“I thought if they kicked it, well done, they deserve it, they’ve had a great season. Clayton McMillan has put a good squad together, they’re an awesome team off the field as well, you can see it, and I thought ‘bravo’.”
Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson, before he could get started on the serious business of celebrating his seventh consecutive Super Rugby title, reflected on what he was thinking when Damian McKenzie lined up his kick from just over 50m out which would have put the Chiefs ahead in last night’s final with three minutes to play.
Speaking in the minutes after the Crusaders’ 25-20 victory at Waikato Stadium, Robertson was in no doubt that had the kick gone over and the Chiefs, who were missing co-captain Sam Cane to the sinbin, taken a 23-22 lead, the game would have been up for his team.
Maybe, maybe not. The red and blacks have shown such resilience over the last seven years, and in particular the last four months, that nothing could be assumed until the final whistle.
As it was, McKenzie missed, Crusaders replacement halfback Willi Heinz booted the ball into touch, the Chiefs got the ball back from a messy lineout but were forced to retreat into their half, Leicester Fainga’anuku won a penalty turnover and Richie Mo’unga, also leaving the franchise, sealed it with a penalty.
After such a frantic finish to such a high-stakes match, there was obviously a bit for Robertson to take in afterwards and his emotions were tinged with relief. He said he had begun thinking about what to say in the event of a defeat as McKenzie, who he will coach next year at the All Blacks, lined up his penalty attempt and quickly went back to Plan A.
Scott Robertson and his players get wet and wild in their changing room after beating Chiefs. (Source: 1News)
And he could do so because he had heroes across the park including Fainga’anuku, Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock and skipper Scott Barrett but he reserved his highest praise for Whitelock, a 34-year-old also likely to have played his last game for the Crusaders and who was a doubt even up to kick-off due to his now infamous “grumbling” Achilles.
“Sam has got to be mentioned here,” Robertson said as he reflected on the victory. “His performance to play 80 minutes - and he wasn’t coming off. He loved it. We think he’s an immortal, he’s a god-like figure to us.
“He’s probably transcended – the amount of games he’s played, the wins, he’s captained, and year after year he rises up every day. For him to have that moment is pretty special.”
Barrett, sitting alongside Robertson with the trophy in front of him added of his locking partner: “It makes me proud to call him a mate. He lays everything out there. He’s given so much to this jersey for 13 or so years.”
The Chiefs’ quality in finishing the regular season with only one defeat – plus home advantage – meant this was always going to be one of the toughest of all final challenges for Robertson.
The Crusaders’ casualty list was extensive and well known – Robertson and Barrett said it was generally mentioned early in a week and then locked away and not spoken of again – and their generally free-flowing attack expertly led by Mo’unga was up against one of the stingiest defences in the competition.
The Crusaders scored two tries from lineout drives but the Chiefs’ ability and determination to save many others drew Robertson’s admiration.
They had a 15-10 lead at the break but lost it shortly afterwards when Emoni Narawa scored his stunning try from a set scrum move and they didn’t reclaim it until the 72nd minute.
“We were disciplined enough to keep plugging there and we eventually got the reward,” Barrett said. “The boys just had to stay patient. The leaders around me were immense in keeping the group level.”
Robertson called Mo’unga “sublime” and a “genuine finals footballer” and Barrett “world class”, adding that he believed he had left the Crusaders in a good place. Former Canterbury coach Rob Penney is his replacement.
“They’ll make it their own now,” Robertson said. “I’m really proud that I’ve set up the structures so the next coach can come in and add his own flavour.
“You don’t often get the chance to coach the team you play for and be successful. I’m proud. I’ve been going to Rugby Park for 23 years in a different capacity. It’s a lovely game and the Crusaders have given me so much. To finish like this makes it more special because it could have gone the other way.”
Chiefs coach McMillan, who is farewelling Brodie Retallick, Alex Nankivell, Brad Weber and Pita Gus Sowakula, said: “The immediate feeling is a lot of hurt. I’m extremely proud of our guys, I think we threw the kitchen sink at those guys. We asked a lot of questions of them.”
McMillan said it was always going to be difficult to beat the Crusaders with three players sinbinned at various points but added of match official Ben O’Keeffe’s performance: “I’m not going to bag the referee. The crowd did that after the game - maybe that says something.”
He added of the Crusaders: “You have to admire their tenacity to get the job done but we honestly thought it was our time.”
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