February 25, 2026 • 10 mins
The Crusaders have struggled to get their 2026 Super Rugby title defence up and running after slumping to 0-2 following defeats to the Highlanders and the Brumbies.
Rob Penney is the head coach of the Crusaders and he joined D'Arcy to discuss what's been going wrong for the franchise.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Crusaders have had a difficult start. Difficult for them, not
very difficult for anyone else'side them and the Crusaders fans.
I think most people have been cheering at this unlikely
start from the reigning champions lost their first two games.
One of those two games is last week a. I
(00:33):
can't say this a record breaking defeat.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
That probably Christ yet.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Fifty twenty four. It's on Sunday. My poor daughter was
trying to bake in the kitchen and all she could
hear me he was screaming, are you all right? Dad?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
No?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
That goes on. Still A fan, Rob Penny joins us.
Now he's the head coach of the Crusader. He's going
to discuss what's been going all right for this juggernaut franchise.
Good e, Rob, how are you?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You're not too bad? Things good?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Good? It hasn't been the best start to the season.
That's probably an understatement. So in your role, what do
you do now to set a fire under your players
ahead of this Chiefs gaming? God doesn't get any easier
this season, does it. The way it's formulated.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Oh no, it's you know, it's a challenging competition always. Well,
we were two minutes away from winning down in the Highlanders,
and you know we were ten points off the Brumbies
with ten to go, with five to go. Actually, so
we feel as though we're not far away. I don't
think there's a need to have a fire under as
you've explained, but certainly we need to improve in some areas,
(01:41):
and the caliber of people we've got we're eminently capable
of doing that.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
The primary area for improvement. What have you been focusing
on this week? Role?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I'm just being able to apply pressure through building sets
and completing sets on our terms. That's our number one frustration.
We've got some hiccups in our line out too, which
hasn't functioned as efficiently as we would like. But primarily
it's just our inability to maintain pressure for long periods
of time and you just can't do it at This is.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Just an attitude change. There's nothing you can coach into
your players around what they need to do to I
suppose put a torner kut on that.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
We're coaching it all the time. You know, the skills
of the game, you just need repetitions, and but it's
you know, when you're at a level at small margins
and you know the we margins haven't gone our way
at the moment, and we're not helping ourselves, as we say,
by too many eras.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
You said that every game is a tough game and
super rugby, and it is that the start you've got
to the season, she's pretty high caliber. Isn't it not
suggest that that's not a bad way to start? The
results haven't quite gone your way, but mess to get
all this out of the way, so come mid season,
you guys should be pumping right.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Well, we play there, We play all the New Zealand
teams twice obviously, so we don't you know, we drop
feed the Derby games all the way through, which is
they're always challenging, massive occasions, and we ended up having
it out because of the bakries of the drawer. We've
got Highlanders round one and then hid Highlanders round five
and then Hurricanes back end and punctuated with Chiefs and
(03:21):
Blues all the way through. So even though it looks
on paper that we you know, we've got a quite
a robust start to the year, and we have, but
it really is. The whole season's going to be up
and prepared.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
But everybody had to get you as well, right right,
because the champions last year. See, I can't say this.
Everyone's got a target on their back and super rugby
with the champion or the wooden spooner.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, well, I think because of the way history has
been written, crusaders tend to have it a bit more.
Everyone gets up for us, it doesn't matter who they are,
and that can make challenges of its own, but I'd
rather that way than any other.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You've made some changes injury enforced and mister Enol's been
given the afternoon off. So the changes there, I mean
with Cody Taylor and the problems he had within the
line out, this is maybe a lot on Bell to
come in and try and turn that. How instrumental has
(04:19):
he been involved in trying to tweak what happened in
the line out?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Well, they're all intimately involved. I mean the hawks obviously
that the commences it with his throw, and then it's
the coordination between the jumpers and the lifters and the
delivery post that. So it's quite a complex set of
things that you need to get right to have an
efficient lineout, but Bally's world class. We've got Moa Luthuru
(04:45):
who's also very classy under twenties representative, excited about his
future and poor codes. He's just taking a couple of
knocks and we just think it's the best thing for
him just to sit this one out. He's got some
very tender ribs, but he wouldn't have been far away.
We could have gone through had we desperately needed him,
but we were going to back some of the young guys.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Tell him to take the weekend off. You wouldn't like
that very much. What are you wrong?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
No, no, no, He's committed, a committed football player and a
champion bloke and we love having him about. But also
it's a great opportunity to bring Monamara and give him
a crack.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What can you tell us about him?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I always New Zealand twenties captain, highly regarded, a very
stable young man, got massive leadership qualities and you know
he's just been embraced by everyone. He was around last
year as our wider training group and then coming into
the group this year is just it'd be worth his
weight in gold.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
You've made adjustments in the front row to mighty Williams
getting back right from the start. That's going to be
uplifting for everybody. And I'm sure muzzling him now is
going to be impossible. He's going to want to come
right at it.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah yeah, well all our front row boys. We're blessed
with the quality of people we've got in that. So
tomight he comes in for his what will be his
first start, and that's that's awesome to get him back
and Joe bows on the bench after getting a run
on for the development against the Hurricanes. We had a
couple of all Black tight heads and their development team
last week. Some good foot he being had at both
(06:18):
levels of development and in the top level, and yeah,
they get an opportunity this week.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
It's the fun and if you are getting a run
in there, Brandon enaw is out all this conversation about
him maybe playing a double role. Would I get the
scenes that you're happy with him in the midfield and
if he needs to go loose, he will, but primarily
this is his role. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, there's been lots of discussions around what his best
places in the future. It is, as you know, he's
been away for a couple of years, embracing the red
Wine of France and been planning some exceptional football and
we are to do the right thing by him and
try to set them up to be the best footballer
he can be. And that's in the dirteen jersey at
the moment for us, and hopefully that'll be a stepping
(07:02):
stone for bigger things. At the back end of the comp.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
You've plenty got the Chiefs. It's a way it's up there,
very difficult for you to worry about what they bring
to the part. Do you even like a quiet eye
on possible weaknesses within this side, do you look to
me area where maybe you can be incisive pushed through.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Well, we know we can be competitive when we get
things right, and you know we'll be looking to do that.
The group that we've got, highly talented Chiefs, highly talented.
We found it really hard to win up there for
a long period. I think seven occasions Crusader's won two.
One of them was a final. So you know, the
winds up there have been few and far between, just
(07:47):
because the Chiefs are such a complete side and talented side,
and you know we'll have to be right on to
be able to compete with it. And then, as I
said before, you know, it's just taking those moments that
arise because they all matter and it's really important that
we start to get some runs on the board.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
He said earlier, Rob, than you well with an Achille
of the Hilanders. Yes, with the Brumbies last week, maybe
not so close, but that last ten fifteen minutes. Can
you put your finger on exactly what happened? From a
bystander's point of view watching it, it almost looked like
the Brumbies threw a chaos theory at you and the
(08:26):
team found it really difficult to read what they're up to?
Was that too simplistic? Rob?
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Well, no, They've got a very talented particularly they're back
three and they're always dangerous. I guess the simple answer
is plan into the wind. We ended up making one
hundred and eighty five tackles, which is almost a game tally.
We defended beautifully for long periods and then inexplicably we
would have individuals missing tackles that they would normally make,
(08:54):
and the Brumbie scored a couple of quite soft ones
on the back of it in the first half, so
they went into half time ahead, albeit not by March,
and then it was a good contest, although we were
still really quite inefficient with our attack. Our defense was growing.
But I think the last and it was more like
the last seven eight minutes where the Brumbies ran in
(09:16):
two tries, and I just think the culmination that one
hundred and eighty five tackles in the first half and
our inability to build pressure so that we were chasing
our tails a bit just caused us to get a
bit leg weary. And you know, the Brumbies on the
on the counter turnover ball, we were, as I said,
(09:36):
we weren't able to maintain any pressure with it, so
we spilled a couple out of rucks. One off the
high ball got potentially knocked on, but that wasn't called
into the hands of a Brumbye who galloped fifty odd
to score. And those moments occur. You know, we're still
finding our way a little bit with some of the
new interpretations. I think we're all seeing the fact that
(09:57):
tmos aren't coming in at all for anything. Probably that's
a rejoice, but it does, I guess, create a lot
of ball and play and a lot of time where
you just got to be on the whole time because
the whistle doesn't go a lot. Yeah, we're just I
guess still adjusting. So a long winded way to say, Look,
we made a lot of eras, we made a lot
of tear cales. We feel as though we're not far away.
(10:19):
We get some parts of our game right, will be
back in the hunt, getting.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
The teeth to connect in your gearbox to gel if
youel as opposed to grind and we're looking forward to it,
it's going to be a massive game. Chief fee Crusaders
are coming up on Saturday night. Rob Penny, thanks very
much for joining us.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Pleasure For more from sports Talk, listen live to News
Talks it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Crusaders have had a difficult start. Difficult for them, not
very difficult for anyone else'side them and the Crusaders fans.
I think most people have been cheering at this unlikely
start from the reigning champions lost their first two games.
One of those two games is last week a. I
(00:33):
can't say this a record breaking defeat.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
That probably Christ yet.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Fifty twenty four. It's on Sunday. My poor daughter was
trying to bake in the kitchen and all she could
hear me he was screaming, are you all right? Dad?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
No?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
That goes on. Still A fan, Rob Penny joins us.
Now he's the head coach of the Crusader. He's going
to discuss what's been going all right for this juggernaut franchise.
Good e, Rob, how are you?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You're not too bad? Things good?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Good? It hasn't been the best start to the season.
That's probably an understatement. So in your role, what do
you do now to set a fire under your players
ahead of this Chiefs gaming? God doesn't get any easier
this season, does it. The way it's formulated.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Oh no, it's you know, it's a challenging competition always. Well,
we were two minutes away from winning down in the Highlanders,
and you know we were ten points off the Brumbies
with ten to go, with five to go. Actually, so
we feel as though we're not far away. I don't
think there's a need to have a fire under as
you've explained, but certainly we need to improve in some areas,
(01:41):
and the caliber of people we've got we're eminently capable
of doing that.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
The primary area for improvement. What have you been focusing
on this week? Role?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I'm just being able to apply pressure through building sets
and completing sets on our terms. That's our number one frustration.
We've got some hiccups in our line out too, which
hasn't functioned as efficiently as we would like. But primarily
it's just our inability to maintain pressure for long periods
of time and you just can't do it at This is.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Just an attitude change. There's nothing you can coach into
your players around what they need to do to I
suppose put a torner kut on that.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
We're coaching it all the time. You know, the skills
of the game, you just need repetitions, and but it's
you know, when you're at a level at small margins
and you know the we margins haven't gone our way
at the moment, and we're not helping ourselves, as we say,
by too many eras.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
You said that every game is a tough game and
super rugby, and it is that the start you've got
to the season, she's pretty high caliber. Isn't it not
suggest that that's not a bad way to start? The
results haven't quite gone your way, but mess to get
all this out of the way, so come mid season,
you guys should be pumping right.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Well, we play there, We play all the New Zealand
teams twice obviously, so we don't you know, we drop
feed the Derby games all the way through, which is
they're always challenging, massive occasions, and we ended up having
it out because of the bakries of the drawer. We've
got Highlanders round one and then hid Highlanders round five
and then Hurricanes back end and punctuated with Chiefs and
(03:21):
Blues all the way through. So even though it looks
on paper that we you know, we've got a quite
a robust start to the year, and we have, but
it really is. The whole season's going to be up
and prepared.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
But everybody had to get you as well, right right,
because the champions last year. See, I can't say this.
Everyone's got a target on their back and super rugby
with the champion or the wooden spooner.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, well, I think because of the way history has
been written, crusaders tend to have it a bit more.
Everyone gets up for us, it doesn't matter who they are,
and that can make challenges of its own, but I'd
rather that way than any other.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You've made some changes injury enforced and mister Enol's been
given the afternoon off. So the changes there, I mean
with Cody Taylor and the problems he had within the
line out, this is maybe a lot on Bell to
come in and try and turn that. How instrumental has
(04:19):
he been involved in trying to tweak what happened in
the line out?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Well, they're all intimately involved. I mean the hawks obviously
that the commences it with his throw, and then it's
the coordination between the jumpers and the lifters and the
delivery post that. So it's quite a complex set of
things that you need to get right to have an
efficient lineout, but Bally's world class. We've got Moa Luthuru
(04:45):
who's also very classy under twenties representative, excited about his
future and poor codes. He's just taking a couple of
knocks and we just think it's the best thing for
him just to sit this one out. He's got some
very tender ribs, but he wouldn't have been far away.
We could have gone through had we desperately needed him,
but we were going to back some of the young guys.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Tell him to take the weekend off. You wouldn't like
that very much. What are you wrong?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
No, no, no, He's committed, a committed football player and a
champion bloke and we love having him about. But also
it's a great opportunity to bring Monamara and give him
a crack.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What can you tell us about him?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I always New Zealand twenties captain, highly regarded, a very
stable young man, got massive leadership qualities and you know
he's just been embraced by everyone. He was around last
year as our wider training group and then coming into
the group this year is just it'd be worth his
weight in gold.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
You've made adjustments in the front row to mighty Williams
getting back right from the start. That's going to be
uplifting for everybody. And I'm sure muzzling him now is
going to be impossible. He's going to want to come
right at it.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah yeah, well all our front row boys. We're blessed
with the quality of people we've got in that. So
tomight he comes in for his what will be his
first start, and that's that's awesome to get him back
and Joe bows on the bench after getting a run
on for the development against the Hurricanes. We had a
couple of all Black tight heads and their development team
last week. Some good foot he being had at both
(06:18):
levels of development and in the top level, and yeah,
they get an opportunity this week.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
It's the fun and if you are getting a run
in there, Brandon enaw is out all this conversation about
him maybe playing a double role. Would I get the
scenes that you're happy with him in the midfield and
if he needs to go loose, he will, but primarily
this is his role. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, there's been lots of discussions around what his best
places in the future. It is, as you know, he's
been away for a couple of years, embracing the red
Wine of France and been planning some exceptional football and
we are to do the right thing by him and
try to set them up to be the best footballer
he can be. And that's in the dirteen jersey at
the moment for us, and hopefully that'll be a stepping
(07:02):
stone for bigger things. At the back end of the comp.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
You've plenty got the Chiefs. It's a way it's up there,
very difficult for you to worry about what they bring
to the part. Do you even like a quiet eye
on possible weaknesses within this side, do you look to
me area where maybe you can be incisive pushed through.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Well, we know we can be competitive when we get
things right, and you know we'll be looking to do that.
The group that we've got, highly talented Chiefs, highly talented.
We found it really hard to win up there for
a long period. I think seven occasions Crusader's won two.
One of them was a final. So you know, the
winds up there have been few and far between, just
(07:47):
because the Chiefs are such a complete side and talented side,
and you know we'll have to be right on to
be able to compete with it. And then, as I
said before, you know, it's just taking those moments that
arise because they all matter and it's really important that
we start to get some runs on the board.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
He said earlier, Rob, than you well with an Achille
of the Hilanders. Yes, with the Brumbies last week, maybe
not so close, but that last ten fifteen minutes. Can
you put your finger on exactly what happened? From a
bystander's point of view watching it, it almost looked like
the Brumbies threw a chaos theory at you and the
(08:26):
team found it really difficult to read what they're up to?
Was that too simplistic? Rob?
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Well, no, They've got a very talented particularly they're back
three and they're always dangerous. I guess the simple answer
is plan into the wind. We ended up making one
hundred and eighty five tackles, which is almost a game tally.
We defended beautifully for long periods and then inexplicably we
would have individuals missing tackles that they would normally make,
(08:54):
and the Brumbie scored a couple of quite soft ones
on the back of it in the first half, so
they went into half time ahead, albeit not by March,
and then it was a good contest, although we were
still really quite inefficient with our attack. Our defense was growing.
But I think the last and it was more like
the last seven eight minutes where the Brumbies ran in
(09:16):
two tries, and I just think the culmination that one
hundred and eighty five tackles in the first half and
our inability to build pressure so that we were chasing
our tails a bit just caused us to get a
bit leg weary. And you know, the Brumbies on the
on the counter turnover ball, we were, as I said,
(09:36):
we weren't able to maintain any pressure with it, so
we spilled a couple out of rucks. One off the
high ball got potentially knocked on, but that wasn't called
into the hands of a Brumbye who galloped fifty odd
to score. And those moments occur. You know, we're still
finding our way a little bit with some of the
new interpretations. I think we're all seeing the fact that
(09:57):
tmos aren't coming in at all for anything. Probably that's
a rejoice, but it does, I guess, create a lot
of ball and play and a lot of time where
you just got to be on the whole time because
the whistle doesn't go a lot. Yeah, we're just I
guess still adjusting. So a long winded way to say, Look,
we made a lot of eras, we made a lot
of tear cales. We feel as though we're not far away.
(10:19):
We get some parts of our game right, will be
back in the hunt, getting.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
The teeth to connect in your gearbox to gel if
youel as opposed to grind and we're looking forward to it,
it's going to be a massive game. Chief fee Crusaders
are coming up on Saturday night. Rob Penny, thanks very
much for joining us.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Pleasure For more from sports Talk, listen live to News
Talks it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
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