DSPN - Devlin Sports Podcast Network
Tony Johnson: Crusaders Looming Large as Super Rugby Finals Approach
28 Apr 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What are the latest developments in Super Rugby as finals approach?
If they had won the games at home, you'd expect them to win. They would be top of the table. This is the team that we were in the first two or three weeks talking up and saying they're going to be the threat.
I said, did you score that try? He said, I got it down, mate. I said, how do you know? And he said, I just felt I got enough pressure on the ball.
And I thought, I said, well, that's all you need. I said, if you feel you got it. It has to be the hand. It can be the arm or it can be the torso from the waist up to the shoulder. So if you are, and the expression, this is where downward pressure, it doesn't, you're right, it's not in the book, but it is pressed down. So you have to press down on the ball. Welcome to the DSPN.
John Walker wins the 1500 metres gold medal at the Olympic Games. The Devlin Sports Podcast Network. Tony Johnson with us on DSPN. We had two bits to the podcast today. One, we were talking all about just that beautiful Takaha Stadium, the one New Zealand stadium, and opening weekend for events at the stadium. It was a rugby weekend. It was a fabulous weekend.
And something like 70,000 people through, Tone, which was just, you know, I kept looking at it every day thinking, are they going to turn up today? Are they going to turn up today? And sure, they turned up today. Five games across the weekend. First time this comp that all five New Zealand sides have won on the same weekend. Crusaders 35, New South Wales 20. And they did it quite comfortably.
It was a bit of an error-ridden game at times. Canes 45, Brumbies 12. The Brumbies were awful. They really were. But the Canes just put the hammer on them. Blues 36, Reds 33. You needed one game like this over the weekend where you couldn't leave your seats. And for Queensland to come back and tie it in the first half, did it again in the second half. Then, of course...
Bowden Barrett kicking the victory. Highlanders 28 make it MP17. And I thought MP played well in that game, but we'll talk about that. And then the Chiefs and the Druids. It was a great game to wrap it up with. A bit of free-flowing rugby and some fantastic tries scored. So the points table. The Chiefs with that and the bonus point.
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Chapter 2: How are the Crusaders positioning themselves for finals contention?
Top the Canes. 36 each. They are at the top of the table. Canes a game in hand. Blues 33. Then you've got a gap. And this is significant, people, because the Crusaders are on 26. They are two wins behind now, that top three. Brumby's 25, five losses in seven-tone, and they're still there. Red's 23. There's your top six. Highlanders have done enough to keep themselves alive.
New South Wales still potential. Drew is 16, Force 14, MP4. So let's start with the Crusaders. How much of a threat are they still? They're 5-5. And I don't think they've really hit their top gear apart from that 36-point extravaganza against the Chiefs in about round three. But they're there and they're dangerous and they're in fourth spot.
Yeah, I think they're in a good position now to keep their place in the top six. They've moved up to fourth. They've got two against the Hurricanes. First one coming this weekend. What a game this weekend. It's going to be huge, that one.
Chapter 3: What happened in the Hurricanes vs. Brumbies match?
But yeah, they play them twice, which was a quirk of the draw, which all has got a different feel to it this year. You know, not quite so many derbies.
derby games in the opening rounds a bit more cross Tasman sort of stuff which in a way has actually worked out quite well although I think it is going to play into the hands of a team like the Brumbies we'll get to that in a moment but the Crusaders yeah they've got two against the Hurricanes they've still got a bye to come they've got the Blues and the Chiefs now that's about as tough as it gets
Having said that, if they end up in fourth, even if they don't get home advantage, you're the team that finishes higher up. You don't really want to be playing them at that end of the competition. Anyway, I think Will Jordan, the expectation is that he won't be back for another couple of weeks. We'll just have to watch that space. I think Johnny McNichol's doing a good job. in his place.
I thought that one of the talking points about their performance, though, obviously was Lester Whanganuku playing in the number seven jersey and an eye-catching performance it was too. And it just makes it a fascinating scenario going forward. Is he going to morph? into a guy who starts in the loose forwards and ends up on the wing?
Or does he start the game at centre or wing and then late in the piece moves into the loose forwards?
One of the South Africans, they did this on the bench, didn't they?
They picked him as... Well, they've done it with two, Quaker Smith and Esterhazen's the other one.
Okay, so when they do their 7-1 split, I think it was, using that guy as a potential back. The value to Dave Rennie of this, if Leicester can play at that level in a black jersey, is just extraordinary. I mean, what a hybrid that is.
Yeah, I suppose if you look at it glass half full.
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Chapter 4: How did the Blues secure their victory against the Reds?
I'm trying to. This is a massive string to his bow. Yeah. If you look at it glass.
half empty then it kind of muddies the water in that glass a little bit about where does he now fit into the scheme of things but in terms of I know I don't think this has got Dave Rennie's fingerprints on it by the way I don't think he has influenced this I think it's something that they've been thinking about for a while And it came from France, didn't it? Well, he did. He would end games.
He would start in the backs and he ended a few games in the forwards. And I know James Marshall's been talking about it for a while. And so what a weekend to launch it in a must win game. And let's not forget that that was a game between two teams that were fighting for a place inside the top six. So it was a really important game. I guess they rolled the dice on it a bit.
And in the end, the performance that he came up with, well, it was pretty good, wasn't it? 48 metres, ball in hand, I think from about 19 carries. Interesting that some of them were in heavy traffic.
Other times, what I really liked the look of was when he just managed to get just a little bit wider and find himself in a little bit of space because you know how threatening he can be with a bit of space to wind up in. So he mixed it up a little bit. Three defenders beaten, eight tackles, just one miss.
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Chapter 5: What are the implications of the Brumbies' recent performance?
Eight tackles is not massive for an open side flanker, but the rest of them were doing their job so well. I don't think that's a detracting figure at all. Didn't use him at all in the lineouts. That's probably asking a little bit too much at the stage of his development, which is obviously... The other contenders for those loose forward roles, it's a string to their bow.
But no, I thought it was an eye-catching performance from him. I'm sure they will continue with it. It's just going to be interesting to see how it impacts on the role that Dave Rennie sees for him with the All Blacks. But it's a storyline worth watching. And look, Martin, not just him. I thought obviously so much focus on him
But I thought the other guy that really impressed in that game and has been running into a really good vein of form is Dom Gardner. We're always talking about this big, loose forward character. And I think Parker's playing very well for the Chiefs now. Obviously, the likes of Sammy Penny Finau, Shannon Frizzell coming back.
Devin Flanders has had a really good season in fact that whole Hurricanes lose trio but I thought Dom Gardner had a really terrific game again 70 metres from 16 carries when he gets into open space it's certainly he showed some skills too he can throw a dummy he can throw a nice pass as well 10 tackles he did miss a few 3 or 4 Nothing glaring. That's just a stat that I pulled out.
But he'll win you some line-out ball, too, because he's a tall fellow. So he's just another guy that's put his name into that mix that we've been talking about at the weekend.
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Chapter 6: What does the bizarre Drua try reveal about rugby rules?
And just to compare, I mean, Dalton Papali, he had a strong game for the Blues. Anton Seckner's been in good form. Duplessis Kirifi, obviously.
He was excellent, I thought.
Yeah, so look, there's... There's some real competition, but I just thought, just lob the name Dom Gardner into the mix.
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Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Product disclosure statement available at generalfinance.co.nz. One thing I want to mention that you mentioned Johnny McNichol there. He did score that try the previous week. He got it down.
And I know this because when I arrived at the Crusaders training ground on Sunday, we had a little session with Dan Carter, who's doing a thing for UNICEF, right?
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Chapter 7: How is the All Blacks first-five debate shaping up among players?
It's always a pleasure to catch up with Daniel. He's such a nice guy. And I got there early and I... And everything was locked. And so one of the other Crusaders guys arrived and said hello. And he banged on the door. And Johnny McNichol, who I recognized, came to the door and said, oh, what are you doing out here, Martin? I said, I just, I mean, he said, come in here.
So he actually let me in and then walked me through the addressing room in the gym. Wow.
Chapter 8: What can we expect in the upcoming matches for the top teams?
Yeah, just like a really amiable host that you've arrived at a party without the person who's invited you.
So you're saying now he definitely scored that try because of that, or did he say that?
I asked him at the end. I said, did you score that try? He said, I got it down, mate. I said, how do you know? And he said, I just felt I got enough pressure on the ball. And I thought, I said, well, that's all you need. I said, if you feel you got it. But I just want to make mention of this because this is their new training facility.
He doesn't have to let somebody from the media in there, Tony. He doesn't have to be a nice guy. He could have said, wait, they'll be here in five minutes and left me at the door, you know. But just the fact that this is what New Zealand's like. And on this weekend that a guy just says, come on in. And he showed me around like a real. It was just a really nice gesture.
I've never met the guy before. Yeah.
never met him and look with will jordan being out ideal man to have in your squad because he's got that experience he can read the game really well knows when to inject himself into the attack when to stay in the line and he'll finish off a try he'll create a try so i mean obviously they'll want to have jordan back for the running and I'm not quite sure when he's due back.
It was a three- to five-week window, and we're still not through that three-week window.
Well, they've got two hell of a game. As you said, they're away the Canes, they're home the Blues. We're going to learn a lot about the Crusaders in the next two weeks.
Oh, yeah. Well, just having a look at what they've got left, as I mentioned, they've got that tough run. Still with a bye, two against the Hurricanes. Blues and Chiefs, as I already mentioned, that doesn't get any tougher than that.
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