Super Rugby Pacific: Western Force coach Simon Cron rebukes suggestion they expect to lose to Crusaders

Western Force coach Simon Cron has bristled at suggestions their meeting with the Crusaders in Christchurch is a scheduled loss and expects his side to fight like their lives depend on it. Rugby Australia rest protocols forced Cron’s hand when it came to selection this week, with Wallabies Nic White, Ben Donaldson, Carlo Tizzano and Hamish Stewart all given a week off. It came as the Force also lost winger Dylan Pietsch to a minor knee issue, while back-rower Nick Champion de Crespigny is in concussion protocols. White and Donaldson have arguably been the best halves-combo among Australian sides this Super Rugby Pacific season, while Tizzano, Champion de Crespigny and Stewart rank first, second and equal fifth in the league for tackles and Pietsch has also impressed. With six of their most important players missing, some have suggested the Force can expect a loss, but Cron took a dim view of that opinion. “When you talk about getting in the fight, we don’t forecast any losses. Who would? No one in sport,” Cron said. “If you’re not in sport and maybe you’ve never competed in your life, you might. That’s not our cup of tea. “My expectation is when these boys wake up and go to the toilet, they compete. “We don’t have that mentality. I’m sure some people in their lives have that. It’s not us.” Having flown to Christchurch after last week’s loss to the Waratahs in Sydney before they face Fijian Drua back in Perth next Sunday, Cron said the travel factor was the biggest influence on the decision to rest the four Wallabies. “The Rugby Australia initiative is based around not playing six games in a row, and we’ve got an 8-9 game streak where we need to make sure we’re lining up with what the national body wants,” he said. “For us, it’s nothing to do with who we’re playing, it’s more about the travel and when they’re on the road and when they’re not, and how we can help best in that scenario. “It was discussion with Rugby Australia and the Super Rugby franchises a while ago. You’ve got to do it at some point, and you can do one or two (players) a game, or three or four a game. “Everyone has their own plan around it, but we felt with coming to Christchurch and then flying from Christchurch to Perth, that can be quite a big journey on the way back, maybe that was the best time to give those guys the best opportunity to get a little bit of down time. “ With no White, Donaldson and Stewart, the Force will have a fresh 9-10-12 combination, although Cron said he was confident Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Max Burey and Reesjan Pasitoa had enough chemistry together for their attack to flow. And with Kane Koteka set to make his first start in 1050 days to mark his return from a drug ban, Cron said it was an opportunity for the reserves to “step forward and step up”. “You can only shadowbox for so long and it’s a great opportunity for some guys to get in the ring tomorrow and we have to create depth when our squad, we’ve said it from day one,” he said. “(Kane) is a lifeblood of the Western Force, he has been there for a long period of time. He’s got hard shoulders, he’s had a really good preseason.” Cron conceded the Crusaders would be a difficult opposition off the back of their thrashing of the Reds last weekend. “You’re doing your team run on their park, and they’ve got all their championships up on the pole,” he said. “Their counter attack is right up there with the best in the competition, they’ve got good contact zone. There’s a few things we’ve got to try and do to help ourselves control that game. “Brilliant at the basics is really important for us, sticking the tackles, making sure that we play in the right areas of the field.”