As the Blues bumbled their way to their loss to the Chiefs at Eden Park, it became increasingly clear that for all of Aaron Cruden's coolness and Anton Lienert-Brown's midfield power which sparked the visitors' comeback what Leon MacDonald's men are lacking most of all is leadership.
They have lost a lot of experience in the departures of Sonny Bill Williams (who admittedly played only a dozen games for them over the last two seasons), Ma'a Nonu and even Melani Nanai, but contrast their lack of direction with the way new Crusaders' players constantly perform with poise and intelligence despite their relative youth.
The Crusaders made their bonus point victory over the Waratahs in Nelson appear so easy at times it was similarly easy to forget they were playing without Owen Franks, Sam Whitelock, Matt Todd, Kieran Read, Jordan Taufua and Ryan Crotty.
The defending champions again looked so enthusiastic with and without the ball that their supporters might again be looking towards the final in June with a good degree of comfort but, perhaps more crucially, they all seem to have the ability to weigh up options and generally execute the right one with a speed and accuracy that few can muster at the Blues, regardless of experience. That comes from good coaching off the pitch but also certain expectations from those on it.
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