'He's playing like an All Black': Scott Robertson's high praise for star Crusader

Many players stood out as the Crusaders dug deep to book their place in next week’s Super Rugby Pacific final with a semi-final victory over the Chiefs on Friday.

One player in particular, though, has drawn special praise from head coach Scott Robertson in the wake of his side’s gritty 20-7 win in Christchurch.

Forced to make a record-breaking 246 tackles, 130 more than their opponents, plenty of Crusaders players put in juggernaut defensive shifts in terrible conditions at Orangetheory Stadium.

Aotearoa Rugby Pod | Episode 17

Aotearoa Rugby Pod | Episode 17

Tom Christie, for example, made a match-high 26 tackles, and was followed in the tackle count by Scott Barrett (25), while young lock Zach Gallagher (21) was also an ever-present figure on the opposite side of the ball.

However, it was two-try hero Cullen Grace who caught Robertson’s eye in a performance where he made 22 tackles, scored the only tries for his team, acted as his team’s primary lineout target and proved his worth as a top-class No 8.

It’s for that reason that Robertson suggested after the match that the one-test All Black, who last played for New Zealand two years ago, could be in the reckoning for an international re-call.

“That try off the back of the scrum, that’s a throwback, isn’t it? To reach out, and I just think the braveness to reach out and score that, his contacts, he’s playing like an All Black,” Robertson said of Grace.

“Those consistencies, he’s carrying the ball, his defensive efforts, it’s pretty special. As I mentioned before, he’s the best lineout loose forward in the competition, so there’s a lot to like about him. I’m glad that his body’s right and he’s consistent.”

Those comments are timely given the first All Blacks squad of the year is set to be named on Monday ahead of next month’s three-test series against Ireland.

With Ardie Savea the first-choice selection at No 8, Grace is in competition with the likes of Hoskins Sotutu, Pita Gus Sowakula and Marino Mikaele-Tu’u to play the back-up No 8 role in the All Blacks squad.

After outshining Sowakula in their head-to-head battle, the 22-year-old’s efforts against the Chiefs puts pressure on Sotutu to match that performance when the Blues host the Brumbies in the second semi-final in Auckland on Saturday.

Grace wasn’t the only Crusaders star who shone in the eyes of Robertson, who was just as pleased with the playmaking ability of first-five Richie Mo’unga.

The 28-year-old pivot was once again a leading light for the hosts as he produced another masterclass in the No 10 jersey for the franchise, which was all the more impressive considering the wet and wild conditions the match was played in.

Contributing 10 points off the boot, nailing four of his five kicks at goal, Mo’unga turned the game on its head near the end of the first half in the lead-up to Grace’s second try.

Some beautiful line-running enabled him to burst into the opposition’s red zone, where he flung a magical offload into the hands of George Bower, while his next touch in the following phase was a long cut-out ball to put Grace into acres of space to score.

Moments like those proved to be crucial for the Crusaders, and Robertson paid tribute to Mo’unga’s contribution to the win.

“Richie Mo’s a winner. He wins games, he finds ways to win,” Robertson said.

“We could have been better in a lot of areas, but the touches, the class, he missed that kick that would have made it a three-score game, but that’s the only thing I can really remember [that Mo’unga did badly].

“Everything else was brave. He played, he showed good feet. When we were down men, everyone stood up, but he was special.”