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THE PRESS, Christchurch Wednesday, May 16, 2012 SPORT B17 RUGBY Trying times for the Crusaders Why has the Crusaders’ attack been so anaemic this season? Senior sports writer TONY SMITH investigates. Tony Smith Daryl Gibson: ‘‘The boys want to get back to the way they were – he dormant Crusa- being dangerous with the ball in ders simply must hand.’’ grab a four-try bonus point But, it’s further out where against the be- the Crusaders need their Tleaguered Blues on Saturday finishers firing. to reignite their anaemic Fruean is a ferocious attack. threat but he can’t do it alone Coaches Todd Blackadder and needs to work on shifting and Daryl Gibson have, the ball to the back three. arguably, the most gifted Gibson agrees the backline in the Super 15. Crusaders have probably Their side is stacked with missed Sonny Bill Williams, World Cup champion All who is carving up at the Blacks. Yet, in 11 games this Chiefs. Williams scored just season, the Crusaders have four tries in Crusaders scored just 23 tries – compared colours but he attracted with 40 at the same juncture defenders like moths to a last year. flame and created oodles of It’s always difficult com- openings for his outsides. paring campaigns in rugby Another key ingredient in because of personnel and rule the Crusaders’ offensive interpretation changes and recipe has been in short subsequent tactical tweaking. supply this season. But, that caveat aside, at Gibson says the Crusaders this point last year, the Rare touchdown: Israel Dagg scores in the tackle of the Hurricanes’ Andre Taylor last month. The Crusaders have lost their attacking mojo, however, scoring only one try in their last two outings. Photo: PHOTOSPORT ‘‘used to, in the last three Crusaders had scored 40 tries years, score a lot of tries from in 11 matches for a total of 323 turnover ball’’. His charges points for and 212 against. are playing a more structured They had racked up five four- style this year and he says try bonus points. ‘‘the way the law’s being In a heady three-game Cut errors and get basics right, says Dagg refereed’’ has made turnover streak, they notched six tries ball harder to get. against the Brumbies, six Matt Richens franchise that’s had a lot of the last two outings. They sit and they’re playing that ‘‘We’re doing really well in more against the Highlanders success and they pride You watch the Chiefs play and they’re ninth equal in tries scored, exciting brand of rugby and that department and we’re and five in their Twickenham Israel Dagg thinks the themselves on playing good with just 23, and sixth for you can see Wayne Smith in getting the ball off kicks and triumph against the Sharks. Crusaders have temporarily rugby. So to go out there and playing that exciting brand of rugby and you average points per game with that team all over. We want to such, but certainly nowhere They later managed four lost their mojo, but says there do what we’ve done is pretty ‘ can see Wayne Smith in that team all over. 26.1. get that back into our game, to near the strike rate that we’ve tries against the Chiefs and is an easy solution. appalling,’’ he said. For an attacking fullback start running it and to start had in previous seasons.’’ five against the Western Force The fullback this week said ‘‘But we’ve just got to use it We want to get that back into our game, to like Dagg, those stats clearly having fun.’’ Back-three men Maitland, before the blitz slowed after getting back to basics, having as motivation and get out start running it and to start having fun. grate. And they might well Playing a team with just Dagg and Zac Guildford are serious injuries to top a bit of fun and not kicking there on Saturday and tear have caused a major strategic two wins and stuck in 14th ‘‘highly instinctive’’ players finishers Sean Maitland and away so much possession apart these Blues.’’ Israel Dagg shift inside Crusaders camp. place in the 15-team who ‘‘thrive on loose play’’, Israel Dagg. Yet Maitland still would all help the Crusaders He said the best way to ‘‘We haven’t had those competition would normally Gibson says. finished equal top-try scorer re-establish themselves as one wipe the Melbourne game mediocrity out there and outs like miracle balls and low opportunities and haven’t be the ideal scenario, but He acknowledges defensive in the 2011 Super 15 with nine of the top teams in Super from his memory and move doesn’t play to their percentage plays. held the ball for long enough Dagg said the Blues would not systems have evolved over the touchdowns. Dagg supplied Rugby. on would be to right the many potential?’ ’’ ‘‘We need to do the basics and we’ve kind of started be taken lightly. last 10 years, particularly at seven and Robbie Fruean six. On their last three perfor- wrongs that have slipped into He said the side had been well, but it all comes down to thinking we might be kicking With nothing to play for set pieces, ‘‘though not to the Don’t forget, too, that the mances, they’ve been far from the seven-times champions’ guilty of trying to do too much our mental attitude; we all it too much now,’’ Dagg said. but pride and ‘‘X-factor extent that they are Crusaders spent all of last it, but Dagg predicted the 28-19 game. too soon both as individuals know how to play rugby.’’ He and his team-mates are players all over the park’’ the dominating games’’. season on the road, playing loss to the Melbourne Rebels ‘‘You just have to take a and as a team. After 11 rounds, the looking at what would have Blues had plenty of But he doesn’t resile from away from their spiritual last Saturday was all the mo- look at yourself and say, ‘what Basic errors were stopping Crusaders have scored just once been the most unlikely of ammunition to embarrass the the fact that the Crusaders’ home in earthquake-ravaged tivation the players needed. was that? Am I that person, the side building pressure so two four-try bonus points and places for inspiration. Crusaders if they were management and players are Christchurch. ‘‘We’re playing for a am I that guy that shows they were searching for easy crossed the line just once in ‘‘You watch the Chiefs play allowed to. ‘‘clearly not happy with the Now they have a spanking way we’re playing’’. new stadium and play home ‘‘A lot of our individuals games before sellout crowds. 2012 – achieved in back-to- strategists in the competition Crusaders have ‘‘probably lineout were flawless against 2012 to make territorial gains. Super 15 start and his goal are not playing near their Yet, in 2012, the Crusaders back wins over the – Reds supremo Ewen McKen- done a full circle around our the Rebels after letting their ‘‘Strategically, we have kicking strike-rate is about 90 best. It’s something they’re have crossed the chalk 23 Hurricanes and Waratahs zie and Rebels’ defensive guru attack’’. standards slip in the streaky modified what we do in our per cent. Carter looked to be working through themselves. times in 11 games and have when they scored five and John Muggleton? ‘‘We started off with quite try-less win over the Reds. area. Previously, we’ve run a back to his best with some They need to get back to their scored just one try in their four tries, respectively. The seven-time champions expansive ideas but as the But they have been bashed lot more than what we’re sniping runs against the Reds, best play to ensure we’re last two matches. They have It looked then that the certainly still reap respect season’s progressed and at the breakdown in the last doing at the moment. So, but was uncharacteristically doing the business.’’ scored 287 points and con- floodgates had opened. from their rivals. But do the trends have become apparent, two games with the capitu- we’re working out ways of anonymous in Melbourne. ‘‘The boys want to get back ceded 245. Finally. But somehow they’ve Crusaders still engender the we’ve tightened up a little. lation in Melbourne eerily trying to get a good balance Taylor was replaced after to the way they were – being The Addington Stadium since contrived to turn off the same fear? ‘‘The game, we’ve realised reminiscent of last year’s loss between kicking and run- 58 minutes as a precautionary dangerous with the ball in faithful have seen just five locks at the canal stocks. Only over the last few weeks, is a to the Highlanders in Nelson. ning.’’ measure after experiencing hand. The more we can em- tries in three games – three of Fruean – who has already o-one is more frustra- really simple one and the The Crusaders rested key The Crusaders set out their tightness in his right thigh. If phasise that at training, it will them against the Cheetahs. equalled his 2011 season tally ted at the Crusaders’ principles are the same. players against the Rebels yet stall from the Cheetahs game he’s fit for the Blues game, it come through in the game.’’ That’s the sort of statistic that with six tries – can be content Nlack of finish than You’ve got to win your set- the replacements could not be when they paired Tom Taylor may be time for he and Carter Gibson is confident all it would leave British scribes with his strike rate to date.

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