Rob Penney and David Havili: Crusaders Coach and Captain following the team's victory over the Waratahs

The Crusaders claimed victory over the Waratahs Friday night, beating them 48-33 in Sydney. 

It was a potentially sticky game for the Crusaders, however a powerful first half meant the ‘Tahs were left chasing the game. 

Coach Rob Penney and Captain David Havili spoke to the media following the win. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
I'm just proud of the boys the if they put
in they got the rewards. Yeah, really pleasing for the group.
Had a wee bit of disruption during the week, short
turnaround and to come here. The Tars have been good
all year at home and yeah wrapped. I think everyone's
capable of beating everyone if you're just to weave it off.

(00:21):
And we talked about that earlier in the week led
by Davy and the leadership group about making sure that
you know the focuses in the right areas and they've
done a great job and got rewarded for it, which
is great Australian next to Australian ten for the line series. Yeah. No,
he's great value for us. He's awesome both on and

(00:43):
off of park in every way. You just he's committed
to the Crusaders beautifully and the boys are committed to
him and he's you know, it's one of the great
things about Foot, isn't it. He's come across and adopted
the value he's in the standards at the Crusader's Hold
and he's adding value to the group every day.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
From the first day I met him, Like, he's a
really warm and welcoming person. And he's just brings a
lot of great energy to the team and he was
awesome for our young teams. Obviously Tasman injured but likes
the Rivers having their coming influence around our team is
just great. And you know he's been around the world,
played in massive games, big stadiums, and he knows what
it's about. So it's great his experience. I see it

(01:28):
every day. I think him being able to come on
and finish games. This is exactly what you need in
big test matches. You know, he's been there, done it before,
and certainly fast fooking the TMVB there. He's just a
great person having your team like regardless of the rugby
or the factor, he's just got a great mind on him.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
David the legends played outside him a fair bit now
and he's just endorsed him boots and all. So certainly
from all the things that a coach wants from your player,
he's terrific value. Oh, it's extremely You have to go
to the you know, to your whole squad time time again.

(02:06):
It's a robust competition. It's been really well put together
and the durability of the group that she has really
held us in good stead. We've been really comfortable leaving
a couple of boys behind on occasion to freshen them
up and also to be able to expose others. So
we're expanding the depth and breadth of the group all

(02:28):
the time, and we're going to have to have to
go to the group over the next five or six
weeks as well.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
So yeah, really important for us to bounce back. I
think if you look back in history, Crusaders haven't traveled
well and played that well in Sydney, So we wanted
to acknowledge that and knew we had to come with
the mindset that they're going to be physical, and I
think the start tonight really helped us in that way.
And your low probably said there's a few disruptions of
a few injuries late in the peace with us, But

(02:56):
I'm just really happy for our young boys that stepped
in Taylor, who said cool to these guys getting a
lot of experience at this this level. So it's awesome
to have that in our big pocket. With those boys
coming on.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
They were just a little bit off in the first half,
came out steaming in the second. We took advantage of
that though, and you know, it's a credit to us.
It's very hard to say whether it was because of
our abilities that they weren't able to get access to
the game, but I certainly wasn't surprised by our performance.
We've got a quality side and we're growing all the time,

(03:31):
and it's it's just exciting to see it all unfold.
I think that it's not about me, like it's never
has been for me. My heartbreak was in the boys,
in the look on their faces last year and in
the despair of not being able to have success. Obviously,
the joys of the other way around. Now that the
success is coming and they've earned the right to feel

(03:53):
really good about their performances because they've worked bloody hard
in the off season and into now and it's, yeah,
it's just a joy. And I think all the staff
are really just so proud of what the group's being
able to do and they've earned the right to feel
that way. They've We'll come back to you, Sibby reus
equaled the all types of rugby Plastomas Ford just to

(04:14):
work on how like this. He's obviously been doing it
for a long time, but to gams get this recal,
what does that mean? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Pretty special, like he's obviously got the main keelf his back,
Like he went on a dry streak for about four
or five games, So look, you know Sue has been
doing it for a long time now and he's a Yeah,
I guess he's an energizer bunny for us when he's
out there, and he's just such a key cog now
our berg will so having him out there and yeah him,
I guess equally that's pretty cool and pretty special for

(04:42):
him when he doesn't dry spell for those four or
five weeks as a playing group, then he didn't the
stick for one hundred. You want to be scoring, try that.
We'll give him an assists at least, But yeah, he was.
He was just definitely due and he slid over tonight.
So yeah, something we previewed throughout the week. We knew
that they were a side that gets let you in defense,

(05:05):
so we want to be able to shore up at
edge where we can pack them off on the edge.
And I think Johny McNichol did that well, you've seen
him skip through a couple of tackles. But in saying that, like,
there are physical side, so you have to move them
around and if you play with their strength and trying
to go through the middle like Si Gleason Lioda. They
really put you under a lot of pressure, so we

(05:25):
wanted to move them around, move their big men, and
then you have been able to swear those tries on
the edge.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
A touch disappointed in the second Standzap a couple of
young blokes in there earning their stripes. So George Bell
hasn't played for fifteen odd weeks, so great to get
him back in the middle and he'll be much better

(05:53):
for it, scrummaging as much as anything else, just getting
that feelback. So yeah, it'll be a nice little focus
point for us heating into next week against the Highlanders,
who are very unlucky to sit this evening.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
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Speaker 1 (06:11):
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