Canterbury Crusaders coach Scott Robertson will look to put his team’s growing injury list to one side and focus on their blockbuster Super Rugby Pacific semi-final clash with the Auckland Blues as the champions set their sights on the final.
Robertson’s team handed the Fijian Drua a 49-8 thrashing on Saturday to progress to the last four in the former forward’s final campaign in charge before taking over as All Blacks coach later in the year.
“At home against the Blues, it’s going to be a cracker,” Robertson said of Friday’s meeting.
“We’ve had some great games, great moments. A little bit of history from last year will add a bit of spice to it.
“We respect them. It’s going to be a hell of a match.”
The Crusaders defeated the Blues in last season’s decider at Eden Park, but Robertson faces the prospect of going into the game without a host of key players.
All Blacks Richie Mo’unga and Ethan Blackadder joined Zach Gallagher on the sidelines as the Crusaders finished Saturday’s win with 13 players on the field, raising doubts over their availability for the game in Christchurch.
Sam Whitelock, who was instrumental in the 21-7 win over the Blues last year, missed the defeat of the Fijians with an Achilles’ injury that is not expected to have healed in time while forward Cullen Grace is also likely to miss the match.
“You go through the what-ifs beforehand, just to make sure you’re a step ahead for whatever happens, but you don’t have all those permutations,” Robertson said of his team’s injury problems.
“They just keep on going. There are a lot of players in that room who haven’t been playing, but it’s just the nature of (rugby). Next man up.”
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