Super12 2002 - Final

Crusaders 31 defeated Brumbies 13 (Christchurch)

There was a feeling of inevitability - perhaps even destiny - about the Crusaders' triumph in the 2002 Super12. They were clearly the best team in the competition in the preliminary rounds - as their record-breaking effort of going through undefeated suggests.

There was the game about which we no longer speak against the Waratahs, and then a solid semifinal performance to defeat a talented, albeit injury-riddled Highlanders side. The final hurdle was to overcome a resurgent - though less potent than in previous years - Brumbies outfit, at home in Christchurch.

And for the majority of the match, the Brumbies at least managed to put up a decent fight. Never before, however, have I seen such relentless and superb defence by a provincial side as that produced by the whole Crusaders team in the final - at one stage only one or two Crusaders were managing to impede the progress of a five-man Brumbies rolling maul! Such was their confidence in defence, the Crusaders frequently committed only a couple of players to the breakdown, allowing them to reinforce their defensive line with additional forwards. And at the end of the day, the Brumbies simply had no answer to that.

But the Crusaders' defence only tells part of the tale. They are such a well-rounded, balanced team with such incredible depth - no less than three All Blacks on the bench - that there is no apparent weakness to their game. They are disciplined, structured, and fluid in attack; their defence is outstanding; and their kicking game, engineered by Andrew Mehrtens, is both intelligent and effective. The fact that, in the first half, they held the Brumbies to only three points, when the Australians had a gale-like wind behind their backs, is testimony to their abilities.

The Brumbies will be sore in defeat. They have a winning culture, where anything less than the achievement of their goals is seen as failure. It is a credit to them that they overcame an unprecedented (in recent years, at least) four game losing streak to make the final. Irrespective of the outcome of the final, they remain a quality side, but they never quite looked the trailblazers of the past couple of seasons. Perhaps that can be put down to lost personnel (Kafer, Williams, Roff, et al), perhaps a new coach still feeling his way at Super12 level, or maybe other teams have simply caught up. The Brumbies in full flight is just about the prettiest sight in world rugby, but their attacking options have been severely hampered this year courtesy of staunch and speedy defense from the quality Super12 sides.

The Crusaders circa 2002 are, without question, the finest team in the history of the Super12. They are also, quite possibly, the best non-international team ever, from either hemisphere. That their players form the nucleus of this year's All Black squad comes as no surprise, and their skill levels and all round excellence point to the fact that the All Blacks are set to once more take the mantle of best team in the world. They would most probably soundly defeat the likes of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and would give the Wallabies, England, the Springboks, and France a run for their money.

This year's TriNations will be an engrossing contest. Will the All Blacks' play live up to the promise of the Crusaders' and Highlanders' Super12 season? Can the Wallabies under Eddie Jones reinvent themselves to remain one step ahead of their arch rivals? Will history repeat and the Springboks produce a great season the same year their Super12 sides capitulated alarmingly?

And what of the Brumbies? Back to the drawing board - or, to be more precise, the video tape analysis, the statistical software, the organisational structure that saw them define "professionalism" in a rugby club. Certainly, new tactics will need to be devised in 2003, new ideas brough to the table, but I'd venture that the alarm bells won't exactly be ringing. Maybe it just wasn't their year. And, after all, making the Super12 final ain't so bad, is it.

- Dan Fowell