Such was Michael Paterson’s impact in his first Rebel Sport Super 14 campaign; he ended up playing in all but one of the final 11 matches of the 2007 Crusade. Paterson then overcame injury to feature in the last seven matches played by Canterbury in the Air New Zealand Cup, earning his provincial blazer (for passing 12 appearances) in the process. The Christ’s College old boy was steered into the forwards by foundation Crusaders coach Vance Stewart, in the former All Black lock forward’s role as the rugby master at the school, after Paterson had originally started off his rugby life as a midfield back. Raised in a rural setting at Hororata in central Canterbury, Paterson was a New Zealand Under-21 representative in 2006 and then made his Canterbury debut in the Air New Zealand Cup later that year. In 2009, Paterson made his first start of the season against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein at blindside flanker.