A looks at Scott Robertson’s Crusader legacy

Robertson is the most successful individual in Super Rugby history and with the Crusaders has created the most dominant franchise in World Rugby.

The Crusaders have won 299 matches and 14 titles since 1996. Razor has been part of 156 of those victories and has 11 title successes.

Player

Crusaders Number: 26

Debut: March 22, 1996, Western Province, Christchurch, Drawn 16-16.

Played: 86

Wins: 57

Defeats: 26

Draws: 3

Awards: Super Player of the Year 2000

Year By Year

1996: 7 games

1997: 10 games

1998: 10 games (Won Final v Blues, Auckland, 20-13)

1999: 13 games (Won Final v Highlanders, Dunedin, 24-19)

2000: 13 games (Won Final v Brumbies, Canberra, 20-19)

2001: 11 games

2002: 10 games (Won Final v Brumbies, Christchurch, 31-13)

2003: 12 games (Lost Final v Blues, Auckland, 17-21)

Tries (16)

March 22, 1997: ACT Brumbies, Canberra, 29-49

May 17, 1997: Queensland, Christchurch, 48-3

April 11, 1998: ACT Brumbies ACT, Timaru, 38-26

April 24, 1998: Highlanders, Christchurch, 40-24

February 26, 1999: Chiefs, Christchurch, 48-3

May 22, 1999: Reds, Brisbane, (Semi-Final), 28-22

March 10, 2000: Blues, Christchurch, 32-20

April 28, 2000: Northern Bulls Christchurch, 75-27

April 14, 2001: Stormers, Cape Town, 28-49

May 5, 2001: Waratahs, Sydney, 22-25

April 6, 2002:  Bulls, Christchurch, 49-25

April 12, 2002:  Stormers, Christchurch, 41-21

May 11, 2002: Waratahs, Christchurch, 96-19 (Two tries; Record Win)

March 8, 2003: Blues, Albany, 5-39

May 16, 2003: Hurricanes, Christchurch, 39-16 (Semi-Final)

Coach

Debut: February 25, 2017, Brumbies, Canberra, 17-13

Note: Counts the British & Irish Lions 3-12 loss in 2017 and French Barbarians 42-26 win in 2018.

Super Rugby Finals

August 5, 2017: Lions, Johannesburg, 25-17 (Super Rugby XVIII)

August 4, 2018: Lions, Christchurch, 37-18 (Super Rugby XV)

July 6, 2019: Jaguares, Christchurch, 19-3 (Super Rugby XV)

June-August 2020: Won Super Rugby Aotearoa

May 8, 2021: Chiefs, Christchurch, 24-13 (Super Rugby Aotearoa)

June 18, 2022: Blues, Auckland, 21-7 (Super Rugby Pacific)

June 24, 2023: Chiefs, Hamilton, 25-20 (Super Rugby Pacific)

Players Used: 2017-2023

2017: 39

2018: 51

2019: 40

2020: 38

2021: 39

2022: 45

2023: 48

Note: Robertson coached 83 new Crusaders. There have been 282 Crusaders players.

New All Blacks 2017-2023

David Havili

Tim Perry

Jack Goodhue

Richie Mo'unga

George Bridge

Brett Cameron 

Sevu Reece

Braydon Ennor

Will Jordan

Cullen Grace

George Bower

Ethan Blackadder

Leicester Fainga'anuku

Fletcher Newell

Note: Dallas McLeod and Tamaiti Williams were named in the most recent All Blacks squad.

Most Wins by New Zealand Teams Since 2017

Crusaders – 99 (388 points)

Hurricanes – 76 (315 points)

Chiefs – 70 (311 points)

Blues – 62 (282 points)

Highlanders – 48 (236 points)

Most Wins by New Zealand Coaches

Scott Roberston - Crusaders, 99/118 - Seven titles

Robbie Deans - Crusaders, 89/120 - Five titles 

Todd Blackadder - Crusaders, 85/133 

Dave Rennie - Chiefs, 71/106 - Two titles

Colin Cooper - Hurricanes, 60/104

Jamie Joseph - Highlanders, 54/101- One title

Chris Boyd - Hurricanes, 54/72 - One title

Leon MacDonald - Blues, 51/77 - Won Super Rugby AU 2021

Note: Sir Graham Henry won 32 out of 39 with the Blues between 1996 and 1998 winning two out of three finals. Frans Ludeke won 76 out of 125 matches winning three titles with the Bulls in 2007, 2009, and 2010. 

Miscellaneous Notes: 2017-2023

The Crusaders scored 537 tries and conceded 272. Sevu Reece was the top try scorer with 46.

The Crusaders record for most tries in a season is 96 in 2018. The least they conceded was 28 in 2020. The record for most conversions was 75 in 2018 while they kicked 23 penalties in 2022. The 1999 winning Crusaders only scored 36 tries and kicked 44 penalties.

The Crusaders won all 16 playoff matches under Razor. In the same period, the Chiefs and Blues won four playoff games the Hurricanes three, and the Highlanders none. The Crusaders are 29-0 in playoff matches at home since 1996.

Away teams have won 22 Super Rugby playoff matches. The Chiefs had never lost a home playoff match until Saturday but won two on the road. The Crusaders have won eight playoff matches on the road including the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2022, and 2023 finals.

The Crusaders record in Christchurch under Razor was 55 wins, five defeats, and a draw. Away from home, they had 44 wins, 12 defeats, and a draw.

The Crusaders won the last 20 minutes of matches outright 71 times and earned parity on 14 occasions. In playoff matches, they weren’t outscored in the last 20 minutes since 2018. Of the 17 matches the Crusaders lost between 2017 and 2023 they were outscored in the last quarter 13 times. 

Perhaps the only close comparison to the success of the Crusaders is Toulon (France) winning the European Cup three seasons in a row between 2013 and 2015. In that period, Toulon was 24-3 winning nine playoff games in a row. When Toulon won the European Cup in 2013 Johnny Wilkinson scored 56 of the 61 points in their first title triumph. He kicked 16 penalties, two drop goals, and a conversion.

Richie Mo’unga debuted in 2016 and in 109 games scored 1227 points. He has kicked a Super Rugby record 319 conversions.  

2023

Youngest Player: Jamie Hannah - 20 
Oldest Player: John Afoa - 39
Average: 26 
Lightest Player: Joel Lam - 84 kg
Heaviest Player: Tamaiti Williams - 144 kg
Average Weight: 106 kg

Acknowledgments: New Zealand Rugby Almanack, Gazza & Friends at the CRFU Historical Trust.