Opinion - Enjoyed the Crusaders win last night? It's likely we haven't seen the last of Scott Robertson's victory breakdance.
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson break dances at the end of the match. Crusaders v Lions, Super Rugby Final. Photo: Photosport
The 37-18 win over the Lions last night at AMI Stadium was a predictably one-sided affair. So much so, in fact, that the reigning champs were nice enough to let the South Africans have plenty of possession and territory to make a game of it for the first 20 minutes.
But instead of it being a fast start by the visitors, it was obvious it was just the Crusaders lulling the Lions into a very false sense of security.
By half-time the game was as good as gone, thanks to a bulldozing run by Seta Tamanivalu and slick finish by David Havili. Richie Mo'unga was continuing his dream run of form, setting up the second try and making everything work with precision.
While the Lions did claw back a bit of respectability with a couple of tries, they were more by accident than design. Cyle Brink's run wasn't supposed to be more than five or so metres before he set up quick ruck ball, but ended up diving over the line. Malcolm Marx's try was basically the only thing he did of note during the game, despite being the most talked about player in the team.
It was fitting that the Crusaders bookended the win with two more stunning tries, which both came off the back of some seriously good rugby. Mitch Drummond and Scott Barrett both benefited from stunningly effective passing and recycled possession.
Scott Robertson on his break-dancing to me back in Feb: "I’m fortunate that I’ve got a bit of rhythm, so when the old-school tunes would get cranked up I used to hit the floor.
— Ben Coles (@bencoles_) August 4, 2018
“The boys called me out after one of the Canterbury finals, and I’m not shy!" pic.twitter.com/dfE4tLRCA8
In the end, it may as well have been a 50-point margin. The much maligned AMI Stadium was full, and fans got to see their team hoist the Super Rugby trophy at home for the first time in a decade.
But the roots of this win go back a long way. Back to last year, when the team dropped only one game on the way to winning the title in Johannesburg, to earlier this year, when they found themselves with two losses in a row to the fancied Hurricanes and fired up Highlanders.
But that was the last time they'd taste defeat, going on a run that secured them complete home field advantage in the finals.
Photo: Photosport
Robertson has put together a squad built on talent and desire, and it isn't going to change much in the future.
The most notable player that has already signalled his intentions to leave is veteran prop Wyatt Crockett, and it's because he's retiring. Tamanivalu is also off, after resurrecting his career as a winger after playing in the Chiefs' midfield. Key players, like Codie Taylor, Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read, Bryn Hall, Mo'unga, Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue, are on Northern Hemisphere wish rather than shopping lists, because there's no way NZ Rugby is letting them go anywhere. Not that they'd want to if they can just keep winning titles.
Compare that to the rest of the New Zealand teams. The Hurricanes have lost Brad Shields and Julian Savea. The Chiefs said goodbye to Charlie Ngatai and Liam Messam. The Highlanders farewelled Lima Sopoaga. The Blues...well they've got enough problems as it is.
The immediate aftermath of the game saw Northern Hemisphere pundits call for a match between the Crusaders and European champions Leinster. That's pretty laughable, considering it would be likely that the Crusaders could win the 6 Nations right now, let alone a one-off game against an Irish provincial side.
Crusaders would kill them. Not even close.
— Alex Broun (@alexanderbroun) August 4, 2018
While they haven't built a stadium in Christchurch, they've definitely built the team to make the region proud. It's another title, and only a day after the season has ended, they're the favourites to do it for a third time in a row next year.
The only thing concerning Scott Robertson is whether or not his knees can hold out for the 2019 breakdance.
