Blackadder: Could have gone any way

 

Todd Blackadder spoke through-out the week how the game would be determined by a few crucial moments, this turned out to be the case when referee Craig Joubert handed Bernard Foley a chance to kick the Waratahs into the lead with a minute remaining.

 

"It was 50-50 I thought, it could have gone either way," Blackadder told Yahoo NZ.

 

"It comes down to those moments doesn't it? There was nothing between the sides.

 

"I was really proud of the way our guys fought back.

 

"New South Wales have been the best team all season and they showed that tonight at the end didn't they, so that's a credit to them.

 

"They should be proud of their season."

 

The most successful team in Super Rugby history, the Crusaders, have made a habit of stumbling in critical matches of late – four semifinal defeats and two Final loses now attest to that.

 

Blackadder won three titles as a player, but has yet to taste victory as a coach.

 

"Coming second is not much fun, I can tell you that," Blackadder said.

 

Playmaker Dan Carter suffered a badly corked thigh and had to be taken off the park which may have been a factor in such a close game – especially one that could have benefited from his educated left-boot.

 

"He tried to run it off, but he couldn't quite get there, which is disappointing, at least he had a crack, so he's pretty sore," the coach said.

 

"It wasn't great losing him so early, but that's just life.

 

"I thought the guys that went out there did a pretty good job and Sladey (Colin Slade) stepped up and kicked the goals that he needed to and Tom Taylor ran bloody well.

 

"But you don't like to lose those influential players."