Yuck. Here come the Crusaders.
Someone tell CEO Colin Mansbridge that a 'commentator'* is being positive towards them...
They were right all along.
They knew.
They looked at the schedule and they loved what they saw.
They only had two home games before Friday night’s demolition of a team overachieving on the field and successfully underachieving financially off it.
They’ll make the 8, Crusaders fans and then it’s game on.
I just hope they finish 7th and run into the Blues at Eden Park and lose or finish 8th and have the same scenario but at Sky Sport Stadium.
It’s all set up for a dramatic final five rounds.
Strength of schedule is going to be a factor so this is how it looks for them (I can hardly bring myself to say their name sometimes). There are five teams separated by a bonus point win midway after round 10. Seven if you’re thinking the Drua are vulnerable!
They have a great schedule left with two teams directly above them to come.
One is struggling in Moana Pasifika and that’ll be at Orange Apollo Jade Theory Lancaster Projects Arena which could be a winner take all post season decider extravaganza in the final round.
They also have a trip south to take on a side that hasn’t beaten a New Zealand team since 1857 on May 11th which is shaping to be one of the great derby days in Super with the Hurricanes visiting the Blues before that southern scrap.
There’s an awkward trip to Canberra which sucks as a city (too many roundabouts and too quiet, eerily so) and for teams hunting a win. Just look at how good they are when at home. After getting pumped by the Blues they went all Ginuwine on the lossless leaders in the world’s most boring city after Brussels.
There’s also a very compelling visit from the Blues who have only won once in Christchurch since 2004 (lol).
Last season your team needed 24 points to make the 8th spot and by my math they’ll get another three wins. One of them a bonus point win and they will finish with 25 competition points which is enough for an 8th place finish and a loss to the Hurricanes in a quarterfinal.
*For reference here’s an explanation of the Colin Mansbridge quote. Shot Dylan Cleaver.
Ahhhh. The beautiful sense of inevitability begins to roll through the nation… ❤️🖤
*granted, I said this after the win over the Chiefs and then watched one of the worst displays of footy in the loss to the Force … regardless, we wear our eye-patch proudly! See you at the Caketin in early June 😅😆
My ‘lol crusaders’ moment ended when they beat my Chiefs 😒