Crusaders finally realise that Tasman's got talent
The Crusaders have snapped up a record six Tasman Makos for the 2017 Super Rugby season.
OPINION: In years gone by it's been easy for rugby fans in Nelson and Blenheim to turn their backs on the Crusaders.
Despite Tasman's emergence as a big player on New Zealand's provincial rugby scene, Todd Blackadder regularly overlooked the Makos for his Super Rugby squad and the franchise was punished for it.
With six Tasman players in their ranks, the Highlanders went on to win the 2015 Super Rugby title. The Crusaders, with just three, did not even feature in the playoffs, finishing back in seventh.
David Havili of the Crusaders runs the ball against the Hurricanes at Trafalgar Park in Nelson last year.
They were seventh again this year, although that was enough to sneak into the expanded finals series before losing to the Lions.
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Each Mitre 10 Cup meeting between the Makos and Canterbury has been billed as little brother versus big brother as the two major provinces in the Crusaders' catchment area square off against each other.
But as much as Tasman are motivated to show that David can beat Goliath on occasion, has the coach's pre-game speech ever actually mentioned the word "Crusaders"?
I doubt it.
The reality is there has been little Tasman representation in the Crusaders since the market opened up and players from any province could sign with any of New Zealand's five Super Rugby sides.
This season a record seven Tasman players headed south to Dunedin to play for the Highlanders. Compare that to the five Makos in the Crusaders squad, including Mitchell Hunt who had yet to play for Tasman.
Just three Makos played for the Crusaders in 2015 and 2013, with only a meager two making the squad in 2014.
There were six Makos in the 2015 Chiefs squad and six in the Highlanders then too.
But now, in 2017, it is the Crusaders that will have the largest representation of Tasman players with a record six Makos set to call Christchurch their second home.
Those players are Tim Perry, Andrew Makalio, Quinten Strange, Pete Samu, David Havili and Hunt.
But why has it taken this long for Tasman's talents to get noticed by the Crusaders overlords, despite reaching the NPC final twice in the past three seasons?
Perhaps incoming coach Scott Robertson saw enough from last week's NPC decider, where Tasman faced up against his Canterbury outfit, that warranted this record selection.
Or is this purely Leon MacDonald's influence? The Tasman coach knows the massive potential powerhouse hooker Makalio and rising star lock Strange possess so surely their shoulders were tapped as soon as he was confirmed as Crusaders assistant.
Whatever the answer, Tasman is finally, in the union's 11th year, starting to feel like a major part of the Crusaders franchise.
Now, if only they could return for another regular season game at Trafalgar Park. Nelson did not get a game in 2016 and won't again in 2017, and that is not how you treat your little brother.
