by Henry Jacobs

The Waratahs aren’t focusing on past encounters ahead of Saturday night’s Super Rugby clash with the Crusaders at ANZ Stadium.

NSW claimed a 33-32 victory when the two teams met at the same venue in last years Super Rugby decider, but whilst the match may have a grand final feeling about it, the Waratahs focus is elsewhere.

“Obviously it was a great win for us last year but that’s all in the past now and we know how good a side the Crusaders are, so it’s a clean slate now and they’ll be coming out hard so we’ve got to be ready.” Israel Folau said.

With four rounds remaining, a win on Saturday will see the Waratahs overtake the Brumbies and claim top spot in the Australian conference.

“You just take it week by week and this battle coming up against the Crusaders will be a tough one but we’re really looking forward to it,” lock Will Skelton said.

After a strong outing against the Sharks last week Michael Cheika’s side will be looking to build on the performance and put a second straight win on the board ahead of a tough trip to South Africa.

“We’ve been playing a good brand of rugby but we just haven’t been consistent enough, so hopefully on the weekend we can be free and open to play that kind of rugby,” Folau said.

The Crusaders have been bolstered by the return of flanker Richie McCaw to the starting lineup, whilst All Blacks’ Israel Dagg and Andy Ellis have been named on the bench.

Despite a big win over the Reds a fortnight ago, Todd Blackadder’s side are ninth on the overall ladder and face an uphill battle to make the top six if they lose on Saturday.

“The Crusaders throw the ball around and they’re really skillful players, most of them playing for the All Blacks and its going to be a challenge,” Skelton said

“They have had a few good matches against quality opposition so for us we are going to concentrate on our game and really try and topple them on the weekend.“