While Scott Robertson enjoyed the Crusaders ’20-7 victory over the Chiefs on Friday night, he would have looked at Sam Whitelock and Pablo Matera with a mixture of hope and trepidation.
Crusaders coach Robertson cut an emotional figure after winning the Super Rugby Pacific semi-final in Christchurch as a result of the 100-match lead since 2017, but his focus will quickly shift to the final next weekend.
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Referee Nic Berry shows Pablo Matera a yellow card during the Super Rugby Pacific semi-final in Christchurch on Friday night.
Who will play the Crusaders will be determined by the outcome of the other Blues and Brumbies semi-final in Auckland on Saturday night, a match Robertson said he will likely watch at home in the maritime suburb of Sumner in Christchurch.
If the Whitelock block or the blind winger Matera will take part in the final he will probably keep Robertson in the lead as he seeks his sixth Super title as coach.
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Whitelock scratched late before the start because he injured an inch in the quarterfinals against the Reds a week earlier. Matera was shown a red card in the second half of the semi-final after receiving two yellow cards, one for a professional foul and the other for a high 10th entry from Chiefs Bryn Gatland.
Asked about Whitelock’s chances of qualifying for the final, Robertson tried to be positive.
“We gave him every chance, until the end, but it wasn’t entirely right (playing the Chiefs),” Robertson said.
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Crusaders lockl Sam Whitelock retired late in the semifinals against the Chiefs due to a thumb injury.
“So hopefully he’ll be cured by next week. He’s a Whitelock. Anything can happen.”
With Whitelock reduced to the role of water carrier, Zach Gallagher closed the scrum with captain Scott Barrett, and Quinten Strange was added to the bench.
Argentina’s tester Matera will have to wait to see if a commissioner quoting Sanzaar thinks he has a case to answer, but given that he has now received three yellow cards – the other was against the Reds in the last game of the regular season- seems likely. Summonses are usually made within 12 hours of the match.
As Matera did not receive a red card for foul play (two yellow cards automatically translate to red), Robertson tried to be positive about the striker’s chances of being eligible for the final.
He believed that Matera’s entry into Gatland should not have resulted in a red card, through the two yellows.
“What Pablo did, I thought personally, was a penalty. It wasn’t a red card,” Robertson said.
“We hope it is available.”
Matera will be worried about the result, as this may be his last chance to win a title in the Southern Hemisphere competition. He has not yet decided whether to re-sign with the Crusaders, having joined the franchise after a couple of seasons in France.
In 2019, Matera starred in the Jaguars when they lost the Super Rugby final to the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Hooker Codie Taylor is also likely to be carefully managed in the next few days after being forced to retire with a calf muscle in the middle. He was replaced by Brodie McAlister, who produced a good performance.
The Crusaders ’defensive effort was one of the best, though Robertson didn’t know they had set a record for more tackles in a game for the franchise.
A post-match interview with Sky Sport revealed that this was the case. ESPN stated that the Crusaders made 254 tackles against the Chiefs’ 114, in addition to having only 35 percent possession.
He denied Robertson the opportunity to control the statistics during the match, although he later laughed.
“We usually have the ticket count at the checkout, and the ticket counts reflect whether you’re suffering badly, mistakes or discipline. And they were all down,” he laughed.
“No one would tell us anything. We continued to approach and keep up. Because all the statistics came out the window.
“The defense wins championships and they have given us a chance for next week.”