Although the Crusaders are the Blues’ main adversaries, Auckland-based co-captain Patrick Tuipulotu confesses he feels sympathy for the Super Rugby Pacific champions following their disastrous start to the season.
The Crusaders are the most successful team in Super Rugby history, but they have struggled in this year’s campaign, losing all four matches against the Chiefs, Waratahs, Fijian Drua, and Hurricanes.
Crusaders’ worst-ever Super Rugby start.
This is the Christchurch-based team’s poorest Super Rugby start ever, and things might get worse when they face the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
And Blues co-captain Tuipulotu, who is returning to play after suffering a broken jaw ahead of the year, has plenty.
Expressing sorrow for Crusaders’ head coach Rob Penney and his team.
“The last time I beat them was 10 years ago in my first start, my second game here,” Tuipulotu told Stuff, alluding to the Blues’ 35-24 victory over the Crusaders at Eden Park in Round 3 of the 2014 season.
“That makes it more special. I believe the difficulty is that we have a sense of how the Crusaders are doing. Their current run is challenging, but each time they face the Blues, they’re a different squad, and that’s something we have to keep an eye on.”
Aside from not having won against the Cusaders in a decade, the champs have dominated contests.
They have beaten the Blues in recent years, winning 21-7 in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific final and 52-15 in a one-sided semi-final in Christchurch last year.
This raises the question of whether Tuipulotu truly sympathizes with the Crusaders.
“I feel sorry for them,” said the gigantic All Blacks second rower. “I’ve been in their shoes before, and it’s difficult to be there. You come in every Monday, look at each other, and try to come up with answers, but nothing seems to work. I surely have some empathy there.”
