We always knew it was going to be a big week; it always is when the Crusaders are in town. It is a game that you are always excited to be involved in. With the disappointment of last week still fresh in everyone’s mind, it was great to be able to turn up and deliver a performance like that.
It was great to see over 15,000 rugby fans at nib, although admittedly there were patches of red in the Sea of Blue. Not only the number of fans was exciting, it was their vocal support in the final minutes that lifted us to push out bodies to breaking point to secure the win. The atmosphere at nib has always been great, yet with the new stands it was been multiplied and feels like the Sea of Blue is a wave threatening to crash down onto the opposition, while it lifts us when we need it most. The entire stadium on their feet in support in the dying minutes and having a wall of happiness surrounding us in victory was indescribable. That is why I love my job and why we all love live sport. Without question the crowd was our 16th man when we needed it most.
It is not only great to record a victory; I am also happy with how the group prepared for the game. We had focused a lot during the week on what we needed to do as players to get an improved performance. It was up to the players to transfer what we had been doing at training into game situations; at the end of the day the coaching and support staff can only take us so far. The moment we cross the white line it is up to us; you and your 14 teammates against the opposition 15. If we are committed to the game plan and process, the wins will come.
It was great to see a fully committed team effort, every player that took the field contributed to that victory. It was even more pleasing to see the emotion of the new players that tasted Super Rugby with the Force for the first time. It is times like this that you remember why you put so many hours into your game. To see the jubilation on your teammate’s faces at the moment a win is secured, are the moments you will remember well into retirement. Last night I will remember the celebrations for the pure, unrestrained joy of Super debutant Rory Walton. We don’t all show it in the same way but I can testify to the passion and commitment of everyone of the Force team. We want this and we are doing all that we can to get it.
We have a tough couple of weeks coming up as we go back on the road. We have the short turn around to play the Hurricanes on Friday night and then to the east coast to play the Brumbies. We will go into this game with confidence but we know that we will again need to be at our best. Both opposition are strong teams that have earned respect. To compound the immediate threat the Hurricanes are coming off a loss and traditionally they bounce back strongly after tasting defeat.
We will need to ride the high and build upon the positives of the win. We will again call on a team performance and a similar defensive effort. There are still areas of our game that need to improve. Our lineouts, scrums and securing points in attack are still particular areas of focus this week. Being strong in defence is critical but unless you have the points on the board you can still just be working hard to defend a loss. The team and I are always willing to put our bodies on the line, but I want to be doing it for wins not for honourable losses. The record books never remember how close a loss was, a loss is a loss and stings every time.
A win, even a truly enjoyable one against the Crusaders, is only one more step in the relaunch of the Force. It certainly feels much better after a win, however it is still only one week in a constant, dedicated process to improve and grow as a team. Combinations and players are still new and will take time to develop and be consistent during a long punishing super season. This week is a fresh start to again prove that we are a competitive team and get return for hard work. With bodies still full of stitches, bruises and aches we refocus on the next stepping-stone to where we want to be. Hurricanes in Wellington, Friday night, let’s go back to back for the first time in a while.
