The Crusaders are in a different league on the front foot to any other side in Europe, says Stuart Barnes.
Europe must learn from Crusader's first-phase strike moves, says Stuart
I left Twickenham after the first ever European game of Super Rugby with a strange mixture of elation and despair.
I was elated by the vision, the precision, the sheer brilliance of a Crusaders' back line that delivered one of the finest 40 minutes of back play I can remember at the home of English rugby.
I was elated by the nature of the Sharks fight back. It took me back to the semi-final of the 1999 World Cup when Australia were infinitely the superior side but were forced, against all odds by the overwhelming spirit of South African rugby, to go all the way to extra time where that computer of a rugby brain, Steven Larkham, settled matters with a drunken drop goal.
Blessed
On Sunday the gulf in class prevented quite such a comeback but still, this was heady stuff.
Yes, there were some loose moments of defending, from the Crusaders in particular, but anyone thinking any European side - international included - could have handled the Crusaders back line is living high in the trees with the cuckoos.
True, the Crusaders are blessed with the greatest fly-half of modern times and Sonny Bill Williams is developing at such a lick that he could even overtake Carter as the headline Kiwi act come September, but it was the cohesion and understanding of the entire unit that was so striking.
Here is a team that works on first-phase strike moves whereas most European sides have given up on the concept, although it is the one occasion all the forwards can be tied up in the tight.
Clear and positive thinking allied with an ambition to attack combined as a glorious cocktail. And while we are at this junction of the column we will put an old canard down.
The Crusaders do not play this way simply to entertain but because such a vibrant, varying attack plan is the best way to bamboozle defences as they are doing week after week right now. I despaired because they are in a different league to any side in Europe on the front foot.
Variety
England, to their credit, have taken note and are trying; the inside ball from the midfield to the broken field running back three was revealed to near perfection by Carter and company but England has also worked on this aspect to good effect.
What England lacks is the variety. To some extent I still wonder whether New Zealand are vulnerable to a side that places their midfield under enormous pressure and force them to play a tighter game.
The Crusaders had the scrum and the driving game but for 20 minutes played with an air of slight confusion. South Africa will have taken note. Whether any team can put the Kiwi back line under sufficient pressure to stop them is another question.
Sonny Bill Williams was breathtaking. If you tackle high to prevent his delicate off load he will smash you courtesy of the immense upper body strength. If you tackle low and check him, the off load finds a support runner screaming onto the correct angle flat out. New Zealand has some exceptional talent and outstanding basics.
The ability to do the basics well is the climbing frame that enables a team to produce the magic of Sunday. McCaw's understudy, Todd illustrated how a well-drilled machine will find an individual to slot straight in no matter how important the missing piece, although Carter's blend of sly half breaks, subtle skills and deadly goal-kicking remains the one irreplaceable element within New Zealand's game.
McCaw's leadership is admittedly vital as well; as has been that of John Smit's to South Africa.
On Sunday the capitulation of the Sharks scrum suggested they will have to find a replacement full time from now on. Bismarck Du Plessis is arguably the best hooker in the world and Smit is too weak as a scrum technician not to be a glaring weakness at prop forward. This was a superb game of Super Rugby with substantial overtones for the World Cup itself.
Strengths
The Southern Hemisphere was won five of six World Cups. On this evidence it is easy to see why and hard not to see the figure becoming six out of seven. Instead of being begrudging in our praise, Europe should try and emulate the best - the support lines of the Crusaders, for example, should be studied as a very foundation of attack play - and utilise our own set piece strengths to create teams that are as good as they can be.
That was why Clive Woodward obsessed with beating the Tri Nations over the localised glory of the Six Nations. These are the standards that have to be matched.
Scraping though against Scotland at Twickenham is a win and nothing more for a side intent on global excellence.
The Heineken Cup is an amazing competition, one I think superior to Super Rugby in a myriad of ways but on the field can you imagine this season's winners beating or even competing with the Crusaders? You can! Then you have a far better imagination than I possess....my limited powers didn't see Gloucester conceding fifty plus points, that is for sure. Did someone tell the Gloucester team the LV Cup was the Heineken Cup? They played as if they had spent all week celebrating this level of achievement.
Bryan Redpath has to tether his charges. Leicester, ever grounded, ground out a convincing win at Bath which eased their local rivals Northampton's position in the play-off race as they dismissed a dreadful Wasps team. Sale are safe after beating Leeds but Newcastle, just six points ahead of the Yorkshire men have work to do....it is as intriguing as ever off the pitch.
Stuart answers your emails...
Got a question for Stuart? Email him at skysportsclub@bskyb.com or use the feedback form below...
Irish ire
Hi Stuart, I find it very strange that England are regarded as a young developing team while Ireland are regarded as an ageing tired team by everyone on eng side of the water. What about Ross sexton bowe heaslip Healy trimble earls o brien Fitzgerald McFadden and the injured lions Kearney, Ferris and Flannery. Put then in with the experience of poc bod darcy horgan o gara. O Callaghan Wallace and you have a fine team capable of beating anyone on their day. I think that it a case of the eng media getting carried away. You need to be a good a very good team to win the slam and eng are far from a good team. I think that ire are trying to expand their game bringing new players in and mixing it up well. Eng never got a sniff. Once Ireland built a lead they simply contained them at their will. They could play that game very day for the next year and the Irish would still win. Eng media go on about the missing tindle moody what about lions ferris Kearney. And flannery who would walk onto every team. Would you not think that if you picked a team from ire and eng players then most positions would be a green shirt. Kearney, bowe, Ashton, darcy bod sexton reddan, obrien, heaslip, Ferris poc o Callaghan, flannery Ross and Healy and ghat slaving out Wallace, Fitzgerald, etc. Ashton would only make the team as long as he learns not to be a Pratt with his diving. Also as long as Johnston is the coach then there never will be any respect for the eng team in Ireland what he did in Dublin with the president is the actions of a yob and shows a man with no respect. Imagine the uproar if bod had done that to the Queen at Twickenham. It would never happen because bod is too much of a decent person. Denis Whelan
STUART REPLIES: Denis, You make some perfectly good points but calm down. 'Tis but a game. It is true that that the English press are often guilty of a lack of equilibrium but they wouldn't be the only ones. You yourself fall into the trap by claiming this Ireland team can beat anyone on its day when there is absolutely no evidence that Ireland will ever beat the All Blacks!
I do agree that the perception of Ireland ageing is a misguided one though. I think it is because of the celebrated status of BOD and POC, maybe that creates a false and slightly lazy impression whereas England has been so flat for so long that any impression of improvement followed by naivety is seen as 'young and developing'.
PS I am a republican so wouldn't have blown a fuse had Brian stood his ground.....and I am sure a few Irishmen saw Johnson's stance as one that was purely related to rugby rather than an act of disrespect. I am not defending Johnson just putting over the side of the argument he might maintain.
Robinson's revenge
Stuart, do you think Scotland can top their pool in the World Cup? They have beaten Argentina on their own turf and ran England very close on theirs. On neutral territory I think it is a possibility! Fraser Ross
STUART REPLIES: Fraser, Anything is possible but Scotland will need to have a casualty-free run through the pool stages and have everything go their way against England and nothing go right for England. It's possible but reasonable odds against. I think Argentina will struggle and Scotland will escape the pool and make the quarter finals where New Zealand are probably awaiting and there I see no possibility of a Scottish win. If Andy Robinson wants to make the semi-final the only bet is beating England and topping the pool.
Flood barrier
Stuart, my friend, can I ask you one simple question, I see you have Toby Flood in your team of the six nations, which six nations were you watching?? Not in a zillion years was Flood the best fly half in the tournament, look what Johnny Sexton did to him, made him look VERY AVERAGE, WHICH HE IS.... Harry McCarthy
STUART REPLIES: Harry, Jonny Sexton was dropped earlier in the season because of poor form while Toby Flood was outstanding against Wales and Italy. He was every bit as good in Cardiff as Jonny Sexton was against him in Dublin. Alas, people have short memories and only remember the end and not the beginnings but a team of the tournament reflects the start, middle and end....perhaps you didn't watch the first part of the championship. I rate Sexton highly but overall I will stand by Flood as the most effective ten throughout the competition.
Consistent concerns
Stuart, Ireland do not play South Africa in the pool in WC 2011. I wish we were playing them to be honest. Instead it is Australia, which seems tougher given the France - Australia game last year. Still, if we manage to turn them over then maybe a semi final place does beckon! Jim O'Brien
STUART REPLIES: Jim, I know you play Australia but after back to back Six Nations weekends as a journalist and the battle of Cheltenham a man is entitled to a brief aberration, isn't he? Play as you did against England and Australia play as they did against England and the semi final beckons Ireland. However, Ireland has to prove that performance in Dublin was not just an anti-English eighty minutes of inspiration. England have yet to match the manner of their performance against Australia, can Ireland now find this high level of performance consistently? For the sake of European rugby I hope so.
