The Crusaders will draw on the same strength and resolve in Saturday night’s Super Rugby final as they did to reach the 2011 title decider against all odds following the devastating earthquake that rocked Christchurch to its core.
So says NSW assistant coach Daryl Gibson, who won five titles with the Crusaders before linking with the Waratahs in 2012.
To become only the second team in 18 years of Super Rugby to win a final on foreign soil, Todd Blackadder’s class of 2014 must emulate the Crusaders outfit who triumphed against the Brumbies in Canberra in 2000.
But as a member of that champion side 14 years ago and tapping into the psyche of Cantabrians – and Kiwis in general – Gibson has no doubt the Crusaders will arrive at ANZ Stadium believing they can shatter the Waratahs’ unbeaten home record in 2014.
“The Crusaders would love this challenge,” Gibson said on Thursday.
“Having been involved with them for many years, I look to 2011 and the earthquake and the adversity we suffered through there.
“We looked at that whole year as a huge challenge, just as they would see coming to Sydney and playing against a team that’s in very good form as a big challenge and one they’ll relish.”
The earthquake that killed 185 people three years ago forced the Crusaders to play their home games out of Nelson.
But the upheaval didn’t stop the New Zealand super powers from reaching the final after also upstaging the Stormers in Cape Town in the semis.
They ultimately lost the title match to the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, but Gibson suspects that will only make the Crusaders hungrier this time around.
“It goes back to the mindset of New Zealanders. We like a challenge,” said the former All Blacks centre.
“A lot of people said you couldn’t win Super Rugby away from home. I think if you challenge New Zealanders around that sort of stuff, they’ll say: ‘Why not?’.”
While believing the Crusaders will be confident, Gibson is tipping a Waratahs victory.
“We’ve been very consistent this year. Both in attack and defence, we’ve proven ourselves and we’ve earned our way,” he said.
“And what’s been very nice has been we’ve been very understated; we haven’t overstated and under-delivered.
“We set out from the very early part of the year saying this is how we want to play the game and we’ve stuck to that.
“We’ve really tried to shape our identity and improve a little bit every day.
“I’m very proud as a coach to have been involved with a team that’s transformed itself and changed so much from the team that we took over a couple of years ago.
“As a coach, you want your team to fulfil its potential and we’ve really shown that this year.”
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