Bruised Crusaders face more injuries ahead of playoffs

Crusaders coach Scott Robertson’s face said it all – a win over the Waratahs felt like a loss.

Scott Robertson’s frustration was evident, both in the coaching box and when he addressed media post match.

The Crusaders head coach should have been all smiles after watching his side bag a 42-18 bonus point win against the Waratahs on a mild Christchurch evening. But his face said it all, even before he spoke – this was a win that somewhat felt like a loss due to injuries to All Black David Havili and No 8 Cullen Grace.

‘‘Yeah, it does put a damper on things,’’ he rued after Grace exited with a knee injury early in the first half, before Havili suffered a hamstring injury in the final quarter.

Scans loom to determine the severity of their injuries, but the fact Grace needed help to get down the tunnel at halftime, and Havili looked in pain as he limped off, doesn’t bode well two weeks out from the playoffs.

The Crusaders are assured a home quarterfinal, and took a big step towards locking up the No 2 seed after snapping the Waratahs’ four-match winning streak.

Much pleased Robertson about the win, including superb performances by Fergus Burke, Sam Whitelock and Christian LioWillie, but a lack of execution in the second half and the injuries meant lowered his mood.

‘‘We couldn’t quite get our rhythm. We had a lot of opportunities and the last pass didn’t go our way, then you top that off with a couple of injuries, and it’s tough.’’

What’s clear is Havili and Grace won’t face the Hurricanes next week, although the loss of the No 8 should be offset by Ethan Blackadder’s return from a calf injury. The Crusaders also have quality options at No 12. However, as Robertson said: ‘‘It gives us a bit of breathing space, but it’s Dave Havili, you won’t replace him.’’

The good news is loose forward Lio-Willie, who also limped out of the match, wasn’t injured and was instead taken off due to cramp, and the foot injury that scratched Braydon Ennor isn’t serious.

Regardless of the equation regarding playoff seeding next week, don’t expect the Crusaders to be cautious when they wrap up the regular season against the Hurricanes in the capital next weekend.

‘‘We’ll look at the leaderboard, but we’ll actually look what our team needs,’’ Robertson said.

Before heading to the sheds to check on the latest players added to the injured list, which includes three All Blacks props, and at one stage included 17 players, Robertson paid tribute to newly capped Crusader John Afoa.

Only a couple of days after flying into Christchurch from France, the 39-year-old World Cupwinning All Black who wore the Blues jersey 100 times played 49 minutes at tighthead prop, and became the oldest player in Super Rugby history more than a decade after his last game in New Zealand.

‘He didn’t hesitate when we contacted him . . . I went around the grounds worldwide to find someone we knew was a good scrummaging prop, experienced, available. There’s not many ... it’s a concern. But I don’t want to take away from a good story.’’

The big moment

Sione Havili Talitui’s try from close-range in the final minutes stitched up the bonus point, improving their tally to 47 competition points on the season.

Match rating

8/10. More afternoon rugby, please. It helped that it was a mild Christchurch evening, but there was some quality rugby played by both sides.

MVP

Fergus Burke. The specialist 10 was again excellent at fullback, running for 99m on 13 carries, scoring a try and setting another up. He was also safe as houses under the high ball. The minutes he is racking up this season bode well for the post-Mo’unga era.

The big picture

The Crusaders have more injuries to nurse. They might rest bodies next week, as long as they are locked in as the No 2 seeds. The Waratahs’ four-match win streak is over but playoff footy is a given.