Well, we’re into the season now and have experienced two tight finishes in two matches. We got the better of the Chiefs in round one but lost right at the death against the Brumbies on Saturday.

The boys would have learned a lot from both matches.

It was great to see them get the win first up against the Chiefs despite making a few mistakes. The players made more errors against the Brumbies but we couldn’t fault their endeavour. The defence was simply outstanding and they showed a lot of heart – especially in the second half where we seemed to be defending the whole time.

The new guys have really stood up and have made us all proud. Colin Slade is going very well at first five-eighth, Thomas Waldrom has fitted in well at No8 and I’ve been impressed with Jared Payne on the wing.

We have been unlucky with injuries. Corey Flynn re-broke his left arm against the Brumbies and is likely to be out for the rest of the season and Andy Ellis sprained his ankle in the same match.

Skipper Richie McCaw, lock Brad Thorn and fullback Leon MacDonald didn’t travel to Canberra due to their injuries and that is a lot of experience missing.

However, I was really happy with how George Whitelock came in at flanker, Isaac Ross at lock and Stephen Brett at fullback. They took their opportunities well and that bodes well for the future.

Injuries are just part of the game and we’ll never use them as an excuse for not performing well. We have every confidence in all the players in the Crusaders squad.

We have a short turnaround now before the Hurricanes game at AMI Stadium on Friday night. The boys are eager to put into practice the lessons learned in the defeat to the Brumbies. It’s obvious that we have to keep hold of the ball and put a bit of sustained pressure on the opposition.

The Hurricanes are a dangerous side and we can’t give them any room to move. Our defensive systems will again have to be spot on.

Thanks to all the Crusaders fans for all your support so far this season. We really appreciate it and we look forward to seeing you at AMI Stadium or at our away matches.

Todd Blackadder
Crusaders Head Coach