Super Rugby: Crusaders Mission Not Impossible For Confident Reds
by Paul Cook -
Most sides travelling to Christchurch to take on the might of the Crusaders in a do-or-die finals match, may well be wary of the odds heavily stacked against their chances of success. In 14 previous finals deciders on home soil since Super Rugby’s inception back in 1996, the Cantabrians have proved invincible, triumphing in all 14 with an average winning margin of just over 16pts. However, the Queensland Reds, their opponents in this evening's Qualifying Final, come into the game on the back of three wins from the last four against their cross-ditch rivals since 2009, including the 2011 Super Rugby final triumph.
Admittedly, that was in the cauldron of Suncorp Stadium, with 50,000 screaming Queenslanders making an extra man, and while the other two wins in t