CAN THE CRUSADERS GET ANY WORSE???
After a stunning decline, the once-dominant Crusaders find themselves at the bottom of the ladder following their humiliating 37-15 loss to the Force in Perth on Saturday night.
With just one victory in eight matches, their second defeat in Australia within a fortnight has seen them overtaken by the Force, a team comprised of journeyman players and former stars, who were previously languishing at the bottom.
Crusaders’ Nightmares Continue as Force Triumph
Amidst a season filled with lackluster displays, this one stands out as the epitome of disappointment.
From a lack of discipline to defensive errors, a struggling lineout, careless ball carries, questionable choices, an overly sideways approach to attack, and persistent struggles in exiting their own territory – the shortcomings seem endless.
And, what’s perhaps most revealing about the Crusaders’ current mindset is their concession of two rolling maul tries to the Force.
Remember when scoring via a lineout drive against the Crusaders was deemed so challenging that teams didn’t even attempt it?
Struggles at Lineout Expose Crusaders’ Vulnerabilities
At the opposite end of the field, it felt like déjà vu as the Crusaders once again struggled with a lineout just 5 meters from the try line. This used to be the area where they mercilessly punished opponents with ruthless efficiency.
However, the harsh reality is that despite narrowing the score to 22-15 against the Force with a quarter of the game remaining, they conceded two late tries in their desperation to turn the match around.
Discipline Woes Haunt Crusaders in Force Clash
In a night where they suffered the consequences of their undisciplined play, marked by five penalty goals from Ben Donaldson, the Crusaders under the guidance of coach Rob Penney conceded a staggering 15 penalties. Among them were two infractions committed by All Black player Fletcher Newell, who seems to have developed a knack for finding himself in troublesome situations during tackles.
Sevu Reece, Brodie McAlister and Riley Hohepa were all guilty of getting caught offside, while Joe Moody and Owen Franks got their technique wrong with clean outs early in the match.
They made a staggering 207 tackles (86%) compared to the Crusaders’ 60, and mustered less than 200 metres with ball in hand. It didn’t matter, the Force simply did the basics better and took their opportunities.
The Force’s pack also dominated the breakdown, suffocating it with aggression and denying the Crusaders access to quality possession.
In what can only be described as their most dismal showing in recent history, the Crusaders hit rock bottom during their humiliating 37-15 defeat by a Force team comprised largely of players discarded by other clubs and franchises.
As each defeat is registered by the Crusaders this season it’s been easy to use the loss of key players, either because of injuries or departures after the World Cup, as reasons for them looking so lost in many areas of their game.
After injuries to some key players former All Black Aaron Cruden has revealed he was approached by the Crusaders as they sought cover for their injured first-five Fergus Burke.
But despite being “pretty tempted” by the offer, and “pretty close” to taking the opportunity up, he ultimately demurred.
The Crusaders have had to rely on Rivez Reihana and Riley Hohepa in the No 10 jersey so far this Super Rugby Pacific season, where they have won just one of their first eight matches.
Calls for Change Grow Louder as Crusaders Hit Rock Bottom
The Crusaders’ administrators and board must take a deep-dive into the issue of how the Super Rugby Pacific title holders have found themselves in the position where they have a 1-7 record, and are Struggling amidst the mudfish in the depths of the competition’s cellar.
Crusaders’ Decline Raises Questions About Coaching
The decision to appoint Rob Penny, a former Canterbury coach who later worked in Ireland, Australia and Japan before returning to his home city of Christchurch, as a replacement for Scott Robertson has to come under scrutiny.
Much like a chief executive officer of an underperforming company, Penney has to be judged upon results.
And, right now, they are terrible.
I am not close enough to the club to know exactly what is happening, but there might be individuals among them who believe that part of the failures stem from the lack of ability of the systems and coaches to send the message to the players. When these rumbles are left unattended they tend to fester and eventually will explode. Confidence is low, and the players don’t believe any more in what the coaches are saying. They are just words.
If you can not beat the Force and the Waratahs, there is very little left. Maybe bring in some high school students. At least they try their best, something that is not happening with this group.
With games against the Rebels,[h]Reds,[h]Highlanders,[a]Brumbies,[a]Blues,[h]Moana Pasifika,[h], I am not sure how many of them they can win, if any.
The absolute minimum for this year is to make the playoffs, and hope like hell from there.
The Crusaders has been a very proud club for a long, long, time, and is now been let down badly. This must stop.
Time for Action: The Call to Sack the Coach
So I will say it for the board right now. Sack the coach and bring in a quality new coach. NOW!!!
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