Tag Archives: crusaders

The makeup of the quarter-finals in the 2019 edition of Super Rugby has been confirmed after the culmination of the regular season this weekend.  New Zealand side the Crusaders will be looking to make it three titles in a row and their excellent form has seen them clinch the first seed which means that they will host the final if …

The World Rugby U20 Championship offers rugby fans from around the world the opportunity to see the next generation of players who will make it in the game.  From an Irish point of view, if you look back at the 2016 U20 team who reached the final of the world championships, the likes of James Ryan, Andrew Porter and Jacob …

Former Ireland and Munster outhalf Ronan O’Gara is reportedly set to sign a three-year deal to become the backs coach at French side La Rochelle. According to reports in the French media, O’Gara is set to leave his role at New Zealand side Crusaders at the end of the Super Rugby season and take up a role at La Rochelle. …

Ronan O’Gara has reflected on his coaching career so far and stated his intention to become a head coach at some time in the near future.  O’Gara, Ireland’s second most-capped player and highest ever points scorer, was speaking at the launch of #AnswerIrelandsCall as a part of the Guinness Series 2018. The Cork man retired in 2013 and could have easily taken …

Scott Robertson guided his side to a second successive Super Rugby title when they defeated the Golden Lions 37-18 in Christchurch this morning. The Crusaders look to be head and shoulders ahead of the rest of their competitors in Super Rugby and there’s no reason why their dominance shouldn’t continue well into the future. Much of that has to do …

Richie Mo’unga pulled all the strings as the Canterbury Crusaders beat the Golden Lions 37-18 to claim a ninth Super Rugby title and their second in a row on Saturday. The defending champions, who started as red-hot favourites in Christchurch, produced a heroic defensive effort with Mo’unga clinically engineering the points when chances arose. The fly-half had a hand in …

The Canterbury Crusaders hit back at the Golden Lions and defended prop Joe Moody on Friday after claims of illegal tactics ahead of the Super rugby final in Christchurch. Lions coach Swys de Bruin ignited the verbal clash when he said the eight-time champions get away with plenty of transgressions and called for a “fair deal” from Australian referee Angus …

Defending champions Canterbury Crusaders charged into their 13th Super Rugby final with a comprehensive 30-12 victory over the Wellington Hurricanes in Christchurch on Saturday. The platform was set by the All Blacks-laden pack who drove relentlessly into the Hurricanes, allowing fly-half Richie Mo’unga the time and space to dictate play. In a match billed as the final before the final, …

Wellington Hurricanes need a huge effort up front to steal an upset win in their Super Rugby semi-final against defending champions Canterbury Crusaders, assistant coach John Plumtree said Friday. The Hurricanes go into the match on Saturday as underdogs against an in-form Crusaders outfit that has never lost any of the 19 finals matches staged in Christchurch. Plumtree, who will …

The Super Rugby quarter-finals took place this weekend and we have now gone from eight teams to four as the semi-finals loom large next week.  The Waratahs, the Lions, reigning champions the Crusaders and the Hurricanes are the four sides left who will be hoping to secure the championship trophy in two week’s time. First of all, these teams will …

The defending champions Canterbury Crusaders marched resolutely into the Super Rugby semi-finals Saturday with a 40-10 demolition of the Coastal Sharks in Christchurch.  The Crusaders, in search of a ninth Super crown, underscored their status as competition favourites with 17 unanswered points in the closing stages and a fortress-like defence that restricted the Sharks to only one try. They scored …

The Crusaders are now guaranteed to receive top seeding with one regular round remaining after a thumping 45-22 win over the Highlanders in Christchurch.  Scott Robertson’s side found it tough in the first half but a try on the stroke of half-time proved crucial as the Crusaders were able to see out the game in the second half thanks to …

Peter Samu will join the Wallabies squad ahead of this week’s opening Test against Ireland in Brisbane after New Zealand Rugby agreed to release the flanker, Rugby Australia said Sunday. “I want to thank New Zealand Rugby for their consideration in releasing Peter for international duties,” Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle said in a statement after a deal between …

Canterbury Crusaders flanker Pete Samu appeared to have lost his chance to play for Australia against Ireland this month after New Zealand Rugby said Saturday its demands for his release have not been met. In a trans-Tasman tug-of-war, neither country has officially revealed New Zealand’s stipulations to release Samu, but it is believed they sought NZ$50,000 (US$35,000) to release the …

Things were looking pretty disastrous for the Crusaders in Christchurch this morning as at one stage in the first half they were 29-0 down against the Waratahs until Joe Moody’s 35th minute try sparked a comeback for the home side.  Tries from Cameron Clark, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Israel Folau and Curtis Rona in the opening 28 minutes gave hope that the …

It was the Richie Mo’unga show in Christchurch this morning as the Crusaders ran out 45-28 winners over the Stormers.  Mo’unga was central to everything that was good about the defending champions’ performance as they further established their favourite’s tag for this year’s competition with a seven-try rout. Mo’unga kicked five conversions in addition to going over for his own …

Here we look at the New Zealand Conference - where some of the best club sides in world rugby will battle it out for to top the group.

Ronan O’Gara will certainly be clocking up the air miles over the coming weeks.  The Corkman is currently getting to grips with his new role as assistant coach to Scott Robertson’s Crusaders in Christchurch but as preparations ramp up for the beginning of the new Super Rugby season, O’Gara will have to divide his time travelling between New Zealand and Ireland …