Underdog Tuqiri ready to bite
May 28 2008
Waratahs winger Lote Tuqiri has branded the six-time Super Rugby champion Crusaders as "breakable" ahead of Saturday's Super 14 Final at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.
The Wallaby star is one of eight survivors and the only existing back-line player from the Waratahs' last final appearance which saw the dominant Crusaders claim their fifth title in 2005.
But while Tuqiri agrees Robbie Deans' troops deserve to enter this weekend's match as favourites, the confident 28-year-old insists the hosts are not invincible.
"We're definitely underdogs, they finished way and above everyone else (after the round-robin stages) but we know they're breakable," Tuqiri told Sportal.
"And we've certainly got a few things in line that can hopefully come into fruition and we can play some good footy and hopefully come away with the Super 14 trophy."
Tuqiri also claims the mood amongst the current crop of Waratahs is different to that of their previous trip to the final three years ago where his side went down 32-25.
The south island city of New Zealand has been - apart from one notable exception - a graveyard for the Waratahs since the game went professional in 1996.
The men from Sydney have played eight matches in Christchurch over the past 12 years for just one victory - a 43-19 boilover in 2004 which Tuqiri also played in.
That memorable triumph came two years after the Waratahs suffered their worst ever defeat - a 96-19 flogging before the finals series of 2002.
"I've said before, there's a much better feeling, a positive feeling going into this weekend's game," said Tuqiri.
"In 2005 we were probably one-dimensional and probably didn't play the way we wanted play.
"And we went over there playing a style of game that probably catered to them more than it did to us and we worried about them more than worrying about what we do well."
"And I guess things have changed since then and the players that we do have are really confident in their own ability and hopefully we can show that on Saturday."
Coach Ewen McKenzie praised the resolve of his current squad but is not convinced his charges deserve the underdog's tag.
"I don't feel like we're going into this game as an inferior team, we obviously completely respect the Crusaders' history and what they've done and the fact that they've led form the front all season," McKenzie said.
"But they have lost a couple of games and they've had a couple of games where they've come from behind."
"So that suggests that if you can get it right on the night you're a chance, so we go into the game thinking we're a chance."