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Sluggish ticket sales for the defending Super 14 rugby champions' first home game against Queensland has prompted Crusaders and Canterbury legend Todd Blackadder to ponder whether red and black fans are the new Aucklanders.
Blackadder, now on the Crusaders coaching staff after a stint in Scotland and now new Air New Zealand Cup province Tasman, has sought to needle locals into action at Jade Stadium on Saturday.
He questioned whether years of success had seen the Canterbury faithful adopt the same psyche as Auckland supporters during the mind-1990s.
The talismanic skipper, who led the Crusaders to three Super 12 final victories away from home, feared the rot was setting in when Jade Stadium was barely over half full when Canterbury forfeited the Ranfurly Shield to North Harbour last year.
He was also disappointed at empty spaces during the latter stages of the Crusaders' march to their sixth crown, notably the semifinal against the Bulls.
"I was really disappointed when I saw that. That's not the Canterbury and Crusaders public that I remember," he said.
"I'd hate to think that Canterbury and Crusaders people have got blase about the game because of all the success that we've had in the last few years.
"If that's the case, it would be a lot like the situation used to be in Auckland when they were dominant.
"That would be sad because we have always seen ourselves as being more passionate about our team and our sport than that.
"That sort of attitude fails to take into account all of the hard work that has gone in -- both on and off the pitch -- to raise Canterbury and the Crusaders into the positions that they both currently sit today."
About 11,000 tickets have been pre-sold for the Reds match as the impact of the absence of seven All Blacks evidently takes hold.
Queensland will arrive in a buoyant mood after seeing off the Hurricanes 25-16 in Brisbane last weekend, prompting Blackadder to believe a depleted Crusaders side -- who dropped their opener 25-34 to the Blues at Eden Park -- could be vulnerable as they seek to extend their undefeated home record to 22 matches.
"We've got a few inexperienced guys on board and in a situation like that, you've got to make home advantage work for you," he said.
"We need to have a huge crowd down at the park roaring the boys on. Not only does it lift our guys, it also adds to the intimidation facing the opposition, and that's bloody important. It wouldn't be overstating it to say that the Jade Stadium crowd was often the difference for us in the early days."
- NZPA
