WATCH: Crusaders observe silence in Sydney, vow to make Christchurch proud

Fri, Mar 22, 2019, 1:53 AM
Iain Payten
by Iain Payten
The Crusaders have trained in Sydney ahead of their first match since the devastating events in Christchurch last week. Vice-captain Matt Todd vowing his side will put in a performance against the Waratahs that makes the community proud.

The Crusaders observed a touching two minute silence during training in Sydney on Friday and pledged to make the grieving Christchurch community proud when they play NSW.

The Kiwi champions will return to the field on Saturday night at the SCG after abandoning last week’s clash with the Highlanders in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack in Christchurch last week, which saw 51 members of the Muslim community murdered.

The team stopped their captain’s run session at 11.32am to join the two minute’s silence being observed in New Zealand, which was called this week to remember the victims.


The timing of the moment was to show solidarity with the Muslim community during Friday prayers.

Speaking to reporters in Sydney, Todd expressed his sympathies to the mourning Muslim community in Christchurch and said the tragic events “really put rugby into perspective”.

Todd revealed the Crusaders had been at the airport when news of the attack began last Friday, and there’d been a tough hour of no information when they had to board the plane to Dunedin.

"I guess we heard a little bit of and then we hopped on a plane for an hour, so you’re unsure as we flew,” Todd said.

"We didn’t really quite know what was happening so it was a little bit tough. You didn’t quite understand what was happening, and we had to get on the plane.

"By the time we arrived in Dunedin we had more info and I guess it’s tough to leave your city when it is happening in it.”

No-one in the Crusaders club was directly affected by the heinous attack but such is the tight nature of the Christchurch, the grieving has been genuinely communal.

Todd said the team was feeling ready to get back into action but had their hometown firmly in their minds.

"The boys are excited to get back out there. I guess it gives some normality to the team and that, but it has been a very difficult last week or so and our thoughts are with the people of Christchurch and in particular the Muslim community,” Todd said.

"We certainly as a team want to put in a good performance for our community that has gone through a tough time.

"I guess at moments like this it puts rugby in perspective for what it is. We want to come together as a team and do our community proud.”

"Hopefully tomorrow night everyone will have their heads where they need to be and be able to perform.

"We have trained well and travelled well, so from that perspective everyone seems to be in the right headspace to perform.”

Todd said the two minute silence was a chance for “reflection”.

Looking towards the challenge of the Waratahs, Todd said they were very wary of the NSW attack and would look to hold the ball, and defend smartly.

"They’re a very dangerous team, I guess they have attacking weapons across the park. Their backline is loaded with strike players and they have ball playing forwards and that,” he said.

"So we want to control possession as much as we can, and when we do have to defend we have to make sure we’re smart. 

"They run a lot of attacking variations so we have to do be smart defensively and work hard to slow their ball down, so they can’t get go-forward ball the whole time. Otherwise we will be chasing our tails the whole time.”

Todd said they had no concerns about the surface of the SCG, which was ripped up during the Waratahs’ last outing at the venue; which prompted 3000 square metres of turf being re-laid.

 

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