Elliott Smith: Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor reviews the Super Rugby semifinal between the Blues and the Crusaders

The Blues are coming to terms with their title defence being over after the 21-14 semi-final defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch. 

The Crusaders will host either the Chiefs or Brumbies next weekend in the decider, after absorbing a ferocious Blues performance. 

The home side trailed 14-nil early and then were forced to park up at their own try-line as the Blues threw 40 phases at them to try and send the game to extra time. 

Newstalk ZB Rugby Editor Elliott Smith joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to review the first semi-final. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good Morning, seven minutes after eight and the All Sport
Breakfast fourteenth of June. It is Rob Penny reflecting on
his team's victory last night up against the Blues, twenty
one unanswered points after trailing fourteen zip to the start
of the game, and who wants his head now? I
think that when you look, and we're joined by Elliott

(00:33):
Smith and Studio Rugby editor and commentator, look back at
that game. The calls for Rob Penny's head last year
were loud and long, but kind of man's bridge and
is assorted team and me and went, you know what
a lot of injuries, we could see potential. We're keeping
him and even if they don't end up with the title,

(00:53):
this has been a superb comeback from the Crusaders, has
it not.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
It has almost shadows of the Rugby World Cup in
many ways, and when Ian Foster kept his job and
you know they got to the point a couple of
years later where they were challenging for the title. I
think the Crusader's performance last night was probably testament to
what Robenny has been able to do this year and
shape this team. He probably learned a lot from last year.

(01:19):
He used to have got some players back big time.
But the defensive grit that they were able to show
on the line last night, you don't teach that overnight,
but it's built over time. And I think that is
the result of what happened last year, but also what's
happened this year and accumulated effects there. That they were
able to get the result last night.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Means discipline for these guys and we always talk about that,
all the rugby players, all the coaches talk about it.
That is the trick and it can get a little sloppy,
and that can be not fatal. No one's going to die.
Then this is something going to be very very aware of,
especially in the nature this year the competition because it's
so close.

Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yeah, everyone can see penalties and games. It's a matter
of how many you can see and where and how
many in a row. I think is increased becoming a
key factor. We saw last night the Blues strung together
a lot of penalties they conceded in a row, and
that spent them in the wrong area of the ground
tackling for a long period of time, and they're having
to do a lot of defensive work and that left

(02:20):
the Crusaders probably off the hook a little bit because
the Blues are up fourteen nil for a period of time.
And then the discipline began to go after a fiery
sort of opening twenty minutes and once that went, James
Dolman pinged them a fair few times. That allowed the
Crusaders to get back into the contest and plan the
right areas of the ground.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Did he do enough though referee wise? Then after five
six consecutive penalty just starting to thinking, well, someone's got
a walk care because it is not stopping and it
was that happened on a couple of mine.

Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, I was surprised that no one went, but I
thought by and large he controlled the game relatively well
and allowed it to be decided between the two teams.
And then there was the fascicle hia mouthguard stuff and
I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of that over time.
There were the head clash things, and you can be
up in arms if you want, and I know many
people have and the quarters that I was watching and

(03:10):
hearing from last night, But if you're up in arms
of that, you haven't been watching rugby for the last
five or ten years, because that is how it's decided now,
and players just need to tackle lower. That's where we're
at in the game. And you know you're going to
have unfortunate ones like Hoskins Sotu do last night who
did nothing wrong. When Schaffie Harky sort of bend his
body and changed direction a little bit and so Tudu
couldn't and didn't have the time. We will accept that

(03:32):
he did not have the time, but those are the
rules and will Rugby has decided they're going to stick
with them. So ultimately it was all about discipline. The
Crusaders were probably just that little bit better disciplined than
the Blues last night.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
Crept to the Blues though for what they've done, because
their season started appallingly well.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
It didn't even finish that well really. You know, they
lost to Milwana and then came back from the by
belted the Warrtars. You know, that loss against Mowana felt
like this team is exiting the playoff race that night,
and Bolts conspired their way, they fell their way, and
they were able to make the the playoffs on the
back of that Warritas win some other results going their way,
but it has been an up and down season for

(04:11):
the Blues with really struggled to get string performances together.
And the last three weeks or so it began to
click and they began to look a little bit more
like the Blues team of last year. But they just
didn't have the control probably last night of the game,
after that first twenty minutes, to assert their dominance. And
that's probably the lesson had the foot on the Crusader's throat.

(04:32):
You know, fourteen noil after twenty minutes, you're not going
to win the game there, but you can sort of
manage it a little bit more. And they didn't manage
I didn't think that next ten to fifteen minutes particularly well.
As the Crusaders came back into the contest.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
How many tonight we've got like thirty seconds. Who's going
to win?

Speaker 3 (04:48):
The Chiefs will win tonight, I believe, But don't under
be said the Brumbies. I think it's easy to throw
and go. Yeah, they've never won a playoff game in
New Zealand, but I really like the way they played
last weekend's. The Hurricanes are a really tough team. Can
they do it away from Canberra is the question. I
don't think they can tonight, and I think we're set
for a Crusader's Chiefs Final next week.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
And on that, Elliott, we'll dismiss you. Now go and
read some more sports Head eighteen minutes. This is News
Talk Said be the All Sport Breakfast for Darcy Watergrave
and Elliott Smith.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
For more from The All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set BE on Saturday mornings,
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