Roar Guru
The NSW Waratahs are crying foul after giving up the biggest lead in Super Rugby history in a heartbreaking 31-29 loss to the mighty Crusaders.
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Final score
Crusaders 32
Waratahs 29
The Crusaders host the Waratahs Saturday night at AMI Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 3:15pm AEST.
What a difference a coach makes! You can argue that the Waratahs lineup are better than their hosts and theoretically should be favourites.
When Michael Cheika coached the Waratahs they dispatched the Crusaders in all home matches and lost one match in Christchurch by a solitary point.
Conversely, the last two cross-Tasman derbies were a disaster for Daryl Gibson. You would have imagined that a Christchurch local like Gibson would have an even better idea that Cheika on how to defeat the Crusaders. Alas, it has been the opposite.
A poor team performance today, may reignite conspiracy theorists about Gibson being a “double agent”.
NSW Rugby Union boss and New Zealander Andrew Hore and Rugby Australia’s Raylene Castle, might even be thrown in the mix!
Today, the bookies odds for a Waratahs win is 8:1. It is hard to argue with that based on recent form of both teams.
However, if a team in transition like the Reds can beat the Lions, there is an outside chance that the Waratahs are able to deliver a similar upset.
Gibson and Michael Hooper and his teammates have demonstrated clear improvements on a weekly basis. They have the firepower to defend and deliver a good set piece.
Most important they have developed a great attacking approach which allows them to maintain possession and dominate possession. What they lack is the ability to score tries. I suspect we will see improvements in this area.
But the Crusaders are too good, too consistent. They also great in punishing opponents for the whole 80 minutes, especially the last 15.
Watch a fantastic set piece battle, both lineout and scrum. It will be awesome!
Prediction
A Crusaders win. But the Waratahs should perform admirably and could deliver a scare to the Christchurch fans.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 3:15pm AEST.