If ever an example was needed, to highlight how some players from outside of the region thrived in the Crusaders environment, then one needs look no further than North Harbour No 8 Ron Cribb. Rated in the highly promising category after an impressive first domestic campaign at provincial level in 1998, Cribb first ventured south as a replacement in 1999, but it was a year later that he really took the Crusaders and the country by storm. In 2000, the athletic No 8 appeared in all 13 matches played by the Crusaders, with his tally of seven tries being bettered only by the speed men Marika Vunibaka and Caleb Ralph. Critically the West Aucklander, who hailed from the Massey club, bagged the Crusaders’ only try during the epic 20-19 victory over the ACT Brumbies in that year’s final. The following day, Cribb was named as an All Black for the first time.