Tag: crusaders
Blues’ streak ends as Crusaders turn a corner
By Jim Birchall
The Blues bumbled a golden opportunity in Christchurch on Saturday to keep 14-time Super Rugby champion Crusaders out of the playoffs...
Comment: Fisher shows Olympic class
Having missed the Tokyo Olympics because she withdrew from the NZ high-performance programme, it’s a shame paddler Aimee Fisher won’t be able to defend...
Robertson coach supreme
Having coached the Crusaders to their fifth straight Super Rugby crown, following three wins with Canterbury's NPC team, Scott Robertson deserves the top job...
Mo’unga masterclass
Having bamboozled in his half-hour at first-five in the Chiefs dramatic 35-29 Super Rugby Aotearoa win against the Hurricanes, it's astonishing to learn coach...
Super rugby finale: Blues v Crusaders still on..at this stage
The Blues along with fellow Super Rugby Aotearoa partners and NZR are currently assessing the impact of both the Blues-Crusaders and Highlanders-Hurricanes games with...
Agnew’s Angle: Blues have points to prove
Having already clinched their fourth consecutive Super Rugby championship in Christchurch at the weekend against the gutsy Highlanders, the Crusaders will treat this Sunday’s...
Blues send powerful line-up south for top-of-table clash
The Blues have named arguably their strongest team for the top of the table match against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday.
The pack is...
Try-ing times: Rugby’s return scratches itch for sports fans
Sports fans groaned a collective sigh of relief as a truncated version of the NRL season kicked off last weekend.
The sparse stadia were populated...
Ivan’s angle: Gatland’s Chiefs made of the right stuff
Coach Warren Gatland would have relished his Chiefs 25-15 Super Rugby win against Scott Robertson’s champion Crusaders in Hamilton on Saturday night.
It proved his...
OPINION: Combine the top playmakers
Call me crazy but I would like to see the All Blacks combine Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett in the five-eighths before the World...
OPINION: Boult’s catch cup highlight
Trent Boult’s boundary catch to stop Carlos Brathwaite’s match-winning six in the final over at Old Tafford will remain one of the highlights of...
OPINION: Chiefs scrape in
Having scraped into the Super Rugby last eight playoffs in seventh spot, the Chiefs once again showed the courage that has characterised their game.
Written...
OPINION: Crusaders hone champions
No Super Rugby team can match the Crusaders for identifying player talent and honing it to All Black status.
That’s why they’ve got about a...
OPINION: Fans singing the Blues
Three consecutive Super Rugby wins have Blues fans singing their praises, with none better than their gutsy 24-9 home win against the Stormers.
That latest...
Gatland stars blast Irish
In completing a record third Six Nations Grand Slam as Wales rugby coach with an overwhelming 25-7 victory against defending champions Ireland in Cardiff...
OPINION: Nonu and SBW fail to fire
High hopes that the injection of coaches Leon MacDonald and Tom Coventry would lift the Blues out of Super Rugby obscurity are starting to...
Blues have genuine talent
Don’t blame young Harry Plummer for missing a conversion and a penalty which would have saved the Blues from their 24-22 Super Rugby loss...
Akira Ioane chalks up 50th cap for Blues
While just 23 years of age, outstanding No 8 Akira Ioane will celebrate his 50th game for the Blues in Saturday’s Investec Super Rugby opener...
These Wallabies are no bunnies
The overwhelming Super Rugby success of New Zealand teams against Australian franchises won’t necessarily translate to an All Blacks Bledisloe Cup whitewash of the...
Dr Jekyll inspires Warriors
Having played Mister Hyde in being thrashed by the Penrith Panthers in the NRL the previous week, the Warriors took on the mantle of...
Apprehensive All Blacks
With so many players missing so much rugby because of injuries or suspension, the All Blacks have cause to be apprehensive heading into their...
May fortune favour the brave
May boldness be the friend of selectors Steve Hansen, Ian Foster and Grant Fox for including newcomers Jordan Taufua and Shannon Frizell among seven...
‘Razor’ enjoys close shave
With a nick-name 'Razor' it is little wonder that breakdancing Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has a happy knack of surviving close shaves.
And so it...
Likely NZ Super Rugby final
Home advantage should help the Crusaders win their Super Rugby semi-final against the Chiefs on Saturday, but I doubt it will give the Lions...
Beware the Highlanders
Having had the Hurricanes burst their unbeaten bubble in a 31-22 Cake Tin thriller, the Crusaders will be wary hosting the dangerous Highlanders in...