Inga Tuigamala: Crusaders' overreaction may backfire

Kahn Fotuali'i. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

I admire the Crusaders for taking a stand over halfback Kahn Fotuali'i and yet I also think they have gone too far - for their own good - by dropping him completely for the vital final-round clash against the Brumbies.

From what we have been told, the Fotuali'i transgression involved a "minor" situation around alcohol and not following recovery procedure correctly after the loss to the Bulls.

Yes, by all means leave him on the bench, and tell him that he was not a contender to start. That sends Fotuali'i a message and reinforces the need for discipline to the team. Maybe other measures could be taken.

But the management are calling this a minor incident, and this is a massive game for the players and franchise. In my opinion, the Crusaders are dicing with disaster - there are no second chances and you need to have your best team out there. The fans also deserve that. What happens if Andy Ellis is injured early on, and the inexperienced Willi Heinz is thrust into such a vital position for most of the match. A risky business.

I say this not knowing the full story about what happened, but as I said, the Crusaders themselves make it clear that it was a minor incident.

As for the Bulls fielding a second-string team against the Stormers, they are well within their rights, having already clinched top spot.

I would do exactly the same thing.

It not only saves their top players for the semifinal, but is actually a good chance to give their lesser players vital match time. If it works for them and South African rugby in other ways, so be it. That is the hard won advantage of cleaning up during the season.

A Stormers' victory seems inevitable though - this Bulls lineup will have no chance in Cape Town.

That makes it likely that the Bulls and Stormers will finish in the top two places, meaning South Africa is well placed to keep the title on their shores again.

I am sure the Crusaders will beat the Brumbies. The Crusaders and Bulls are the competition's best teams in the tight, pressure situations.

However, the Hurricanes will probably struggle to do the job in Sydney.

With coach Colin Cooper at the end of his reign, the team will have extra motivation to keep their season going. And they have reasons for some optimism from their recent form.

But the Waratahs have been a clinical and cynical team and backed by their home crowd, will probably be too good for this Hurricanes side.

So that's my semifinal lineup: Bulls, Stormers, Waratahs and Crusaders.