Source: Radio New Zealand
Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham in action against the Blues. Brett Phibbs
The Crusaders concede they have not been good enough but are confident they can turn around their disappointing start to the Super Rugby season.
The defending champions have won just one of their first four games with losses to the Highlanders, Brumbies and Blues.
Coach Rob Penney concedes they weren’t up to scratch, but said making wholesale selection changes was not the answer.
“Just a bit of a cohesion issue,” Penney said.
“We’ll fix that through consistent selections and working hard and we’re doing all that.”
Blues winger Caleb Clarke scores a try against the Crusaders. Brett Phibbs
That pressure is mounting on the Crusaders and that was evident in training on Tuesday with a couple of players involved in some “push and shove”.
“So there should be,” Penney said when asked if there was tension in the camp.
“It was a really lovely sight to see, actually. It is a reflection of how much it means. The boys aren’t happy with the performances and the outcomes.
“Very proud young men are going to come up against each other, and create a bit of sandpaper from time to time.”
Penney insists morale remains high among the squad and he’s confident they can get their season back on track, starting with a win over the Highlanders on Saturday night in Christchurch.
“No, it’s awesome. The group is really well connected, enjoy each other’s company and are desperate to do well. Yeah, there’s been some hiccups, but they’re not catastrophic and there’s a deep determination to turn this around.”
Last weekend’s 29-13 defeat at Eden Park was a hard watch for Crusaders fans with the visitors giving away multiple turnovers.
Penney concedes their preparation for the Blues game could have been better.
He said the coaches and senior players must help the less experienced members of the squad learn to perform consistently.
“Some of these young men are still finding a way to prepare for football at this level,” Penney said.
“It’s about trying to give those without the experience an opportunity to grow and develop and those with the experience the chance to help to teach them.”
George Bell scores for the Crusaders during the Crusaders v Brumbies Super Rugby match at the Apollo Projects Stadium. PhotoSport / John Davidson
The Crusaders defensive efforts also left a lot to be desired against the Blues and Penney said the players have taken ownership for some individual errors.
“Yeah, they were very courageous. In our review process, it’s not an environment where they’re intimidated to say they’ve made a mistake. It creates a learning opportunity and that’s the way we view it and they’ve been awesome on that front.”
The Crusaders host the Highlanders in Christchurch on Saturday night, their third New Zealand derby of the season.
“As a team, as a group, we’ve got some really good strategies around trying to nullify their strengths and expose our strengths as often as we can,” Penney said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
