Taylor, George Bower.

Reserves: Brodie McAlister, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Quinten Strange, Corey Kellow, Mitch Drummond, Braydon Ennor, George Bridge.