Hayden Meikle is nothing if not balanced, so he offers 10 reasons why a Crusaders victory is actually a good thing. No, seriously.
1. Razor
You simply cannot deny there is something special about the man. As in, a major dash of pixie dust. His record as a coach is genuinely astonishing, and good luck making a counterpoint to the suggestion his record at Super Rugby level will never be surpassed. Specifically, what makes this so promising is that the second the whistle blew on Saturday night, Scott Robertson turned from coach of the evil ... sorry, old habits die hard ... the champion Crusaders to the next All Blacks coach. And it is flat-out exciting to think what he might be able to do with the national team.
2. The dynasty
Sport is about community and health and fun and all those lovely things, yes. But at the top level, it is about WINNING. And as much as we love a plucky underdog tale, there can be true magic in seeing a dynasty unfold. What the Crusaders have done over such a long period is extraordinary. You just knew, with 10 minutes to go in the final, they had things under control. Champion teams are different.
3. Sam Whitelock
Absolute warrior. Just puts the team on his back. Surely he joins Pinetree in the second row of the greatest All Blacks XV. Brodie Retallick, at his peak, is a marginally better player. But Whitelock’s body of work, commitment and sheer refusal to lose make him stand alone.
4. Richie Mo’unga
He needs to guide the All Blacks to a World Cup to cement his test legacy. But he is a Super Rugby great. You need a class No 10, and the Crusaders have had the classiest.
5. Nobody likes the Chiefs
It’s true, right? They are Crusaders lite.
6. Brain fade
Ignore some of the despicable abuse referee Ben O’Keeffe was copping on ghastly social media after the final. The Chiefs only had themselves to blame for getting into disciplinary trouble. They did not deserve to win.
7. Hamilton is average
It’s true, right? It is Dunedin lite.
8. Southern links
There are actually plenty of Crusaders fans down here. And we all have some vested interest in the team. No 8 Christian Lio-Willie comes back to play for Otago in the NPC. Hooker George Bell is a good East Otago and John McGlashan man. Halfback Noah Hotham was a Highlanders under-20 star. Injured prop George Bower is the pride of the Harbour Hawks. Assistant coach Tamati Ellison is a former Highlanders midfielder.
9. Offers hope to Highlanders
No, seriously. If a team from an earthquake-damaged city with a dreadful stadium can win multiple Super Rugby titles, imagine what the Highlanders can do in the coming years.
10. Just kidding
Well done for making it this far with a straight face. There is, of course, not a single thing that is good about the Crusaders winning yet another title.
