Crusaders ready to raise the bar
The Crusaders put their season back on track with a rampant second half, to secure a 34-6 bonus point win over the Lions in Christchurch on Saturday.
Despite a much-improved showing in this Round Five encounter, coach Todd Blackadder wants his team to raise the bar as the seven-time champions look to work their way back into the play-off zone.
Their Crusaders' All Blacks-stacked scrum dominated the Lions, and after stuttering through the first half with one try, they produced a more fluid attack in the second spell to add three more.
The four tries equalled the total number they had scored in their first three games, when they suffered two losses in yet another slow start to the season.
"I still think we have got some work to do," Blackadder said in his post-match reaction.
"Defensively we were high today, tackling high and allowing them to get over the advantage line."
The seven-time champions' coach also wants his side to be more solid around the ruck fringes and prevent opponents from crossing the gain-line.
He praised his side's scrummaging performance and singled out All Blacks prop Wyatt Crockett for special praise.
"I thought Wyatt Crockett was unbelievably strong, the whole eight did a great job," said Blackadder.
"Against the Chiefs (in their 40-16 loss a fortnight earlier) we knew we didn't have our best day at scrum time and just put the work in."
Although there was an element of rustiness about their play, the forwards set the standard which lifted the accuracy of the backs as the game progressed.
"We played well in the first half but the accuracy wasn't there and there were a few errors. But the intent was there," captain Kieran Read said.
"We saw what this Lions pack could do against a good Blues pack last week so the boys up front did a great job and put some immense pressure on them," Read added.
Lions skipper Warren Whiteley said when the pressure went on they could not handle the Crusaders pack.
"They came at us in the scrums and that was the start of a couple of disciplinary issues. The pressure they put on us was immense and credit must go to Kieran and his side who played a very smart game," he said.
