Crusaders

See also: Crusader

|- | colspan=" 2" style=" text-align: center; padding: 0.5em; " bgcolor=" white" | |- | founded Frankness in | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| 1996 |- | Colors | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Red and black |- | President | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| |- | Trainer | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Robbie Deans |- | Stage | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| FRIENDLY Stadium Christchurch (36 500 places)
|- | Official site | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Official site |} The Crusaders (in the past the Canterbury Crusaders ) are a New Zealand frankness from Rugby to XV which is based with Christchurch and evolves/moves in the Super 14. It is about the team most titrated in this competition. The frankness represents the provincial federations of Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman, and West Coast. Crusaders evolve/move in residence primarily at the stage of FRIENDLY Stadium (in the past Jade Stadium).

Created in 1996 to represent the North of the Island of the South (one of the two principal islands of the New Zealand) in Super the 12, the team has large problems the first season and finishes last. The following year, it improves its performances to finish sixth. The team gains three titles of sharp between 1998 and 2000 whereas it disputes the finales at the adversary. A new title is taken down in 2002 while remaining unconquered all the season, then the team reaches the final in twice 2003 and 2004. Finally at the time of the last season from Super the 12 (which becomes in 2006 Super the 14), Crusaders gain a fifth title. They inaugurate in 2006 finally Super the 14 with a new victory against the Hurricanes 19-12. In 2007, they are beaten in semi-final by bulldozers, the future winners.

The team of Crusaders is titrated in the Super 12/14 with six titles and they hold the record of points and tests carried out in a match at the time of their victory 96-19 against the Waratahs in 2002. Another record is the number of points registered in one season (469 in 2002). Side players, other performances are to be noted: Andrew Mehrtens registered the greatest number of points in one season Super 12 (206 in 1998), Daniel Carter has the greatest number of points registered into Super 14 (221 in 2006), Rico Gear holds the record of the greatest number of tests registered in one season (15 in 2005). Four players disputed more than one hundred meetings under the shirt of the frankness: Justin Marshall, Reuben Thorne, Caleb Ralph and Greg Somerville. Lastly, two players of Crusaders were elected player of the year by the IRB: Daniel Carter in 2005 and Richie McCaw in 2006.

History

Difficult beginnings: 1996-1997

The frankness from Crusaders is created to represent one of the five franknesses New Zealand S at the time of the inaugural edition from the Super 12 in 1996. Called the Canterbury Crusaders , they then represent the provincial federations of Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman, and West Coast the captain of Crusaders is then Richard Loe and the trainer is Vance Stewart. The Crusaders struggled in the inaugural season and finished bottom off the table with only two wins. Crusaders dispute the first year from Super the 12 and with only two victories, they finish last with the classification.

These results result in changing captain and trainer the following year with Todd Blackadder succeeding Loe as captain and Wayne Smith which becomes trainer. The improvement was particularly obvious at the time of short defeat 28-29 against the champions titrates the Blues of them, for a conceded defeat the 49-18 previous year. The Blues will gain the trophy in 1997 again. At the time of the last match of the season, Crusaders beat the Queensland Reds 48-3 with Lancaster Park, called FRIENDLY Stadium today. Finally to the Eden Park, Crusaders are opposed to the Blues which is given favorite. The latter are led 3-0 to the half-time, before taking the top with the 53e minute (10-3 for the Blues). Norm Maxwell registers a test for Crusaders and it gives the teams to equality 10-10, then after a penalty on each side, the score is of 13-13. To this moment, Andrew Mehrtens sends James Kerr to the test at one minute of the end of the prescribed time and after its transformation, Crusaders gain the match 20-13. Andrew Mehrtens will have registered 206 points during the season (record from Super the 12). On their return, Crusaders celebrate the title in a parade with Christchurch where 100.000 people await them. Qualified for the semi-finals, they however draw aside the Queensland Reds (first of the regular season) and they beat finally the Otago Highlanders (called the Highlanders today)

After the defeat of the All Blacks in semi-final of the world cup 1999, Wayne Smith succeeds John Hart at the station of selector of the team of New Zealand. Robbie Deans thus replaces Smith at the post of trainer of Crusaders. For its first season it enables them to gain a third title of sharp into Super the 12 Highlanders with the Jade Stadium in residence, in particular thanks to two tests of Marika Vunibaka in the twenty last minutes. Finally against the Brumbies with Canberra in Australia, in spite of an execrable time with Grésil and Snow, Merthens makes it possible its team to lead 12-6 to the half-time. To the return of the cloakrooms, Brumbies return in the match and carry out 19-17.

Always present: 2001-2005

After three titles consecutive into Super 12, Crusaders finish tenth in 2001, which constitutes their worse row since 1996. It is about the last season of their captain Todd Blackadder before he leaves to play Edinburgh Rugby in Scotland.

2002 are a return to the high summit on the level of the results of Crusaders, indeed they remain unconquered during all the season to seize their fourth title. Although they gaining to them eleven matches in championships, seven of these meetings were on a score with a difference between one and seven points. In one of these meetings, they establish a record at the time of their face-to-face discussion against Waratahs on the score of 96-19. They beat in semi-final Highlanders 34-23 (18-6 at the half-times) then accommodate finally Brumbies with the Jade Stadium. Although the latter lead 11-3 to the half-time, the possession of ball is of 70% for Crusaders, in second period Crusaders beat them 31-13 with a test of Caleb Ralph at the last minute. But in second period the Blues return in the part and lead 21-10 to ten minutes of the end. In spite of a transformed test, Crusaders do not manage to make up for lost time with the score to gain and they are beaten 21-17. They finish in spite of very seconds of the championships with seven victories. They gain the semi-final against the Stormers with Stadium Jade over the score of 27-16. Crusaders succeed in saving the honor for finally being beaten 47-38. During a part against the bulldozers, the captain Richie McCaw known a terrible shock which holds it to move away from the grounds during five weeks what does not prevent the team from finishing first in championship. It carries out its return for the semi-final against Hurricanes where they are essential.

Because of their seven disputed finales and five titles obtained, Crusaders are authorized to preserve the trophy Super 12. After the season 2005, the club sees the departures of Andrew Mehrtens and Justin Marshall (both are present at the club since 1996).

The championship changes, Crusaders remain at the top: 2006 with today

In 2006, Super the 12 becomes Super the 14 by integrating two new teams: Western Forces representing the Western Australia and Southern Spears representing Free State-Northern Cape South Africa. They finish first in championship with eleven victories, no one and a defeat (against Brumbies). In semi-final, they beat the bulldozers and face Hurricanes with Stadium Jade finally in a thick fog, from where the departure of many spectators because of the lack of visibility of the play. At 20 minutes of the end, the two teams are with equality on the score of 9-9, before Casey Laulala registers the only test of the part making it possible Crusaders to gain the first Super 14 over the score of 19-12.

In 2007, seven players of Crusaders do not take part in the first matches of the competition because of their preparation to the world cup 2007 with the All Blacks (Chris Jack, Richie McCaw, Greg Somerville, Reuben Thorne, daN Casing, Leon MacDonald, and Aaron Mauger). They carry out their return at the time of the eighth day against Stormers. They finish second of the championship, meanwhile it gains their match 53-0 against the Western Forces with Stadium Jade at the time of the tenth day (it is about their hundredth victory in Super Rugby, first frankness to make a success of this performance). At the time of the last day, they are opposed to Chiefs but lose their confrontation on the score of 30-24 with fine Stadium Jade putting at 26 consecutive victories in their stage. That does not prevent them from being qualified for the semi-finals by finishing third of the championship. On the other hand, they must dispute their semi-final outside. In semi-final, they are made beat 27-12 by bulldozers.

Prize list

Victorious of the Super 12/14 (6): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2006

Course in Super the 12/14

Current manpower

Players emblematic

Appendices

Notes & references

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