Crunch time for Crusaders

BY MARC HINTON

Pressure. What pressure? That’s the attitude of the Crusaders as they get set for the most important match of their Super 14 season early Saturday (NZ time).

The Todd Blackadder-coached defending champions, who lie eighth on the table but just four points outside the top four, are not looking to hide from two stark realities: that it’s win or go home this weekend; and they have to turn the competition’s worst attack into something near its best.

Oh, there’s one more thing as the seven-time champions get set to battle a Lions side in “nothing to lose but plenty to prove” territory: they’ve got to come through this cauldron of an occasion sans their inspirational skipper Richie McCaw.

“They’re thriving on it,” said Blackadder as his team put the final touches on preparations in the republic. “There’s no doubt they’re not happy where they are with their own game.

“There is a sense of disappointment, but also an urgency and a feeling to right the wrongs – to get the season back on track. The only way to do that is through their own performance.

“I know the guys are excited about the challenge, they’re thriving on it and they’re excited about it. More than anything they’re just looking forward to it.”

It really has come to that for the Crusaders, who battled away gamely for a month to grovel four straight wins by four points or less; but then undid much of the good work last weekend by coughing up a 20-13 defeat to the competition’s worst team, the Cheetahs.

That’s put the Crusaders in a tight spot. There’s no wriggle room; no margin for error.

Blackadder has, by all reports, had a few stern words to say to the boys this week.

Four straight gritty, but not pretty, wins may speak plenty about the ticker and character of his side, but in the final accounting their inability to turn possession into points has cost them.

The seven-time champions have scored just six tries in their last five matches and they have the worst attacking record among the 14 teams in the competition. It’s frustrated the heck out of Blackadder that his team is about as bad on the attack as it is good on defence.

They have conceded only 153 points at a smidgeon over 15 points a game (the best in the league), but have scored only 152 (the worst). Sometimes it’s hard to know whether to cheer or tear up.

Blackadder says it’s all mental. He sincerely believes the tries are right there for the taking, and there’s no need for any major tactical tweaks.

“It’s just a mental thing,” he said today. “It’s mental application. It’s making sure we get attention to detail within our structures and that everyone understands their role.

“If anything we need to pull back. From what we can see we are creating those opportunities. What we really need to do is keep our patience.

“That’s not expanding on what we’re doing. If anything it’s pulling back slightly.

“Sometimes less is more.”

If that sounds a little cryptic, well you’ll forgive Blackadder for seeing a solution within the mess. Some light in the gloom.

Even without McCaw who has another head problem (nothing to worry about, his coach says, just a couple of isolated incidents that have left him needing a week off) and the rookie Jonathan Poff in his stead.

“It’s a collective thing,” adds Blackadder. “We’re focused on everyone stepping up. It’s got to be a collective effort where everyone’s going to have to go out and play our best rugby.

“We’ve put ourselves in this situation where it’s must-win. More important than that we need to restore some pride... We need to work hard in certain areas of our game.

“Our performances have lacked patience and ruthlessness. And that’s something we have to bring to this match.”

In terms of the Lions, there’s a respectful wariness. Blackadder says they’ll be “typical” South African. Which means they won’t play too much rugby in their own half; and they’ll get up hard and fast on defence.

But the Crusaders coach says it simply isn’t about their hosts; it’s about the intent and accuracy his own men bring. If they get that right, he reckons, they might just live to fight another week.

Kieran Read, who steps in as skipper once again in McCaw’s absence, says a light week on the training paddock has produced a short, sharp preparation that he believes has the side on course.

Now, he says, it’s about each man working for his mates and about “playing with the ball a bit more”. Combine the two, he adds, and he’s confident the Crusaders can turn pressure and possession into dearly needed points.

“We’ve got to win this game. If we don’t we’re out of the running,” added the Crusaders No 6.

“We’ve got a lot of desire and we’re looking forward to putting in a performance that gets us back on track and in contention.

“That’s what we’re focusing on. It’s what we need to do. Whatever the Lions bring, we’ll just have to match it and show what we’ve got.”

It’s what Sir Alex Ferguson quaintly calls squeaky bum time for the defending champions. They welcome back hardened competitors like Read, Leon MacDonald and Andy Ellis, and a form one in Isaac Ross. They don’t have their most inspiring figure. Tough!

It’s do or die time for a side that has, back over the years, mastered the art of winning when it counts. But do they still have that indefinable quality? We should know some time very early on Saturday morning (NZ time).

LIONS: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Jannie Boshoff, 10 André Pretorius, 9 Jano Vermaak; 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Ernst Joubert, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (capt)/ Johan van Deventer, 5 Anton van Zyl, 4 Jannes Labuschagne, 3 Lawrence Sephaka, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg. Reserves: 16 Hans van Dyk, 17 Gert Muller, 18 Gerhard Mostert, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Chris Jonck, 21 Earl Rose, 22 Michael Killian.

CRUSADERS: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Jared Payne, 13 Tim Bateman, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Colin Slade, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Andy Ellis; 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Jonathan Poff, 6 Kieran Read (capt), 5 Isaac Ross, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Jason Macdonald, 1 Wyatt Crockett. Reserves: 16 Dan Perrin, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Ross Filipo, 19 Michael Paterson, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Adam Whitelock, 22 Hamish Gard.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (SA).

 

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