Super Rugby Review: Crusaders

The Crusaders claimed their eighth Super Rugby title and first since 2008 in coach Scott Robertson's first year at the helm.

His predecessor Todd Blackadder failed in eight attempts. But Robertson only needed one year to make history by becoming the first man to win the competition as both a player and a coach.

The Crusaders won 19 of their 20 games. It looked as if they might break their own record for most consecutive wins but after a fourteen-match winning streak they were defeated by the Hurricanes in Round 17.

Their success was laid on a foundation of uncompromising defence and the best forward pack in the competition. They were dominant at the set-piece, especially at the lineout where they boasted the highest percentage (92.2).

What was impressive about the eight-time record champions this season was their away form. Of their five games played outside New Zealand this season (excluding the final), they scored an average of 43 points per game across those fixtures.

They were at their most destructive against South African opposition between Rounds eight and 10 in which they beat the Stormers 57-24, the Cheetahs 48-21 and the Bulls 62-24.

They were only one of three sides to gain an average of more than 500 metres per game along with the Lions and Hurricanes.

Jordan Taufua was a revelation at number eight, Sam Whitelock was inspirational as leader taking over from the injury-prone Kieran Read while Richie Mo'unga was sublime at fly-half.

Best player: David Kaetu Havili was a revelation at full-back this season. In fact he was so good that Israel Dagg could not slot in to his regular position when returning from injury and had to make do with a spot on the wing. Havili beat 61 defenders (the second-highest), made 1201 metres (the fifth-highest) and made 24 clean breaks (the seventh-highest) in the competition. He has proven himself to be the master of the counter-attack, knowing when to exploit space and created numerous tries for his team-mates.