Richard Loe: Crusaders not clawless without McCaw

Richie who? After the kerfuffle about the 'resting' of Richie McCaw, it didn't really matter.

The Crusaders got their act together, got their heads together and combined beautifully together.

I must admit, I was a bit suspicious about Richie's resting in South Africa. After all, he went off the field against the Force with a cut eye and did not return.

Normally, he'd go off, get patched up and come back on but this time he stayed off the field, potentially damaging for the Crusaders in that last 10 minutes or so.

I'd say that is what probably started the tongues wagging about McCaw possibly suffering another of the head knocks that have affected his fitness in the past. It also doesn't make sense to a lot of people taking someone like McCaw on tour and then not playing him.

I spoke to Crusaders coach Robbie Deans last week and he didn't mention Richie having a head knock - but then I guess he wouldn't.

If Richie did turn out to have a head knock, then the form of Johnny Leo'o and Tanerau Latimer would have been a great boost.

I'd go so far as to say that I wouldn't mind who the Crusaders played against without McCaw - as long as they played like that.

The Crusaders were faster, more accurate, more disciplined and so effective in the tackle area that they just blew away the Bulls. They didn't mess themselves up with penalties at the tackled ball but just put enormous pressure on the Bulls, who couldn't handle it. The score of 35-3 - the Bulls scored twice in the last 15 minutes - told the story.

They had them in the loose, in the rucks and mauls and in the scrums and it was really only the lineouts they didn't dominate.

The kind of performance they produced up front was good for the loosies, of course, and Leo'o was excellent. Latimer showed the running skills that have seen him do well at sevens and his ability to support the ball carrier saw him pop up to score twice.

And, not just that, he did well at the breakdown. Mose Tuiali'i also had a fine game and did his All Black chances no harm.

So you'd have to say that Richie may not be missed as much as everyone thought, if they can play like that. I'd also emphasise to the conspiracy theorists that Robbie Deans is not a coach to play with a player's future like that. Don't forget, too, that Richie has been very open in the past about his head knocks and has been quick to say when he's right and when he isn't.

But, Richie or no Richie, welcome back to the real Crusaders and if Richie is indeed a bit flat, as Robbie has been saying, this performance will have pumped him up plenty.