Super 14 Preview: Highlanders vs Crusaders

Highlanders (13th, three losses) vs Crusaders (eighth, one win, two losses)
Venue: Carisbrook, Dunedin
Kick-off: 7.35pm (local), 5.30pm (AEDT)

HEAD TO HEAD:Played 16: Crusaders 11, Otago 5
Last year: Highlanders 26, Crusaders 14 at Christchurch

The Crusaders roll into town, but it is not often that their southern neighbours would see the red and black machine looking quite so vulnerable.

Vulnerable perhaps, but still with enough menace to take the scalp of the Highlanders—any team that has All Black Richie McCaw and his enforcer Brad Thorn in the pack is a side to be respected.

But while Todd Blackadder is still implementing his style post Robbie Deans, there is no doubt that the culture and class is present as always in the seven time champions, irrespective who manages the team and pulls on the jumpers.

They are wounded, no doubt.  Missing Leon Macdonald and Casey Laulau is a body blow, considering the latter has been close to the form back in the competition.  They have lost two games on the trot now, but slow starts do not disturb this team, and as always they will likely warm to their title defence as the year continues.

Especially considering that they only lost to the Brumbies in the dying seconds, and despite being hit by a howitzer through the Hurricanes attack, they did score two tries in the last minutes to come back with the panache expected of such a side.

But a third loss on the trot will see the history books opened back to 1996, the last time that they suffered three consecutive defeats.

Otago continue their modern trend of being a horrendously unlucky team. 

For all the talk of a side lacking genuine game breakers and having the least test representatives of any New Zealand team (and by some margin), this is still a tough team that will scrap it out with their opponent no matter how decorated they may be.

While they lost heavily to the Waratahs, they held both the Brumbies and Hurricanes to close margins.  One senses that with a bit more experience, a little more killing instinct, they may turn the corner and start collected some wins.

The restoration of their captain, All Black half back Jimmy Cowan, and the adding of Tim Donnelly onto the bench may just give the Highlanders that momentum they require.

Despite the edge that Canterbury has on paper, one feels that these are two relatively even matched teams.  Both teams are solid in the set piece, both with respectable kickers, and both able to counterattack with aplomb.

However, Canterbury has a defensive system that has been years in the making, notwithstanding the rushing style incorporated by Blackadder.  They are also the Crusaders, and like any champion team, sometimes when they need to, they will find something that other teams just don’t have.

Despite breaking a seven match losing streak against the Crusaders by beating them in the last Super 14, one feels that the Highlanders will not quite have the artillery to inflict the defending champion’s third loss.

The Crusaders to win by ten.

Crusaders:15 Stephen Brett, 14 Jared Payne, 13 Adam Whitelock, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Blair Cook, 10 Colin Slade, 9 Andy Ellis/Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Kieran Read, 5 Ross Filipo, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Bronson Murray, 2 Jason Macdonald, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements:16 Dan Perrin, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Isaac Ross, 19 George Whitelock, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i/Tyson Keats, 21 Ryan Crotty, 22 Hamish Gard.

Highlanders:15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Jason Shoemark, 12 Jayden Hayward, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Daniel Bowden, 9 Jimmy Cowan (c), 8 George Naoupu, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Hayden Triggs, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 David Hall, 1 Chris King.
Replacements:16 Jason Rutledge, 17 Anthony Perenise, 18 Tom Donnelly, 19 Steven Setephano, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Mathew Berquist, 22 Kendrick Lynn.