Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said his team’s preparation for their historic Super 14 semifinal showdown with the Bulls at Soweto’s Orlando Stadium is more about “mental application” that physical training.
Writing in his column on the Crusaders’ website, he also said he hopes the players respond to the unique venue – the historic soccer stadium in Orlando.
The Bulls moved the game to Soweto, because they had to hand over their home ground, Loftus Versfeld, to FIFA in advance of the Soccer World Cup next month.
“We’re in the semifinals of the Super 14 once again and this week is all about mental application,” Blackadder said.
“We had a good trip over to Johannesburg from Christchurch via Sydney. We don’t talk a lot of rugby on these long-distance flights. It was important to give the guys their space and let them recover from the match against the Brumbies at AMI Stadium [last] Friday.
“It’s a normal away week for us. We will train twice this week and have a captain’s run at the ground – the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Friday – the day before the game.
“The trainings won’t be hard – there’s no point in thrashing the guys at the end of a long campaign. We’re in good shape mentally and physically. we’re fresh and the players are really looking forward to this match against the Bulls.
“It’s such a unique occasion to be playing the match at Soweto.
“We don’t find Loftus Versfeld daunting but playing at Orlando Stadium is a one-off and I hope the guys respond to that.
“We’ve really tried to look after the players physically this season and I think it’s paying off. The guys have really bought into it too which is crucial. You can’t play every week in this competition, it’s just too tough.
“For example we have some quality props in Owen Franks, Ben Franks and Wyatt Crockett, who have all shared the workload this season. We’ve also mixed up the locks Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock and Chris Jack. All these guys play in physically demanding positions and we’re lucky to have such good depth in our squad.
“The Bulls are also likely to be pretty fresh, having rested a large number of their top players in their match against the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend. Was that a good policy? Who knows, it will all come down to which team plays better on the day.
“The guys have a lot of self belief and confidence after going close against the Bulls in Pretoria a couple of weeks ago. Our game has shifted up a notch or two and you could see that in the 40-22 victory over the Brumbies last weekend.
“The forwards are laying a great foundation and every player in the backline is proving to be a threat on attack.”
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