Super Rugby Pacific wrap: Crusaders pay heavy price for absent All Black Will Jordan in loss to Blues
Monday, 9 March 2026
ANALYSIS: As morose Crusaders supporters watched their team implode against the Blues in Auckland on Saturday night they knew it was pointless to hope Will Jordan would suddenly intervene, and put an end to the shambolic state of affairs unfolding before their eyes.
Jordan has proved himself capable of many things during his sporting career, but not even he could shake the magic rugby beads and suddenly drop out of the heavens to land on the turf during the Super Rugby Pacific fixture.
The official word from the Crusaders was that Jordan had been banged-up during the win over the Chiefs in Hamilton the previous weekend, and that, along with rest protocols, was a factor in him being rested from the team that travelled north.
Given a break, in other words, after just three rounds.
Of all games to miss, it was the one against the old enemy, the Blues, in Auckland.
Blues coach Vern Cotter and his players may not have said much last week when they learned the All Blacks star wasn't in the Crusaders’ match-day 23.
The fire in their eyes would have been a dead giveaway. You should never give a sucker an even break in this business.
The Blues won 29-13 at Eden Park.
There were messy performances from both teams, but not even the most parochial of Crusaders supporters could have argued the best side didn't take the chocolates.
If Jordan had been at fullback, maybe the outcome would have been different.
Some people may scoff at that statement; they would note he couldn't have joined the forwards and helped fix their lineout issues, or plugged all the holes in the defensive line.
What Jordan could have done if he had been wearing the No 15 jersey, however, was make things happen.
He has proved, time and again, for the Crusaders that he can flip a game on its head by simply being in the right place or by dipping into his sack of tricks to create a counterattack.
Jordan would have been the ideal man to galvanise his team - if he had been playing.
Now, once again, the Crusaders have been forced to reflect on a loss.
After the emphatic win over the Chiefs, when Jordan was in excellent touch, the defending champions produced attacking footy to make their opponents suffer.
The Crusaders took a huge step backwards in Auckland. Their 1-3 record means they're eighth on the competition log, on just five points.
The Blues, meanwhile, are 2-2 and are fourth (10 points).
1 What impact did Beauden Barrett have for the Blues?
Barrett was a late addition to the starting XV after Stephen Perofeta, who was named to start at No 10, withdrew because of inflammation of a calf muscle.
Making his first appearance since the All Blacks' northern tour, Barrett fitted into the Blues systems as if he had appeared at first five-eighth for every minute of the pre-season and competition games.
Blues captain Dalton Papali'i described Barrett as 'a bit of a fossil'' during his victory speech; he also said that when the veteran playmaker speaks everyone drops tools and listens.
With Jordan unavailable and not having a heavy hand in the Crusaders’ plays, the Blues were in the fortunate position of seeing Barrett promoted from the bench and straight into the run-in side.
His impact was significant; while he would have lamented not slotting a kick to ease the pressure on the scoreboard, his short passes put runners into space, and the accurate cross-kicks to the outside lanes were instrumental in sending the Crusaders home without a competition point.
Wing Caleb Clarke grabbed a hat-trick of tries.
Barrett, meanwhile, gave new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie much to ponder ahead of the domestic tests against France, Italy and Ireland in July.
He turns 35 in May, but Barrett proved the extended break over the summer hadn't diminished his skills.
2 How much kicking is too much?
Between them, the Blues and Crusaders kicked the ball 65 times.
Winning the contest for the ball in the air continues to dominate and unless World Rugby intervenes and changes the laws to allow escort runners to return, we all know what this means for the World Cup in Australia next year.
Blues coach Vern Cotter explained the importance of winning the kicking battle, saying claiming the ball in the air is the equivalent of a precious linebreak.
As entertainment, however, there's only one winner when it comes to these tactics.
Nothing beats the sight of a player busting a defensive line and screaming into open space.
Compare that to watching a halfback shape for a box kick, before a pair of wings duel for possession in mid-air. Yawn.
3 Why the injury to Waratahs star Joseph Suaalii is a blow to the competition
While the Blues must have looked with envy at the Warriors getting a bumper crowd for their NRL opener against the Roosters at Go Media Stadium on Friday night - along with every other Super Rugby club - the Waratahs had other reasons to worry.
Waratahs star back Joseph Suaalii could be out for between six weeks to two months because he tore a hamstring before the game against the Hurricanes in Sydney.
As the Waratahs chase eyeballs in a red-hot sports market dominated by the NRL and Aussies Rules, they can only rue this bad luck for Suaalii.
The arrival of another NRL star Zac Lomax, who will join the Western Force, will give Rugby Australia a reason to celebrate.
But that will be of no consolation to the Waratahs.
4 And then the Hurricanes went out and smashed the Waratahs
As the Hurricanes pulled apart the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium, you could only wonder what impact former All Blacks coach assistant coach Jason Holland was having on the attack.
Holland, who joined head coach Clark Laidlaw's crew after unhooking himself from the All Blacks after last year's northern tour, has the reputation for communicating with clarity and is respected by the players.
The Hurricanes won 59-19, a stunning result which involved centre Billy Proctor scoring a hat-trick in the second half.
5 Why Super Rugby Pacific officials say the Brumbies weren’t dudded by officials in loss to Reds
When Reds player Filipo Daugunu appeared to knock the ball forward from a restart late in the game in Canberra, the TV commentators called it out as a knock-on.
'That's a shocker,'' former Wallabies lock Justin Harrison stated. Harrison, known as Goog in his playing days and a former Brumbies representative, wasn’t happy.
But Super Rugby Pacific is standing by their referee Damon Murphy, saying he made the right call and provided additional angles to back their case.
After the ball was juggled by Daugunu it appeared to go backwards. A line call? Maybe but the Reds still had to go a long way down the field to score the matchwinner.
So the match continued to unfold and the Reds, eventually, ran over the Brumbies thanks to No 10 Carter Gordon.
Nothing beats playing at a frantic rate, especially in the final quarter fatigued defenders struggle to prevent ball runners getting into space.
Super Rugby Pacific is on a mission to create the perfect product.
You can’t fault that attitude - especially when compared to the sluggish Six Nations games - as long as they make the correct calls.