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Dan Carter of the Crusaders - Source: Photosport -
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The age old question in New Zealand rugby remains: What would we
do without Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter?
The national team suffered three of their four Test defeats last
year when one or both of them weren't playing, while Super rugby's
most successful side, the Crusaders, winners of an unprecedented
seven titles, were resigned to a fourth place finish in 2009 with
Carter absent.
Indeed there are many of the opinion that the Crusaders (and the
All Blacks for that matter) are as vulnerable as English Premier
League side Liverpool FC without their two star turns, however,
coach Todd Blackadder doesn't buy into that argument.
"People are entitled to their thoughts but I think we've progressed
to be honest," Blackadder told tvnz.co.nz
"This time last year we didn't have DC (Carter), we didn't have a
lot of our experienced players (but) even with all the young men we
had, we were still really hard to beat.
"I mean the core of them won the Air New Zealand cup without those
players. I think they've really grown a lot and learnt a lot.
"So much of the Crusader ethos is the team and those two guys are
just cogs in the wheel.
"So like I said, people are entitled to their opinions but we see
our strength as our unity."
That may be the case but there is no hiding Carter's credentials
and Blackadder is all too aware of what he brings to his
team.
"(Carter) is a world class player but he is more than that,"
Blackadder says.
"He is a really good team man and I've only known him a short time
really myself but he is a lot of fun as well.
"So he brings a lot of enthusiasm and he brings an experienced head
along with all the other guys we have, like the Richie McCaws, the
Brad Thorns and we've got Chris Jack back in the mix now - they're
all very similar types of people."
This core of experience is well backed up by an arsenal of players
that have come on leaps and bounds over the past two seasons.
Leading the pack is All Black captain in waiting, Kieran Read, who
elevated his all-round game into the Test arena last season with
such success that he is now considered the country's leading number
eight.
Other players that are well proven at this level and that the
Crusaders can rely on include Isaac Ross, Wyatt Crockett, Tim
Bateman, Colin Slade, Andy Ellis, Thomas Waldrom and the
ever-improving Frank brothers.
They have also recruited wisely in gaining rising star, All Black
wing Zac Guildford, and damaging Wellington midfielder, Robert
Fruean.
Yet there is feeling simmering that the Crusaders could be
susceptible in the early part of the season.
They will be without McCaw for the first three matches, as he takes
an extended holiday, while Jack and New Zealand rugby's most
unlucky man Corey Flynn are both overcoming early season
knocks.
This doesn't faze former All Black captain Blackadder though,
nothing much does. He knows that his franchise's remarkable
success, in which they have made the semifinals every year but one
(2001) since their 1998 championship breakthrough, means that every
opponent targets the Crusaders as a benchmark match.
"I think it is really healthy. It means that we have to lift on
every occasion and you get out of this rollercoaster ride of
getting up and then dropping down.
"We know we have to be on the ball every match and I see that as an
advantage."
It's an advantage the Crusaders will be hoping to show in their
opening match of the season against unlikely bogey side, the
Highlanders, this weekend.
Their South Island foes have knocked them over twice in the past
two seasons. The match kicks-off at 7:35pm on Saturday at
Christchurch's AMI Stadium.
Crusaders Squad:
Wyatt Crockett, Owen Franks, Ben Franks, Peter Borlase, Corey
Flynn, Ti'i Paulo, Brad Thorn, Isaac Ross, Chris Jack, Sam
Whitelock, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw, George Whitelock, Jonathan
Poff, Thomas Waldrom, Andy Ellis, Kahn Fotuali'i, Daniel Carter,
Daniel Bowden (D), Ryan Crotty, Tim Bateman, Robert Fruean, Adam
Whitelock, Sean Maitland, Kade Poki, Zac Guildford*, Colin Slade,
Jared Payne.
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