Rob Penney: 'It’s been a long time since the Crusaders have been in this sort of place'

The stat sheet isn’t looking kindly on the Crusaders’ opening two performances of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season as questions swirl over the team’s direction.

There’s no hiding from those stats either, with turnovers dominating the run of play and often disrupting any chance at positive momentum for the reigning champions.

The changes within the team’s environment have been well documented, but the club have remained resolute in their confidence the departures haven’t dented their title aspirations or chances.

While it wasn’t a smooth sailing start to the campaign in 2023 either, a losing excursion to Fiji to face the Drua this week could see the team subjected to their worst start to a season since 1996. It’s a fixture they were famously beaten in last year.

New coach Rob Penney acknowledges the team is underperforming, which is an unfamiliar feeling for a club with seven titles in as many years.

“I think we had 36 opportunities with the ball and 18 of them turned into errors and turnovers…we’re better than that,” Penney told 1News, reflecting on his side’s 24-37 loss to the Waratahs in Super Round.

“It’s never easy in an organisation that prides itself on being able to get across the line when challenging times occur.

“I’m not questioning the players’ resolve, it’s been a long time since the Crusaders have been in this sort of place.”

In addition to losing names like Richie Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock and Leicester Fainga’anuku, the Crusaders have been dealt injury blows in the form of Tamaiti Williams, Fergus Burke, Brayden Ennor, Ethan Blackadder, Leigh Halfpenny and Will Jordan.

The latter of which will miss the entire season with a shoulder injury, a “colossal loss” for the team.

“He’s massive, for a number of reasons,” Penney told media following Jordan’s injury news. “A world-class player, massive influence on the group.

“The injury’s been managed for a year or two, my understanding is it’s just got progressively worse. There may have been a little issue during the World Cup where it got aggravated once again.

“The conservative management component wasn’t as effective as we would have hoped, so he’s had the repair done.”

To help cover the loss of two world-class fullbacks, the team have drafted in a familiar face in Johnny McNicholl. Since leaving the club in 2016, McNicholl has earned over 120 caps for Scarlets and has 10 international caps to his name.

Penney said the 33-year-old may have been away for some time, but he knows what the club is about.

“He has a massive history here… he’s a Crusader, he gets it.”