Crusaders coach Scott Robertson (L) and Blues coach Leon MacDonald (R). Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson (L) and Blues coach Leon MacDonald (R). Photo / Photosport.co.nz
OPINION:
Hold all bets.
Anyone who says they know for sure who'll win the Super Rugby Pacific final at Eden Park is dreaming, kidding, or chasing clicks online.
The TAB fractionally favours the Blues, $1.80 for the win to the Crusaders' $1.92. Here's why I think it's an even-moneypunt.
Home ground advantage? Eden Park will be packed, and quite rightly Auckland fans love the Blues again. So a great atmosphere for the Blues, but hardly an issue for the Crusaders, who started the Razor Robertson era in 2017 by beating the Lions at a sold out Ellis Park in Johannesburg, where the locals give new meaning to the word fanatical. Nine of that class of '17 will be at Eden Park.
Game breakers? Beauden Barrett has been a miracle man for the Blues, and there's inspiration too in the blistering speed and line breaking skills of Rieko Ioane and Mark Telea, while Tom Robinson shows week after week how nobody in our rugby brings more heart and soul to the game. For the Crusaders, Richie Mo'unga is in stunning form, while Will Jordan has been the best player in New Zealand this year. Jordan reminds me of the great All Black of the 1970s Bruce Robertson, and I can't offer any higher praise.
Set pieces? The two best scrums in Super Rugby. They'll be scarily competitive, and it may come down to what referee Ben O'Keeffe believes he's seeing on the night. In the lineouts the Blues have a raft of excellent options, but Crusaders coach Robertson may be right when he says the best lineout loose forward in the country is Cullen Grace.
Goal kicking? Stephen Perofeta has been a machine for the Blues, but in freezing, wet, windy conditions last week against the Chiefs Mo'unga kicked four out of five, and his miss skimmed the upright.
Will Jordan from The Crusaders is tackled by Finlay Christie from the Blues. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Finals experience? Mo'unga steered the Crusaders to four straight wins from 2017, but Barrett has a title notch on his belt too. He scored 15 of his side's points when the Hurricanes beat the Lions in Wellington in the 20-3 in the 2016 final.
The coaches? Robertson and Blues coach Leon MacDonald first played together for Canterbury in 1996. They've been in three title-winning Crusaders teams, and MacDonald was Robertson's assistant coach at the Crusaders in 2017. These two are totally aware of each other's strengths, and will be trawling through their memory banks for any possible weaknesses. They're both highly likeable, decent, straight-shooting men. MacDonald, like every other coach in rugby, presents as fairly reserved compared to the wonderful exuberance of Robertson, but they share a white-hot will to win. Their battle of the minds is a fascinating sidebar to the night.
In summary... Pray the rain holds off, and we see the dazzling skills both teams can offer. And please don't mortgage the house if you do have a bet on the game.
Bennett's mixed bag against the All Blacks
Phil Bennett, the former Welsh and Lions flyhalf, who died during the week aged 73, is often underrated by New Zealanders.
In 1973 for the Barbarians in Cardiff he sparked the greatest try scored against the All Blacks. He was born to run, not kick, and was a better all-round player than the much-lauded Barry John.
However it was Bennett's misfortune to be the captain in 1977 of the most disliked Lions team to tour New Zealand. They snubbed other teams at after-match functions, had a manager, George Burrell, who was almost a comedy caricature of a curmudgeonly Scotsman, and they suffered through the wettest winter here for decades. Bennett, a quiet, modest man, was weighed down by the mud and misfortune.
But early in the '73 Barbarians game he had showed why he was revered in Britain. Just 10 metres from his own line he caught a kick ahead by All Black wing Bryan Williams, stepped to the left, twirled and stranded three All Black tacklers, stepped left again past Ian Kirkpatrick, and passed to his fullback JPR Williams. Five passes later, halfback Gareth Edwards was scoring one of the greatest tries of all time. The ball was in Bennett's hands for just five seconds. In my book, what he did in that time was a perfect example of why he deserves his status as a great of the game.
